LITTLE BIG SOLDIER (Released to Theaters Hong Kong 2010)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.2|5.0 Starsìììì 

Little Big Soldier has been produced in Mandarin Chinese but has great subtitles. It's a great Jackie Chan movie with a surprisingly good storyline. It easily passes all international borders as a really good film and earns its place in the home video library. Watch for some terrific background scenery.

 Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Before a unified China, a soldier captures a general and keeps him for ransom  The time is in the 200s BC.

 Additional Thanks

 Thank you to Director Deng Sheng for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Jackie Chan for making the film possible. Cast includes Jackie Chan, Leehom Wang, Steve Yoo, and Lin Peng.

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  Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. This is a cute and very likeable Jackie Chan film. Good Teen/Adult share movie. 

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

RUMBLE IN THE BRONX * (Released to Theaters Hong Kong and USA 1995/1996)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.4|5.0 Stars ìììì

Rumble in the Bronx—a classic Jackie Chan movie—makes the Ben Meyers International 1995 Favorite Films list. It’s a film you can see more than once, an example of honest acting. The moral of the story becomes: stand up and fight for your right to live life to the fullest no matter who/what you currently are. Don’t apologize for limitations or abilities. Move forward in life.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia 

Storyline

Keung (Jackie Chan),who comes to help his uncle run a convenience store in New York City’s The Bronx—a neighborhood controlled by gangs and crime—gets a good clean-up Jackie Chan style.

Additional Thanks

Great Work for Director Stanley Tong. Thank you to Executive Producers Raymond Chow and Leonard Ho for making the film possible. Good work by Musical Composer J. Peter Robinson. Great job by Script Writers Edward Tang and Fibe Ma. Additional casting includes: Jackie Chan, Marc Akerstream, Kris Lord, Anita Mui, Françoise Yip, Bill Tung, Garvin Cross, and Morgan Lam.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. Great action. Good storyline.

*Also known as Hung fan kui

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

THE KNIGHT OF THE SHADOWS: BETWEEN YIN AND YANG* (Released to Theaters Malaysia 2019)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.6|5.0 Starsììì  The Knight of the Shadows: Between Yin and Yang—interesting, colorful visual presentation—has a story that does not transition well to the international audience. It is  dependent on culture and does not work to increase its range outside of that focus. Its story is tightly bound by cultural folklore and ancient traditions. Read a Wikipedia plotline first if deciding to take this movie on. This movie might be improved if the screen per second rate is increased to improve its impact. Look for an inspiring and interesting behind the scenes presentation at the end of the movie.  Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images Storyline  A well known hunter of bad entities from other realms has to fight a demon.    Additional Thanks Thank you to Director Vash for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Liu Bohan and A'gan for making the film possible. Cast includes Jackie Chan, Zhong Chuxi, Ethan Juan, Lin Peng, and Austin Lin. Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?  Maybe. It will be appreciated more by Asian audiences. The special effects are interesting. *Also Known as: The Knight of the Shadows and Shen tan Pu Song Ling Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

THE MEDALLION (Theatrical Release USA 2003)

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì 

The Medallion—cool concept and great to see Jackie Chan—does not show Jackie Chan at his best. The fight scenes need better editing. The movie performs at the okay level and does not match to the usual quality of Chan’s movies. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

A Chinese boy is given the power to unite or break a medallion that has the power over death and life. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Gordon Chan for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Alfred Cheung for making the film possible. Cast includes: Jackie Chan, Lee Evans, Claire Forlani, Julian Sands, and John Rhys-Davies. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Maybe. This movie is somewhat fun to watch and its ‘campiness’ may  help the movie’s watch-ableness. 

Video Critique Available Here: 

Ben Meyers

KUNG FU YOGA (Theatrical Release USA 2017)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.3|5.0 Starsììì

Kung Fu Yoga does not deliver the Jackie Chan action nor the persona we expect and love. It’s a wannabe action flick on par with Skiptrace and The Chinese Zodiac. The film is boring except for two scenes­—an ice cave fight scene and a market place fight scene. It will be interesting to see his next scheduled movie Foreigner. Hopefully, it will deliver a quality product that far surpasses this film.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Jack (Jackie Chan) teams with Indian Professor Ashmita (Disha Patani) to find a lost treasure in Tibet.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Stanley Tong for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Jackie Chan, Joe Tam, Iris Wang, Chuck Zhang, and Sailesh Pathak for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Kyra (Amyra Dastur), Jones (Aarif Rahman), Nuomin (Miya Muqi), Randall (Sonu Sood), Max (Paul Philip Clark), Xiaoguang (Yixing Zhang), Circe (Yuxian Shang), Jiang Wen (Jiang Wen), Snowmobile henchman (Agust Bjarnason), Jianghua (Eric Tsang), Jonathan (Guoli Zhang), and Professor (Lavlin Thadani).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. But Jackie Chan’s 2016 movie Railroad Tigers delivers more punch for the entertainment dollar than this 2017 film.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

KUNG FU PANDA 2 (Theatrical Release USA 2011)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.7|5.0 Stars ììì

Kung Fu Panda 2—a story one has heard so many times before—tells it again via the Kung Fu Panda. The movie has its emotional moments, works on about the same level as the first movie, and establishes the Kung Fu Panda stories as a series. Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images Storyline Po (voice of Jack Black) discovers his Panda origins through a series of flashbacks, his teacher Shifu (voice of Dustin Hoffman), and a Court Soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh). Po is urged to find his inner peace through embracing his past. Additional Thanks Thank you to Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson for the directing efforts. Thank you to Producer Melissa Cobb for making the film possible. Voice cast include: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogan, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Dennis Haysbert, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Victor Garber, Mike Bell,

Additional Thanks

Good work for Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson. Thank you to Producer Melissa Cobb for making the film possible. Voice cast include: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogan, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Dennis Haysbert, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Victor Garber, and Mike Bell.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. The movie follows a message about being peaceful and has a link to the movies that follow.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers