This review will be Spoiler Free!!
Where to watch: DVD, Rent from Youtube from $2.99
Runtime: 1hour 27minutes
Language: English
Director: Stanley Tong
Writer: Edward Tang, Fibe Ma
Rating: R
Release Date: 02/23/1996
Style: Action, Martial Arts, Acrobatic, Comedic Violence
For more information can be found on the movie’s IMDB page
Jackie Chan’s First U.S. Hit!
Yeah, you read that right. For as many movies Jackie Chan had starred in up to that point in his career, including a few U.S. releases, Rumble In The Bronx was his first big hit in the U.S. Maybe it was because they filmed the movie in North America, even though it was a Chinese cinema production? Maybe it was because Jackie Chan’s name recognition had finally hit a critical mass? I couldn’t tell you. However, when Rumble In The Bronx hit, it made Jackie a household name. Without this movie, later movies like the Rush Hour movies might not have happened.
I remember the first time I got to see this movie. While I had heard of Jackie Chan before, this was my first exposure to one of his movies. Needless to say, I was blown away by all of the amazing stunts and choreography. I had never seen anything like it before. More to the point, I had never seen someone like Jackie Chan before.
All of that being said, it has been quite some time since I had seen Rumble In The Bronx. Thankfully, I was recently able to sit down and watch it again with my son for his first time seeing a Jackie Chan movie. What did I think about the movie after all of these years? Was it still just as good or did it age poorly? Would my son love it just as much as I did all those years ago? Let’s break it down!
Movie Review: 9/10
The Good:
This was a well-executed production for sure. The story is tight and well told. Also, it never tries to be something it isn’t. This is a mostly light-hearted story with some elements of drama, tension, and heart sprinkled in to ground the story in a level of reality. The acting is really well done by virtually everybody involved. Obviously, Jackie Chan absolutely shines in his scenes as I expect him to. However, it is how good the supporting cast is that is so surprising. One of the tell-tale signs of a well-made movie is when the secondary and tertiary characters are notable and maybe even memorable. That is definitely the case here. The cinematography is consistent throughout and doesn’t have camera transition irregularities or quality changes.
The Bad:
So the gripes here are quite small. There are only a couple of spots where some of the bad characters “learned their lesson” maybe just a little too easy. Also, there are a couple of times when the film looks noticeably grainier than other movies of the time. Like I said, very minor gripes here.
Martial Arts Review: 10/10
The Good:
There is so much “good” here that I could go on for days. This is one of Jackie Chan’s best performances on screen, ever. He is absolutely at the top of his game here with his martial arts and his acrobatic stunts. The choreography of the rest of the cast, from start to finish, is simply fantastic as well. All of the other characters do a great job with their choreography and never give Jackie much of a moment to breathe. This is a master-class in martial arts choreography.
The Bad:
There wasn’t more of it.
Overall Review: 9.5/10
Lets answer those questions from before. What did I think about the movie after all these years? It is still a fantastic movie to watch from start to finish. Was it still just as good or did it age poorly? Nope, it’s still fantastic and still looks great. Would my son love it just as much as I did all those years ago? Yep! In fact, he asked me two days later if we could watch it again.
I can’t stress it enough: This is one of Jackie Chan’s best movies, period.
What do you think? Do you think it is one of Jackie’ best, or is it just “ok” for you? Let me know in the comments section below!
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