The Shinjuku Incident (Theatrical Review)
The latest Jackie Chan film arrives in theaters and should blow you away with what he can do when not making you laugh
Tags: The Shinjuku Incident Categories: DVD/TV Reviews, Reviews, Tech Reviews
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Feb 4th, 2010
It may come as no surprise that Jackie Chan has been involved in the business end of filmmaking for a while, but at this point in his career, with the desire to take on roles that break the mold of Rush Hour, he has begun taking on more and even greater roles.
Now Jackie Chan is the executive producer of The Shinjuku Incident. Co-written by Derek Yee and Chun Tin Nam, the film stars Jackie Chan and is directed by Derek Yee. Also appearing in the film is Daniel Wu and a couple of other familiar faces. This isn’t, however, like any Jackie Chan film that has come before – he’s not the cop, the film is light on action and has no comedy. This is the film many of us have been waiting for.
Unlike most Jackie Chan films, The Shinjuku Incident isn’t exactly “nice” with some startling violence. This isn’t a film where Jackie Chan plays policeman on the lookout for a killer; instead he is on the shady side of the law. While he’s played a criminal before (Rob-B-Hood) it was softened up to the point where his character lacked any realism. While he plays a criminal here, Jackie Chan is very much not the “bad guy” but instead caught up in circumstances that are bigger than he is.
The Shinjuku Incident is set in the 90’s when Chinese were getting smuggled into Japan to find work. As an illegal immigrant, he finds work however he can. On the run from the police he falls in with the wrong crowd, and in Tokyo that means ties to the Yakuza.
This isn’t the first dramatic role Jackie Chan has tackled, but this is the first almost pure drama film. The Police Story series was more action oriented than many of Jackie Chan’s other films, with less comedy. The Shinjuku Incident takes away much of the action, leaving a gritty crime drama and the story of the struggle to survive in its wake.
Those looking for a “typical” Jackie Chan film will be disappointed. However, longtime fans know that this is the kind of film that Jackie Chan has been looking to do for decades, and the kind of film many of us have known he was capable of. While dramatic moments would get punctuated by a flurry of fantastic action or comedy in previous films, here he is given the opportunity to sustain the dramatic tension through the whole film. Does he deliver? Very much so.
What makes The Shinjuku Incident so good is that it is a very solid Chinese/Japanese crime drama. The fact that it happens to star and is produced by Jackie Chan is beside the point. Everybody does a good job with their roles, the action is never played up or sensationalized, and the plot is solid.
The film is in a limited theatrical run right now, so if you have the chance, I highly recommend seeing it. Hollywood should have let Jackie Chan make these kinds of films. On a side note, the first 500 people to attend the film opening weekend also get a limited edition movie poster. To see where The Shinjuku Incident is playing, follow the link:
www.shinjuku-movie.com/theatres.html
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
+ Solid crime drama + Violence is appropriately harsh but not graphic + Good cast (especially Daniel Wu towards the last part of the film) |
9.0 |
| What Doesn't | |
| - Meanders a bit in the middle | |
| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| Don't go into The Shinjuku Incident expecting a typical Jackie Chan fan. Do, however, go into it expecting a great crime drama. This is the film we've been waiting Jackie Chan to be allowed to make. | |
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Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Feb 4th, 2010 and is filed under DVD/TV Reviews, Reviews, Tech Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
