I don’t really know why I’m doing a review of The Medallion. If you’re like me, you’re going to go see Jackie Chan just because it’s Jackie Chan. He’s got the same endearing qualities as Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. And if the movie sucks, there’s always the chance of at least one scene that will make you go, “How the hell did he do that?” This is especially true now that Mr. Chan is approaching the age of 50. At worst, there’ll be some funny outtakes.
That said, the review is simple. If you don’t like Jackie Chan, you won’t like this movie. If you do, you’ve already stopped reading.
Go read my review of The Tuxedo. It’s the same for this movie, though a bit less so. I go to see Jackie do the impossible. But when you start throwing a mystical element into the mix, it detracts from the “wow”. This movie has a bit more room for wow, as the special effects don’t really come into play until later. There is an especially cool chase scene that will make you sit up in your seat. However, the filmmakers assume that we’ll only like it if it has the effects of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or The Matrix.
Stop it! Not every movie has to have slow-motion, mid-air fight scenes!
So, it’s better than The Tuxedo, worse than Shanghai Knights. Good, old-fashioned, summertime, throwaway fare (as opposed to the big-budget, sequel crap we’ve been getting from Hollywood lately). Go see it with someone fun, and you’ll have a good time.
I was seeing the mixed reviews; the ads lead me to believe it’s somewhat similar to the animated series — is that so?
No, not really. They both have a medallion in them, but that’s about it.
I heard Jackie Chan wants to get away from doing stunts and become a more serious actor. But I still wonder how he’s going to do that when I can barely understand his English.
At least The Tuxedo had Jennifer Love Hewitt in it! 🙂
She was the thing I hated most about that movie (even more than the special effects)!
But she’s a walking special effect, all by herself! 🙂 (grinning lecherously)
I feel the same way about Jackie Chan.
Although I haven’t seen The Tux yet…*tut tut*