Skiptrace (2016)

I know the modern millennials, the intellectually inept, and also the emotionally unstable will not get it, but this little gem is a return to a time when movies meant to entertain rather than degrade.

Yes the acting is simple and fun, but this isn't a history piece. Yes the story line is quick and nostalgically pure, but it isn't a melodrama. But here's what this film is not: it is not full of disgusting pornography and unnecessarily perverted innuendos to keep today's "youth" entertained by pulling on their neanderthal limbic responses to get a bite. There is no blood or gore as we see it today that can ruin even an adult psyche by today's idea of cinematic "morals". It does not inject politically correct ethical impurities to persuade those of lesser IQ and mental instinct to clap at every pop culture reference toward popular political brainwashing dogmas. It does not pretend to be anything but what it is, a wholesome and entertaining flick.

It is what movies used to be like and what I respect Jackie Chan for continuing to do even today, and that is make movies that a normal set of parents can go see with their adolescent kids and not worry of at any second two men that look like women will try to force some insanity of pseudo logic and propaganda on my family.

This movie reminds me of what movies were like when actors didn't get paid $30 million apiece (even if these actors did - who knows) just to show up and "act". This movie reminds me of when going to the movies meant joy and entertainment, even if it wasn't necessarily deep.

perfect for families and it made me smile, because it brought back a touch of hope that maybe, just maybe, movies may one day return to a time when no agenda needed to be pushed and simple entertainment for a family audience was the only desired effect.

This is not Citizen Kane or Casablanca, but I still give it highest marks for doing that which in today's chaotic time of violence, filth, greed and social degradation may be considered "boring" by people who have passed the event horizon of stupidity. That alone earns it a ten in my book.

There's hope.

Fmovies: I was honored by my friend, Daniel Wu (coldwar, Police Story), to show me a screener of this movie.

any real Jackie Chan fan knows a good movie! I have been watching all his movies since I was 7, lol. From Drunken Kung fu master to Rush Hour and the recent Dragon Blade. this is far the realest Hollywood movie Jackie has made. Despite the ones with Chris tucker, which made Jackie a sidekick..

Jackie is no side kick. If anyone has watched his Hong Kong movies that were translated to English and debut in the late 90s and mid 2000s in USA.. you would Know Jackie CHAN is the leading action star in all his movies.. But he is humble, he gives creds to his co stars In all his movies despite what other critics say. I doubt they actually sit thru his movies. They just combine other critics viewpoints with their own and say they sat thru the whole movie! Johnny Knoxville is the perfect match, action comedy buddy since Sammo Hung Gung BO ( Jackies childhold friend, From China's Kung Fu School).

Sammo makes a brief appearance in this comedy caper. From the beginning to the end I couldn't stop watching this movie.. reminds me of all his movies from Rumble in the Bronx to his Police Story sequels.

What's weird is, Jackie doesn't care that his movies had been going directly to video on demand in US. It seems like in uS they don't want an Asian Action leading man star. Suffice to say in US, its still kinda sad and racist of the Movie industry.. Think back in 1997 time, when Jackie was coming back to America, The studios were re Releasing all of his Dubbed Chinese movies in English way before RUSH hour hit the scene.. WHY you say? Because studios back then actually promoted him.. Now everyone is promoting anime and cartoons and superheros instead.

Sad how the system works, but luckily for JACKIE CHan, his movies open normally in other countries in REAL Theatres.. SO Hollywood, wake the F up, lol JACKIE Chan is a movie star despite the Hollywood studios in USA that doesn't think he is! The duo are the best buddy/ cop compadres I have seen in years.. And its by RENNY HARLIn ( Cliffhanger with stallone , Die Hard movie), HELLO Mr action Jackson himself. SO glad Jackie got renny to direct this non stop action comedy movie, we all deserve from JACKIE.

Cant wait to see this in theatres on SEPT 2, 2016.

This film tells the story of a Hong Kong policeman who has to catch an American con man, chasing him from Macau to Russia. Along the way, they encounter trouble with Russian gangs and Mongolian tribes. They have to do everything to survive.

"Skiptrace" is in English but it is clear that it is aimed at the Chinese market. The film itself is adequately entertaining, with a lot of action scenes done in a funny way that makes you chuckle. However, it just looks like every other recent Jackie Chan film, even the action sequences are beginning to feel strangely familiar. It is an adequate choice to kill an evening, but don't expect too much because Hollywood action films have moved on but this hasn't.

