Chinese Zodiac: Armour of God 3

[GeneChing]

Jackie Chan's CHINESE ZODIAC Has the U.S. Blues Again

As you all know, I'm a huge advocate of Kung Fu films on the big screen. I hope you'll join me in supporting this film in its limited release. It will help open the door to future Chinese films playing in U.S. theaters.

[GeneChing]

As body ages, Jackie Chan longs for Hollywood's full embrace


Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan poses during a promotional event for his film ''Chinese Zodiac'' in Beverly Hills, California October 16, 2013. REUTERS/Phil McCarten

By Eric Kelsey
BEVERLY HILLS, California | Fri Oct 18, 2013 10:50am EDT

(Reuters) - Jackie Chan wasn't in the mood for proclamations.

The Hong Kong martial arts film star, who declared last year at France's Cannes film festival that he was retiring from action films, now says that after more than a decade of contemplating quitting, he is going to let his body decide.

"When I was 40-something the media would ask me and then I said another five years, and then five years and five years until now," the Kung Fu actor said in an interview promoting his 2012 Chinese action film "Chinese Zodiac," which will be released in U.S. cinemas on Friday.

"Six more months and I'm going to be 60," Chan said. "And I (will) see how far I can go until my body tells me, 'Stop.'"

Chan, famous for performing all of his high-flying and physically punishing stunts, has appeared in more than 100 films and now writes, produces and directs his own films in Asia.

"I get hurt," the actor said after 50 years of flips, kicks and punches. "It gets really tiring, not like it used to be."

The only real outward sign of aging in Chan are some crow's feet around the eyes. He is obviously in great shape still, but won't reveal his secrets for staying that way.

But as Chan starts to enter his twilight years he laments how Hollywood typecasting may force him to begin using a stunt double for his acrobatic scenes as he believes Hollywood studios would never cast him in dramatic roles.

"I hope the audience, after they say, 'Jackie, that's a double!,' they forgive me," Chan said in his trademark broad-grinned and animated style.

"Then I can continue (my career) because poor me, nobody in Hollywood hires me to make a 'Kramer vs. Kramer' (or) like 'Sound of Music' - actually I'm a pretty good singer - and nobody hires me to do this kind of film," Chan said, referring to the 1979 family drama and 1965 musical, both Oscar winners.

"All we think about Jackie Chan: Chris Tucker, 'Rush Hour' one, two, and three ... always action-comedy, action-comedy," he said about the "Rush Hour" buddy-cop film series with comedian Chris Tucker that helped Chan cement his place in Hollywood 15 years ago.

TURNED DOWN 'INTERPRETER'

Chan has already added "dramatic actor" to his resume with the 2011 Chinese historical drama "1911" about the revolution that overthrew China's final imperial dynasty.

"I really hope someday in Hollywood, some producer or director will hire me only to do drama," Chan said. "I (would) really appreciate it."

But that is never going to happen, Chan believes.

"Why?" he asks rhetorically with a sigh. "Because the audience is just not used to seeing Jackie Chan doing drama."

Chan's ideal roles would be in films such as 1988 Oscar-winner "Rain Man," which starred Dustin Hoffman as a savant and Tom Cruise as his yuppie brother together on a road trip, or 1982's "Tootsie," also starring Hoffman as an actor who dresses as a woman to land acting roles.

"It's just ... my English is not that good," Chan explains.

That also held him back from pursuing a role in "The Interpreter," a 2005 thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn. Chan said his manager thought the role would be good but told him the amount of dialogue was too tough.

Chan said that although the part would have been difficult, he does regret turning it down because he lost an opportunity to work with Kidman and a chance to burnish his legacy.

"I see so many action stars all those years come and go, and come and go," Chan said. "Action stars cannot live too long, unlike drama, true actors, like Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, they live forever."

(Editing by Mary Milliken and Cynthia Osterman)

NYT didn't like it. I'm bummed that I totally forgot that Jackie Chan Adventures had a zodiac element.

