Jackie Chan is synonymous with action movies, martial arts, and jaw-dropping stunts. Chan’s career spans over five decades, making him a legend in show business. His work with actor Chris Tucker in the popular comedy series Rush Hour was among his most fruitful partnerships.
Despite raking in $952 million worldwide, not everyone enjoys the series’ brand of mindless American action flicks. In a recent interview, Jackie Chan criticized Rush Hour films for having too many violent scenes and explosions.
Jackie Chan Struggled With His Dialogues
Jackie Chan’s acting style is unique, and he often improvises during his performances. However, his acting style sometimes threw Chan off his game when he first met Chris Tucker. Chan had difficulty adjusting to Rush Hour’s dialogue, which included a lot of slang due to the nature of Tucker’s character.
“Jackie has a hard enough time with his own dialogue. The way he remembers dialogue is by remembering the last word of Chris’ sentence. Ninety-nine percent of the time that word never comes.”
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In addition to the slang, Tucker’s tendency to improvise in the feature made it even harder for Chan to keep up. While Tucker’s improvisations were not completely unexpected, he often tweaked them when filming scenes. This freaked Chan out, making keeping up with Tucker’s acting style even harder.
Rush Hour was a huge success worldwide, despite Chan’s struggles with the script. Chan and Tucker had one of the most entertaining and effective on-screen chemistry in the buddy cop genre. The unconventional chemistry between the comedian and the action star was a hit with viewers. But not even Chan could explain why or how Rush Hour was so successful.
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Jackie Chan Compares Rush Hour To Mel Gibson’s Movie
Chan speculated that Rush Hour’s success may have been partly due to the media’s sudden fascination with him.
“Meanwhile, everybody in Hollywood was talking about me,” Chan said. “Quentin Tarantino. Everybody was talking. This created an excited audience. OK–BOOM!–now the first big American film.”
To Chan, his stunt work in Rush Hour would have set the film apart from others in its genre.
“The difference is that in Rush Hour they really gave me a lot of freedom. I can control all the fighting scenes. In Lethal Weapon 4 all the fighting scenes are similar to American movies–BOOM BOOM BOOM–big explosions. So when the movie started–Rush Hour–I went to the director and said, ‘Look, you have to promise me. Fewer explosions. Less violence. Fewer gunfights. Even if you have the gunfights don’t show the blood. We want no special effects. Jackie Chan will be the special effects, doing exactly what I am doing in Asia.”
Chan’s action filmmaking approach reflects his traditional Chinese martial arts background. He has always emphasized the importance of storytelling and character development, which are often overlooked in American action movies. Chan believes that a well-developed character and storyline can elevate the action sequences, making them more impactful and memorable.
The Chinese actor has always been a pioneer in the industry, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in action filmmaking. His unique style has garnered him a massive following worldwide, and he has become an icon in the industry.
Source: LA Times
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