Skiptrace fmovies. Hong Kong police detective Bennie Chan (Jackie Chan) loses his partner Yung in a deadly bombing. He suspects that businessman Victor Wong is criminal Matador responsible for the death. He's been investigating for 9 years to no avail. World-traveling thief Connor Watts (Johnny Knoxville) is on the run from the Russian mob after sleeping with the daughter of the boss. In Macau, he gets involved with Yung's daughter Samantha who is infiltrating a casino connected to Victor Wong. He steals her card to access a private floor where he witnesses Esther Yee's murder. He escapes by getting taken by the Russians. The casino accuses him of stealing money and Samantha asks Bennie to track him down.

This is classic Jackie Chan. The action is still there and so is his sense of humor. His fights still have that pep and his fights with Eve Torres are actually funny. It's nothing new except this time's guilo is Knoxville. I expected better chemistry but the two deliver enough comedy. The story doesn't really work and the movie tries very hard to make it into a muddle. The guys end up in the Mongolian desert for no particularly good reason other than it's exotic cool. It's great to see Jackie staying in fighting shape but it's not much better than that.

Look, I am a huge Jackie Chan fan and I have seen quite a few of his films that were accessible to American audiences. He has done some remarkable movies in his day. Anyone the hasn't seen Police Story 1 or 2 is missing some of the most hardcore action ever put to film. Legend of the Drunken Master is a classic film. Project A, Armour of the Gods, Rumble in the Bronx, Rush Hour, and on and on and on. I love Jackie Chan.

This film however is bad. I mean capital B A D. The action sequences are poorly filmed. The dialogue is terrible. The story progression is horrendous. The acting is atrocious. I wanted to like this movie...I really did. Jackie Chan has broken down so many barriers. His comedic style is something that has given me laughs upon laughs for years. But it just doesn't work this time.

I chalk it up to a poor script, the fact that he is probably slowing down some in his older age, and just bad direction, bad writing, and horrible editing.

Watch at your own risk.

Skiptrace finds Jackie Chan trying that odd Chinese-American combination yet again, but unfortunately he fails miserably this time. Johnny Knoxville fails to fire up that natural flair of comedy that Owen Wilson had so effortlessly aced in the Shanghai franchise. Unfortunately the movie falls like dominoes owing to a bland plot and an unvarying disconnect that rips apart whatever Skiptrace was trying to walk upon.

DIRECTION OF SKIPTRACE

The direction of Skiptrace is absolutely pathetic. Renny Harlin isn't really sure what he wishes to show. You can see that confusion in his frames. Or maybe that element of clarity is missing from his head that clouds his judgment. Editing will compel you to shake your head. It is that bad.

Humour is quite confined, always acting contrary to our expectations. With Johnny Knoxville in the vanguard to stay as the primary entertainer of Skiptrace, expectations naturally shot up high. But Johnny made it all mediocre. You keep waiting for something funny, but then the wait becomes punishing.

The plot is forced upon to entertain a deliberate road trip. You feel the emptiness of it all when you see nothing substantial emanate from any corner. We are always heading towards something, so that's kind of good.

Chan and Knoxville create an okay chemistry though it is hard to compare their pairing up with the likes of what you have seen over the years.

NOSTALGIC OLD TIMES

Gone are those days when Jackie used to be young, and his fight scenes used to be the ogling kind. It always sends me back in time, when I try to remember all of his arresting fight sequences from the likes of Project A series, Who Am I, City Hunter, Armour of God and Police Story franchise. He still manages to entertain us nevertheless, but the quantum of combat bits in his movies has seen a gradual decline over the years. Maybe old age is doing that to him. It is in a way sad, because even when his movies didn't bank on a good storyline, he used to still uplift them with his jaw-dropping brawls. We miss that profusely.

Now that I think of it every Jackie Chan movie is ending up like that. Maybe for a change he should use a stunt double so that he doesn't hurt himself delivering those parkour like stunts, as is quite evident from his end credit scenes.

THE FINAL VERDICT

Skiptrace makes for a passable watch, preferable when you are fine with your brain taking a holiday for a change. You cannot help but think, it is time Jackie Chan amp up his entertaining quotient, by partnering up with either Owen Wilson or Tucker again. At least that magic was working for him.