3 ms·

I liked Rush Hour, but according to IMDB he's been quoted as saying those are some of his least favorite movies.

by kindatrue 8y ago

crushcrashcrush 8y ago
Ah that’s disappointing. I hope he knows the first movie was a highlight of my movie-going childhood!
- JohnBooty 8y ago
  In terms of martial arts action those movies are pale shadows of his earlier Hong Kong work. Partially because Chan is older in those movies and is a little less physically capable. But IMO mostly because of Hollywood's unfortunate style of directing fights and martial arts battles. Traditional Hong Kong martial arts movies use a lot of wide and long, unbroken shots. You can really see the performers performing these physical acts of skill and beauty -- you see their entire bodies, it's almost like watching performers on a stage. Which is of course Chan's background. In contrast, Western directors typically use a lot of fast, tight, jerky, almost seizure-inducing cuts. A closeup of a fist hitting a face. A closeup of an elbow hitting a knee. A closeup of a face showing somebody's reaction to the pain. Etc. etc etc. There's much less continuity. 98% of the scenes are probably shot by stunt/body doubles. It doesn't take a lot of talent for an actor to pull off a scene like that, at least not compared to the traditional HK style where the actors have had a lifetime of martial arts training. Of course, those are vast generalizations. You can name plenty of counterexamples from both schools!
  - pimlottc 8y ago
    WRT your comments regarding framing/cutting techniques, the episode of “Every Frame a Painting” mentioned elsewhere in this discussion goes into this in depth and really demonstrates how it makes a big difference in the type of action that Jackie excels at. Highly recommended if you haven’t watched it before (along with the rest of the videos in the series).
    - JohnBooty 8y ago
      I will definitely check that out!
  - fraudsyndrome 8y ago
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P75XwOm2JWw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P75XwOm2JWw Perhaps one of the most best(worst) examples of hollywoods "type" of fight scene - yes this is from netflix but more in reference to any semi-large scale film production in the west.
    - thedaemon 8y ago
      Here is the opposite of that from Netflix's Daredevil. An extended hallway scene. Perhaps a nod to Oldboy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV1Vzn6xwqQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV1Vzn6xwqQ
- fraudsyndrome 8y ago
  You need to start referencing his movies that weren't made in hollywood, he has expressively mentioned why they aren't good at all. Yes he broke into the industry but he saw that they care more about money than making an film of art which leeches into the quality of the film itself.

I liked Rush Hour, but according to IMDB he's been quoted as saying those are some of his least favorite movies.

crushcrashcrush 8y ago

Ah that’s disappointing. I hope he knows the first movie was a highlight of my movie-going childhood!

JohnBooty 8y ago
In terms of martial arts action those movies are pale shadows of his earlier Hong Kong work. Partially because Chan is older in those movies and is a little less physically capable. But IMO mostly because of Hollywood's unfortunate style of directing fights and martial arts battles. Traditional Hong Kong martial arts movies use a lot of wide and long, unbroken shots. You can really see the performers performing these physical acts of skill and beauty -- you see their entire bodies, it's almost like watching performers on a stage. Which is of course Chan's background. In contrast, Western directors typically use a lot of fast, tight, jerky, almost seizure-inducing cuts. A closeup of a fist hitting a face. A closeup of an elbow hitting a knee. A closeup of a face showing somebody's reaction to the pain. Etc. etc etc. There's much less continuity. 98% of the scenes are probably shot by stunt/body doubles. It doesn't take a lot of talent for an actor to pull off a scene like that, at least not compared to the traditional HK style where the actors have had a lifetime of martial arts training. Of course, those are vast generalizations. You can name plenty of counterexamples from both schools!
- pimlottc 8y ago
  WRT your comments regarding framing/cutting techniques, the episode of “Every Frame a Painting” mentioned elsewhere in this discussion goes into this in depth and really demonstrates how it makes a big difference in the type of action that Jackie excels at. Highly recommended if you haven’t watched it before (along with the rest of the videos in the series).
  - JohnBooty 8y ago
    I will definitely check that out!
- fraudsyndrome 8y ago
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P75XwOm2JWw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P75XwOm2JWw Perhaps one of the most best(worst) examples of hollywoods "type" of fight scene - yes this is from netflix but more in reference to any semi-large scale film production in the west.
  - thedaemon 8y ago
    Here is the opposite of that from Netflix's Daredevil. An extended hallway scene. Perhaps a nod to Oldboy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV1Vzn6xwqQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV1Vzn6xwqQ
fraudsyndrome 8y ago
You need to start referencing his movies that weren't made in hollywood, he has expressively mentioned why they aren't good at all. Yes he broke into the industry but he saw that they care more about money than making an film of art which leeches into the quality of the film itself.