Intro

I decided to watch this because a Jackie Chan movie taking place in Japan seemed kind of interesting since he has pretty much been every where else in movies so why not Japan?  I also watched this movie not knowing the synopsis or any of the plot points.  It was like how I pick Cinequest movies.

Plot

Steelhead illegally immigrates to Japan by way of China in search of his fiancée, Xiu-Xiu, who also left China to start a brand new life.  Steelhead must start over from scratch which meant taking small jobs compared to his previous life in China which was that of a tractor mechanic.  Looking for a way to move up in the world financially and to become a legal citizen of Japan, he enters a life of crime thus getting into the cross hairs of the deadly Yakuza.  He must find a way to rewrite all wrongs and do what’s right for his “brothers”.

Good

I really liked that Jackie finally had enough of his type casted roles and wanted a change of direction in his films.  This movie was more about genre compared to the action and comedy he has done before.  This time Jackie had to solely rely on his acting and not his martial arts and stunts.

Bad

This unfortunately didn’t do it for me.  Although I am happy for his wishes to try other things in cinema, I selfishly did not like it because it’s not the Jackie I’m accustomed to.  I wanted the kick ass friendly character he often portrays with all the stunts and danger involved with it.  I wanted to see some high level fight choreography and waited until it happened which never did.  It was disheartening to see even Jackie Chan not knowing how to fight.

Overview

I did honestly expect some martial arts and stunts but never got it.  Remember that I did not know what this movie was about.  I assumed by the title that it would be like one of those “Police Story” installments.  I did expect a darker tone for the movie.

Overall rating: 2.5/5

Reviewed by: Mr. Timtastic