Chopping, Flipping and Feinting in Search of Lost Art
Jackie Chan’s Latest Stunt — ‘Chinese Zodiac’
Wanda/AMC Releasing

“Chinese Zodiac” with Jackie Chan.
By ANDY WEBSTER
Published: October 17, 2013



There was an amusing Saturday morning cartoon series in the early 2000s, “Jackie Chan Adventures,” in which the title hero traveled around the globe tracking down 12 magic talismans representing the Chinese zodiac. Mr. Chan’s latest movie, “Chinese Zodiac,” also concerns a worldwide hunt for astrological symbols, but despite its bigger budget and scale, it’s hardly as entertaining.

After an opening chase scene and a brief segment dense with exposition — about statues stolen long ago from China by Western invaders — we follow a treasure hunter for hire, J C (Mr. Chan), and his young team (Kwon Sang-woo, Liao Fan and Zhang Lanxin) on a quest for the missing pieces. In tow are an archaeologist (Yao Xingtong) and a French heiress (Laura Weissbecker), while J C’s antagonists include his scurrilous employer (Oliver Platt) and an artifact-seeking rival (Alaa Safi).

There are scattered subplots — primarily one about activists petitioning for the repatriation of art — but mostly the film is about exotic locations (including a volcano), garish humor (often at the expense of Mr. Chan or women), fisticuffs, stunts and frenetic visual bombast. As usual in his movies, the closing credits feature outtakes revealing injuries he sustained during shooting. Mr. Chan is almost 60; he has said that this is his final action movie, and the credits also show clips from an impressive career of awe-inspiring stunts. What a pity this workout doesn’t deliver a stronger kick.

“Chinese Zodiac” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned) for almost bloodless action.

[GeneChing]

There is no U.S. listing for Chinese Zodiac on BOM, just foreign results. BOM reported Young Detective Dee when it was released, and that was similar conditions (U.S distribution through AMC Chinese Cinema). CZ12 looks like its getting a larger release, but I haven't found the numbers yet. CZ12 is weirdly off the radar.

October 19, 2013, 8:00 AM
Jackie Chan on ‘Chinese Zodiac’ and Making a Musical
By Don Steinberg


Getty Images
Jackie Chan

It never gets old for Jackie Chan. The 59-year-old’s latest action movie, “Chinese Zodiac,” opens in 18 U.S. theaters today, after having earned more than $100 million worldwide (in Asia, they call it “CZ12″).

The movie, shot across multiple continents, is classic Jackie Chan, filled with outlandish stunts (he’s famous for doing his own) and props-filled fights (he choreographed action for the film, which he also produced and directed). Lying flat, he luges down a treacherous mountainside road wearing a “skate suit” — a bodysuit covered with roller wheels — and glides underneath a moving truck.

He skydives onto an active volcano without a parachute (with special effects help) and tumbles down its rocky slope. He jumps through an empty frame for a painting during a fight and uses a photographer’s tripod as a martial arts weapon. As usual in his films, there’s a blooper-reel at the end that shows the injuries he sustained, including landing on that picture frame on his lower back.

In between the action is the obligatory plot, which has Chan as a secret agent recovering Chinese antiquities plundered long ago by Western imperialists. The treasures include 12 priceless animal-head sculptures that represent the Chinese zodiac. We spoke by phone:

I just saw Chinese Zodiac. My first question is: are you okay?

JC: I’m ok. I’m ok. I may end up in a wheelchair for all my life, but I still love action films. What can I do?

Every so often there’s an item in the news where you have said you’re finished making action films, because you’re too old. Is this your last one?

No, I never said that! I was in Cannes Film Festival and said “Chinese Zodiac” is my last big action movie. All the media, they skipped the “big.” Probably they misunderstand my English. Now I have to say that’s my last BIIIIG action movie. I’m still doing them. If I jump off a building or doing a very dangerous stunt, I might use a double now. My body tells me: you are not young anymore.

You’re 59…

Kind of. No, really. In seven more months becoming 60.

You’re still doing stunts, and the fight scenes in Chinse Zodiac are pretty serious. You do this one move where you get up on your hands and you scissors your legs around a guy’s neck, and you roll him down to the ground. How can you do that at age 59?

For me, it’s a piece of cake. The fight for me is easy. The punching, kicking I can still do until I’m 70, 75. That’s easy, because we’ve been training every day. But I used to jump off the building, jump over the car and motorcycle. Old days, the car is coming, I just jump over. I don’t think I can do that anymore.

You made amazing stunts part of the martial arts movie…

What can I do? I don’t have James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas to create special effects. They don’t have to go on to location. I have to do it the stupid way, the traditional way, like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd. Right now I don’t have time to learn special effects. On Chinese Zodiac, I still use film. I don’t use the digital. I love film — I love to hear the sound when you’re rolling. On digital you don’t hear anything.

The new movie Gravity is great, but it’s pretty much all digital effects…

I wanna do that. I wanna find this kind of director, and they do the fighting sequence, and I put my face in and everybody says wow, it’s so good!

Are there any kinds of movies you still want to do?

For the last couple years, you can see I’ve done different kinds of roles, like in “1911,” I play a general, and “Karate Kid” a really old man. And “Police Story 2013″ is coming in December, it’s a very serious police movie. Next one will be an action-comedy “Skiptrace.” Then “DragonBlade,” then probably “Rush Hour” something, four or five.

Ever want to do a musical where you dance and sing?

Yes. I want to do a musical. I really want to do a silent movie. Probably next year, I have a project with Zhang Yimou, doing a silent movie — maybe.

Is true than in the 101 movies you’ve done, you’ve never killed a guy?

No, no, no. I do kill some guys in a movie. Funny thing, I don’t know who said the thing about 100 films. If you count from when I started in childhood. I think more than 250 films already. I started at seven year old.

That’s just been a lifetime of beating up your body…

Yes, I have to say sorry to my body. My body tells me, Jackie please slow down, but my mind says no, no, no, let me do another one.

'“Chinese Zodiac,” opens in 18 U.S. theaters today,' - this is incorrect.

[GeneChing]

CZ12 opened in 100 theaters across 13 states. It will remain in a few select theaters through next weekend.

[GeneChing]

The Talk
Jackie Chan's Family Confession S4 (4:57)

They didn't even mention CZ12. Maybe it was in the entire interview, but I'm not going to sit through all of that...

[GeneChing]

...getting promoted here in the U.S.

Jackie Chan Chats CHINESE ZODIAC with AMC

[GeneChing]

Well, after all is said and done, CZ12 remains a classic Jackie Chan film. It's got some fine panoramic camerawork that shows well on the big screen. The U.S. cut is edited - about 15 minutes less - but I'd be hard pressed to tell you what was cut. The first of the film is confusing however - a lot of story arcs are too quick to follow or too inconsequential to bother with. It isn't until the pirate island that it finds a groove, and that's a groove of Jackie campy fights and silliness. It's good fun if you're into family friendly film, but it might not be your cup of tea if your martial film tastes are limited only to hard-hitting ultravi. The antique forgery warehouse fights are still awesome, especially on the big screen, and well worth the price of admission.

There's a small montage of clips during the credit role - a 'best of' reel cobbled together by Jaycee Chan (or so I'm told) with Jackie's narration thanking the fans for their support.

[GeneChing]

...but at least, there's this.

Jackie Chan completes mission with 'Zodiac' film
Associated Press
By RYAN PEARSON October 25, 2013 7:27 PM

FILE - In this May 18, 2012 file photo, director and actor Jackie Chan poses during a photo call for "Chinese Zodiac" at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France. Chan wrote, directed and stars in the action comedy which centers on a team attempting to steal some of the 12 bronze statues looted from a Chinese palace in 1860. (AP Photo/Francois Mor, Filei)

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Jackie Chan says his mission is complete.

Chan wrote, directed and stars in "Chinese Zodiac," an action comedy which centers on a team attempting to steal some of the 12 bronze statues looted from a Chinese palace in 1860.

Since the movie was released in China last year, two of the real statues were returned to China by Francois Pinault, head of Gucci's parent company.

