ScreenWize

We’ve seen Jackie Chan the martial arts hero and Jackie Chan the comedian, but having reached the peak of his profession and sat astride it for two decades isn’t enough for Jackie Chan. Canberra’s favourite son obviously feels the need to prove himself as a serious dramatic actor, and this film, produced by Chan’s company, is the little big man’s first stab at pure drama. No roundhouse kicks to the head. No goofy double-takes. No gag reel at the end. Chan plays Steelhead, a Chinese labourer who makes his way to Japan hoping to find his childhood love, Xiu Xiu (Xu Jinglei). With the help of fellow illegal immigrant Jie (Daniel Wu), he finds work on the streets of Tokyo cleaning sewers and collecting garbage, avoiding the law by inadvertently making a friend in Police Inspector Kitano (Takenaka Naoto). Making friends, building a life and even possibly finding romance with the beautiful Lily (Fan Bing Bing) all comes undone when Steelhead finally reunites with his former sweetheart, only to find that she is married to a Yakuza boss. Like so many illegal immigrants with limited life choices, he turns to crime.

I’m pleased to say that Chan is a perfectly respectable straight man. His performance is solid, and even occasionally moving. Of course, you constantly expect him to pull out some fancy moves or take to the skies in a feat of crazy wire-work, so much so that his very presence is a little distracting from the rest of the story. However, he has very sensibly put himself in the hands of one of Hong Kong’s more dependable directors, Derek Yee (Full Throttle, Protégé). Yee continues his fascination with the Asian underworld in this sometimes graphically brutal film. Jackie Chan fans familiar with the cartoonish violence of his more famous works will find themselves very much outside of their comfort zones. Here he explores the Japanese Yakuza, but also the conditions on the street, especially for the illegals and the disenfranchised that make criminal life an attractive option. He likes hand-held cameras, moving focus and the jaundiced yellow and red lights of Shinjuku nightlife. His screenplay works best when it moves away from Chan’s Steelhead and draws out any number of sub-plots and minor intrigues.

Shinjuku Incident is a serviceable vehicle for Chan’s dramatic ambitions, and this is what will draw audiences to it, but it is nothing more than a middle-of-the-road Hong Kong drama, albeit with a slightly higher than usual body count. My advice would be - do what you do do well, Jackie.

CK

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Filed Under: Reviews by Simon