We are used watching the sympathetic Hong Kong star mostly in action comedies in which he kicks ass with an everlasting smile on his face.
It’s like he’s saying politely ‘Hello, mister! See, because you are a bad guy I will have to punch you. Would you excuse me?’ and then he beats the hell out of his opponents, armed with a charming smile.
Not this time, fellas, because Jackie Chan in ‘The Foreigner’ is a brand new man.
Let me first elaborate on the upcoming action-thriller starring Pierce Brosnan and the celebrated martial arts star who is among the top five most popular Chinese martial arts actors.
‘The Foreigner’ is set for release on 13 October 2017.
It is based on the critically acclaimed novel written by Stephen Leather entitled ‘The Chinaman’ which has the spectacular rating of 4.02 out of 5 on Goodreads.
Contents
Cast and Crew
The movie is directed by Martin Campbell (‘Casino Royale’, 2006) whose last project dates from six years ago when he made ‘The Green Lantern’ (2011) with Ryan Reynolds.
The writer of the film is David Marconi, known for his work on box-office hits such as ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ (2007) and ‘Enemy of the State’ (1998).
The plot puts Jackie Chan in the role of Quan and Pierce Brosnan as Liam Hennessy on the opposite sides, as enemies.
The movie also marks the second collaboration between director Martin Campbell and Pierce Brosnan after the James Bond-ish ‘Golden Eye’ (1995).
That’s all when it comes to the known names in the cast, so let’s head to the story.
The Plot
London in the present day.
In the heart of the story lies the painfully ‘modern’ theme about terrorism.
After his daughter is tragically killed in a politically-driven terrorist attack, a revengeful ex-special forces soldier, now a businessman (Chan) goes after a suspicious government representative (Brosnan) who might have a connection with the killers.
As the tagline implies, ‘never push a good man too far’.
About the Potential of ‘The Foreigner’
To be honest, I like Jackie Chan more when he plays serious, tough characters like in ‘New Police Story’ (2004) for example.
They really fit him like a charm.
The trailer leaves no doubt that the upcoming actioner won’t include comical elements like most of Chan’s films.
‘The Foreigner’ comes with a dark cinematography, dark characters and an even darker story, inspired by the biggest contemporary problem the world is faced with – terrorism.
One has to admit that the movie got potential because of the following points:
- The trailer looks promising – it is action-packed and fast-paced and both Brosnan and Chan are in great shape.
- We also see a lot of martial arts fight sequences involving Jackie Chan, which is a successful formula for an entertaining action flick.
- The director Martin Campbell has an impressive experience in directing spectacular blockbusters (‘The Mask of Zoro’, 1998, ‘Golden Eye’, 1995, ‘Casino Royale’, 2006, etc.)
- The screenwriter David Marconi is a valuable part of the crew and with a proven successful background with action movies such as, but not limited to ‘Enemy of the State’ and ‘Live Free or Die Hard’.
- The story, revolving around the cat-and-mouse game between an ex-mercenary and a corrupted government official is engaging enough to keep one’s attention during the whole movie.
- The book that inspired the creation of the ‘Foreigner’ is a critically acclaimed best-seller with a high enough rating.
- Jackie Chan’s gloomy face brings a new sense of fear and hopelessness and it’s curious to look at him in such unusual mood.
- Last but not least, the soundtrack of the film is also very good, as it is modernistic, dynamic and includes some sick hip hop beats.
Conclusion
I don’t know about you but I am eager to see Jackie Chan in ‘The Foreigner’.
The beloved action star is 63 but he’s still explosive, fast and charismatic as always.
The movie looks cool and as it appears, (I hope that I’m not wrong) it escapes from the usual clichés.
Pierce Brosnan’s genuine presence as the antagonist is just another fine addition to the whole picture.
See you at the theater this fall!
Do you prefer seeing Jackie Chan in serious roles or you like him better in comedies? Drop a comment below!