Chinese Zodiac (2013)

I was kind of disappointed when I saw the rate of the film here in IMDb, I didn't read some reviews when I watched it back then so I have a complete unbiased observation in the film. It didn't even get an average of 7 stars. I literally had a good time watching it with my bros during the whole two hours. The film did not disappoint the die-hard martial arts fans because the fighting scenes are totally awesome, thrilling, and exciting at the same time. You can see in the film that Jackie still haven't aged based on the fight scenes. Jackie Chan still has that wacky sense of humor but some scenes force the audience to try to understand the blatant moral message of the whole film. But if you've seen Jackie Chan's films during the 80's and 90's, this film will hit right to your nostalgic daydreaming. But one of the flaws of the movie could be the fact that it is as expected as it would be. Though it has a mix of an adventure and not just an action film, the same formulas are applied coming from the previous Jackie Chan films. But as for me, that is the reason why it is such a great film. It didn't let down the Jackie Chan's fans especially this when this is his last action-packed movie. Also, the comedy in between films is blatantly forced and the abundance of stereotypes on the characters are a little bit disappointing. But it was compensated by again, the cool action scenes and the wonderful set production. The diversity of the languages throughout the film (English, Chinese, and French) did not actually help the film to have a different touch. The one thing that is cool with this film (besides all the Jackie Chan moments) was when a Chinese woman and a French woman fight head to head, that was totally awesome. But in the end, this movie doesn't have to be deep or controversial just to get acclaims. It is a Jackie Chan film and he is one of a kind. Even at the age of 60 years old, he brought justice in this film and that is good enough for me. This film just requires you to relax and be amazed. Jackie Chan proves again in this film that he is a classic actor and really tries to connect with the audience. He still inspires us in many ways and continues to embrace the craft.

Well! What does one say about this oriental version of a sort of mixture of Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, Indiana Jones, James Bond and The Hangover (plus a few more)? Crazy? Yes. Funny? Sometimes. Action? Most of the time! I notice that some other reviewer has said that this was sprooked as Jackie Chan's last starring role and, the way he flung himself around in this one, that wouldn't surprise me one bit! The guy was 58 years old when Chinese Zodiac was made but moved like a 20-year-old! He deserves a very long rest!There were a couple of very noticeable (to me) anomalies that I couldn't quite reconcile myself to. One was where characters were handling gold bricks like they weighed next-to-nothing. Anyone who has actually handled one that size would know that a girl certainly couldn't hold it between her thumb and forefinger. Gold is bloody heavy! Believe me. The other was the skydiving scene which lasted so long that, at typically about 25000 metres per minute would have to have been from a height about three or four times the maximum height that the aircraft they jumped out of could fly. I wish I'd timed it but then I didn't know what was coming until afterwards.All in all though, a fun spoof that didn't require too much serious attention as long as you don't expect too much.

A total crap film from a martial art legend, Jackie Chan. "Chinese Zodiac" is predictable, frustrating, dramatized, unfunny, boring and pretentious action packed that shouldn't be produced at any chances. My thought during watching this disaster is when would this film over also feel regrets for not turning it off after about 30 minutes. The idea of this movie could be come from some Hollywood blockbuster film like "Mission Impossible", "Indiana Jones" and is that pirates, seriously? There are so many coincidences, disorganized plot, cheap yet unfunny line, non-sense action sequences and amateur acting from it's supporting casts. With holes everywhere and so many weaknesses spotted, it just turns my mood to see this and give no care of what happens to the relics or any bronzes which JC and his crews rescued. Even advanced gadgets the movie got or Jackie Chan itself couldn't save these. At the end, the best part of this horrible nightmare is how relieved I feel when the movie finally over, what a completely waste of time. Alongside with "The Spy Next Door", "Chinese Zodiac" couldn't be only just contenders for the worst Jackie Chan film ever made but also wounds action genre itself unless you're a Jackie Chan fan, I think you couldn't be hating this much as long as your idol appears on screen.

I have been a fan of Jackie Chan's since I was a teenager... which means that he has been working in the action genre since the early '70s... which means that he's already 60 years old. Chinese Zodiac is far from being at the same level of classics from his filmography, such as Armour of God or Operation Condor, and it's a sequel of those films which retakes the adventures of the "Asian Hawk" (also known as "Condor"), a combination of James Bond and Indiana Jones who employs his amazing physical ability, high-technology gadgets and big doses of humor in order to find historical relics of a big monetary and cultural value. In this occasion, the search of brass heads will take the Hawk from elegant European palaces to the depths of the jungle, and he will be in conflict with professional counterfeiters, pirates (including the Asian version of Captain Jack) and students who protest the illegal auction of historical artifacts which belong to Chinese people. In summary, we are in presence of a film with too many sub-plots, and that provokes unavoidable confusion, a parade of characters who appear and disappear from the film without any explanation, and dramatic moments which should cause an impact... if we could understand what's going on. On the action aspect, Chinese Zodiac is a bit modest, but that doesn't avoid the presence of intense fights and excellent stunts. In order to make his life a bit easier, Chan delegated the biggest part of the fights to his co-stars, and he employed a considerable digital help to make many of the stunts; however, we can see him in a very good shape during the denouement of the film, in one of his traditional fights with a complicated choreography, and in an attractive action sequence on the slope of a volcano, which looks like a modernized version of that famous stunt which almost cost his life in Operation Condor. So, despite not being a highly memorable film, Chinese Zodiac is an entertaining action film which deserves a moderate recommendation to fans of Chan's who need confirmation of this artist's (note that I didn't say "actor") talent, and of his indomitable compromise to the audience, being at an age when he should be resting and producing films, instead of keep risking his life in front of the cameras. But I don't know if I could recommend it to neophytes in the matter; to them, I would suggest to start approaching Chan's filmography with some of the films he made in the '80s (Police Story and Police Story 2 are my favorite ones from his whole filmography). And, as always, don't forget to stay during the credits of Chinese Zodiac, where we can see bloopers, some details from behind the scenes and even a retrospective of Chan's filmography. This might seem a bit arrogant and self-indulgent, but if there's someone who earned the right of saying "I'm proud of myself", that one is Chan. After all, he has payed the admiration of his fans with blood.