The 59-year-old Hong Kong star praised their return, saying he hopes all such looted artifacts can be returned from Western museums.

Chan says he isn't quitting anytime soon. He completed filming on another installment in his "Police Story" franchise and is discussing another movie alongside "Rush Hour" co-star

Now, on to see what happens with Zhang Nanxin...

[doug maverick]

i saw this(because when you have the man himself asking you if you saw it...you kind got too..lol) in theaters and while it was fun, and funny its ultimate failure is that this movie is timelocked, alot of the structure and the happenings just are not instep with todays viewer...so there are alot of silly things that happened that would have been okay in the 80s or in a buster eaton film in the 20s. but in todays world you can't make films like that...but that being said im glad jackie delivered another installment of this series... police story 2013, looks like its going to be huge, and hopefully be what everyone thought special ID was going to be... still need to finish that one, having a hard time getting passed the first scene.

[GeneChing]

By North America, do they mean Canada now?

AFM: Universal Takes Jackie Chan's 'Chinese Zodiac'
3:30 PM PST 11/10/2013 by Clifford Coonan

Jackie Chan
Jackie & JJ International has the action title to Universal Pictures International Entertainment (UPIE) for a raft of territories including North America, UK and Eastern Europe.

Jackie & JJ International has sold Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan's Chinese Zodiac to Universal Pictures International Entertainment (UPIE) for a raft of territories including North America, UK and Eastern Europe.

The movie is directed by and stars Chan and opened in China in December 2012, and so far it has earned more than $180 million around the world.

UPIE has also acquired the globetrotting action film for Africa, Australasia, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Jackie & JJ also signed up with AMC for theatrical release.

"It has made more than $9 million in Russia, $5 million in Singapore, $6 million in Malaysia and $5 million in Japan, it's breaking records in Vietnam – it's doing better than Rush Hour," Jackie & JJ International's Ramy Choi told The Hollywood Reporter at the American Film Market.

Choi is attending the AFM to show them scenes from Chan's latest project, Police Story 2013, which is to be released on Dec. 24. The movie is directed by the Little Big Soldier director Ding Sheng and stars Chan, Liu Ye and Jing Tian.

"We pre-sold the movie in Berlin and Cannes without even a synopsis or a single photograph. Now we have something to show to European and U.S/ clients. They just want Jackie, he has a big fan base here," said Choi.

its ultimate failure is that this movie is timelocked, alot of the structure and the happenings just are not instep with todays viewer...so there are alot of silly things that happened that would have been okay in the 80s or in a buster eaton film in the 20s. but in todays world you can't make films like that...

I'd qualify this, Doug. It rings true for Hollywood fare, but not the international markets. Chollywood and Bollywood operate differently. Their audience is less concerned with such details. I just saw Chennai Express (major Bollywood blockbuster) and CZ12 was cut from the very same cloth.

[doug maverick]

By North America, do they mean Canada now?



I'd qualify this, Doug. It rings true for Hollywood fare, but not the international markets. Chollywood and Bollywood operate differently. Their audience is less concerned with such details. I just saw Chennai Express (major Bollywood blockbuster) and CZ12 was cut from the very same cloth.

i agree..i mean i enjoyed it..but i knew the average american/european wouldnt... but when police story 2013 drops..i think thats gonna be jackies blockbuster.

[GeneChing]

France luvs Jackie. They loved Keaton and Jerry Lewis too. And they made up the word chinoiserie. I think its more of a U.S. issue.

That being said, I think we can say that this film song is an abomination to rap. We should have never let the Chinese get their sing-songy multi-toned language around rap.

Click only if you dare...
王力宏 Wang Leehom 《十二生肖》"12 Zodiacs" (feat. Jackie Chan)

[doug maverick]

France luvs Jackie. They loved Keaton and Jerry Lewis too. And they made up the word chinoiserie. I think its more of a U.S. issue.

That being said, I think we can say that this film song is an abomination to rap. We should have never let the Chinese get their sing-songy multi-toned language around rap.

