Starring Jackie Chan, Ken Lo, Bradley James Allan, Anthony Carpio, Mars, Nicky Li Chung-Chi, Rocky Lai Keung-Kun, Johnny Cheung Wa, Go Shut-Fung, Louis Geung Gwok-Wa, Sam Wong Ming-Sing, Chan Man-Ching, Alex Yip Choi-Naam, Jack Wong Wai-Leung, Huang Kai-Sen, Rocky Cheung, Andy Cheng, Ron Smoorenburg
Directed by Jackie Chan
Expectations: High.
It’s no secret that I hold the work of Jackie Chan in very high regard. A good portion of this respect and admiration directly stems from his style of action and his stunt team’s willingness to put aside their personal safety for the exhilaration of the audience. Watching an action movie is entertaining, but witnessing something real and dangerous takes the action film to a whole new level. Whenever I love something as much as this, I’m hesitant to dispel the myth and mystery surrounding it in any way. Jackie Chan: My Stunts actually made me appreciate the skill and dedication of Jackie and his team more than I ever could have before, something I didn’t even think was possible!
Jackie Chan: My Stunts is exactly what it sounds like: 90 minutes of light documentary focusing on the stunt/fight work of Jackie. How he trains, how he devises scenes, his tricks of the trade… it’s all here. And it’s all fascinating. Unlike a lot of “fluffy” behind-the-scenes docs on American films (whether that’s DVD featurettes or legit docs), Jackie Chan: My Stunts is almost like a handbook for anyone looking to make low-budget action films. I wouldn’t recommend piling up boxes on top of an old mattress and jumping out a second-story window onto them, but it does make these kinds of feats seem doable and attainable through perseverance and practice. The team’s accomplishments in the stunt field are absolutely incredible, but Jackie Chan: My Stunts reminds us that the members are but trained professionals, not superhumans.