Viewer Comments:The Accidental Spy
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The film was very fun and has great Jackie Chan fights and stunts. A really fun movie.
-Black Belt Ninja (see my profile)
How can you hate Jackie Chan? It's not his normally humorous side, but was good to see him in a more serious movie. My 3 year old son loves this movie over the other Jackie Chan movies for some reason.
I think very few who have watched our nearly 50-year-old potato nosed star with even the slightest bit of insight would disagree that these last few years have produced the mediocre and the recycled. Clearly, "The Accidental Spy" is no different, though in certain respects Chan's latest globe trotting opus is not without its charm flaws and all.
-AL16991 (see my profile)
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Gulf/1857/
"The Accidental Spy" might not be what fans might expect. It has good fighting/stunts but not so much. Though it has a solid story! Highlight: when Jackie runs through the street butt-naked...HILARIOUS!!
I think this is a well-done film. The plot is good and so is Jackie. I like the film for having a more serious tone in it (I actually got tired of Jackie's goofiness. It is not funny anymore). There are not much fight scenes in it, but I don't care because I had fun watching this film. For those who haven't seen it yet, Go watch it!
The real Jackie Chan is back!
This effort stands as his best since he achieved Hollywood recognition. It's pure Jackie. Complete with homages to Buster Keaton and insane stunt work as well as wonderfully clever fight scenes- like the naked escape through a Turkish market.
Production value reflects the polish he's acquired in H'wood but the stunts themselves don't feel as "safe" as his American work. You'll gasp as a truck makes hairpin turns a few feet away from a crowd of onlookers.
It's perfect to rinse out the bad taste left by "Rush Hour 2"!
| Accidental Spy is an above-average movie that I can recommend in good conscience for just about all audiences. The plot is a bit mysterious and more intelligent than most Jackie Chan movies. It kept my interest and effectively set a mood. Jackie has an opportunity to actually act here, and he does it very well - although one or two other cast members are a bit weak in this area. There is very little of Jackie's trademark humor in this film. Most of what there is occurs during an ill-advised nude chase scene featuring Jackie showing everything but. He has a beautiful body for a 46 year old (at the time) man, but I'm not comfortable with my kids watching a man older than their father behaving with so little dignity. Fast forward through this scene and love the rest of the movie. Jackie is wonderful and Accidental Spy, while a bit more serious than others of his films, is great entertainment. |
This movie is a bit of a departure for Jackie. The film is much more plot driven then simply a string of set pieces. The fight scenes are very short and not very intricate, resembling more of his Hollywood movies then the Hong Kong ones. The most extended sequence is his nude fight outside the bath house. Pretty funny, but not much else. It is interesting that this is about his only film that I was engaged with the story. The final stunt is pretty impressive, but the outtakes are pretty lacking. What is really bizarre is that there is scene after the outtakes that is as out-in-left-field as his cameo in Project S. Bottom line, nothing very impressive from an action stand point, but a pretty decent film that stands on its own merits. Jackie is definetly slowing down. It might be time for him to move on to simply directing and groom a protege.
| Jackie Chan stars in another fun-filled movie, "The Accidental Spy." There will be many people out there who'll be longing for the Jackie Chan of old, but I contend the "The Accidental Spy" is one of Jackie's best modern day action films. "The Accidental Spy" is a very well paced film directed by Teddy Chan. And no matter what anyone may think, Jackie's still doing some great stunt work. Granted, there aren't any extended fight scenes, but there are many fights interspersed throughout. In this travelogue, we get to see Turkey and its local color. The script by Ivy Ho contains enough detail to keep things interesting, while also throwing a "treasure hunt" aspect into the mix. Jackie ends up looking for his long lost father and gets caught up in affairs that his supposed spy-father had started. All western wannabes take note on how to blend international dialogue. There are several languages spoken in this film, which are delivered by the cast members speaking in their own tongue, making things sound natural. Lines were written simply so the cast didn't have to strain at credibility. Plus, Jackie has been doing this for so long that it all comes off as second nature. After all, we aren't watching Shakespeare, we're watching Jackie crash through an office tower; tumble down the mountainside; and jump off a bridge. For a film to boast a budget over $200 million HK dollars, we get to see it spent all on screen. The stunts are big, but they don't overshadow the actors, as they did in "China Strike Force." Teddy Chan uses Jackie superbly, taking a few tips from his previous film "Purple Storm." We believe in Jackie because he still does his own over-the-top and wild stunts. There are quite a few in "The Accidental Spy." Jackie still can impress by his sheer willingness to absorb pain, as demonstrated in the film's outtakes. "The Accidental Spy" is just another example of Jackie's fabulously entertaining movie making. He still provides great excitement on film better than almost anybody in the world. |
| The least awkward and best-written HK Jackie Chan film in a long time. It's surprising how it so successfully and unself-consciously appropriates a Hollywood feel! Especially after Who Am I?, where JC himself admitted that they tried to do a Hollywood film but you can always tell it just doesn't feel right. Don't ask me exactly what makes Accidental Spy successful as a 'Hollywood style' film. It could be the high production values. The slick cinematography. The good pacing. The attention to plot in the sense that it doesn't feel made up as they go along & that the plot rather than the action drives the movie. The lack of any overtly goofy elements (eg overacting badguys dressed like clowns). The use of English and other languages in a realistic way. That JC actually has a dapper and stylish wardrobe for once!
Bottomline is that I really enjoyed it. The film travel from HK to Korea to Turkey and effortlessly picks up the local flavor as it goes along. Oh, and the music is nice, too! A lot of 'ethnic' percussion - It has some flair. Regarding the action scenes, they are better than expected considering all the complaints. The Jackie fights are here. They have the timing and rhythm we've all come to know and love (esp since no one else in Hong Kong seems to be able figure out the rhythm anymore - See all the 'continuous flailing' in Skyline Cruisers, China Strike Force, etc, etc.). The problem is that the numerous fight scenes are rather short. If they had included a massive showstopper fight like that in Who Am I? then no one would be complaining. Hell, if they had, this would be a better film than Supercop. Instead, the final battle is replaced with a big truck stunt/action scene that is "just" good. I expected it to be boring, but it really is tense with one or two moments that surprised and shocked me. Contrast this with Thunderbolt, whose 15 minute+ racing finale seemed like a how-to on making boring racing scenes. So while it's a bit different from JC's usual stunt- & fight-laden movies, it does deliver a good amount of action. It's nice change of pace for JC... a JC film for the new millenium. |
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