Click only if you dare...
王力宏 Wang Leehom 《十二生肖》"12 Zodiacs" (feat. Jackie Chan)

that was horrible..lol

[GeneChing]

I posted that with you in mind. Don't be mad. It was out of Kung Fu cinema fraternal friendship. BTW, Wang Leehom was JC's costar in LBS.

Meanwhile, some clarification on the deal above:

Universal Sees Future in Jackie Chan’s ‘Chinese Zodiac’

Jackie Chan CZ12
November 15, 2013 | 10:00AM PT
UPIE grabs action adventure for N American home entertainment, multiple territories
Patrick Frater
Asia Bureau Chief

HONG KONG — Universal Pictures International Entertainment has acquired rights in most of the world outside Asia to Jackie Chan’s most recent film “Chinese Zodiac” (aka “CZ12”.)

In a long-gestating deal finally signed during last week’s American Film Market, UPIE took rights to the film in North America, the U.K., Eastern Europe, Australasia, France, Portugal, Italy and Spain.

Significantly, the deal excludes North American theatrical rights, as the picture which was directed by, produced by and starred Chan, was released in selected theaters on Oct. 18 by AMC.

The film was released in China and most of Asia in December last year and has grossed $180 million to date. Universal previously partnered with Premium Film for the January theatrical release in Russia.

The film sees a nationalist treasure hunter chase around five continents in order to retrieve 12 bronze animal heads stolen from China.

The deal was negotiated by Ramy Choi on behalf of Jackie & JJ and Jasper van Hecke on behalf of UPIE.

[GeneChing]

Meanwhile, in Singapore.

Jackie Chan's zodiac replicas on show
Lisabel Ting The Straits TimesMonday, Feb 02, 2015


Jackie Chan's zodiac replicas on show
A still from the movie CZ12 starring Jackie Chan.

In the 2012 movie CZ12, Hong Kong star Jackie Chan hunts down a set of bronze zodiac sculptures. He battles crooks, worms his way into top secret vaults and saves the last bronze head from certain death in a fiery volcano.

The movie, co-produced, written and directed by Chan, is based on an actual set of sculptures which was looted from China's Old Summer Palace by British and French forces in 1860. Of the dozen originals, only seven have been recovered.

Bronze replicas of all the zodiac statues - one of 12 sets cast for the film - are displayed in an exhibition opening at the Asian Civilisations Museum today. They were donated by Chan and will become part of the museum's permanent collection after the exhibition ends in May.

Several of the other sets are housed in museums, including one at Taipei's National Palace Museum and another at the statues' original location, the Old Summer Palace in Beijing.

Asian Civilisations Museum director Alan Chong says: "The exhibition combines the past and present, and raises issues of nationalism, identity and culture. We hope the zodiac will delight visitors as they discover aspects of history."

The whereabouts of some of the original statues are still shrouded in mystery. In 2009, two of them generated controversy when they resurfaced on the auction block under non-Chinese owners.

The auction at Christie's prompted a hue and cry about the repatriation of Chinese cultural artefacts, and one of the most outspoken advocates for their return was Chan.

In a video clip filmed for the exhibition, Chan, 60, says he became interested in the statues in 2000 when several of them were auctioned for tens of millions of dollars. It was then that he began thinking about turning the story into a movie.

For him, one of the most important things was getting the sculptures in the movie right. "I thought that creating the sculptures would be simple, but slowly, I began to realise that to achieve the level of artistry of that time would not be easy," he says in Mandarin in the video.

"But when I think about the sculptures on display in a museum for people to appreciate... then I think it's all worthwhile."

Tasked with creating the bronze replicas was Taiwanese artist Apen, 48. He tells Life! that after much research, the production team decided not to go for a literal copy of each design.

"We created and designed new ones, using the originals as a blueprint. The zodiac is part of Chinese culture and we wanted to create something that can capture the artistry and skills of the past.

"We came up with a more realistic design so that it will have a more modern form."

Chan hopes that with this project, people will have greater respect for cultural heritage. He says: "Even if I can't affect many people, at least I have done what I need to do."

lting@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on January 31, 2015.