The Foreigner

The Foreigner

Starring Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan, Michael McElhatton, Liu Tao

Directed by Martin Campbell

The Story:
While dropping off his young daughter at a clothing boutique, Ngoc Mih Quan (Jackie Chan) faces the unimaginable when a bomb goes off, killing his daughter and leaving him without any living family.  He's determined to find the men responsible, and look to former IRA member turned Irish government official Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan) for answers.  Hennessy claims he doesn't know who's responsible, but Quan doesn't believe him, and sets out to prove that a man with nothing left to loose can be a very dangerous thing.

The Synopsis:
I've always had a deep respect for Jackie Chan, because he's a martial arts legend.  He worked with the legendary Bruce Lee, and after Lee's death, he was hailed by director Lo Wei (who discovered Lee) as the next Bruce Lee.  His Asian movies have been filled with his unique technique and he's well-known for doing his own stunts.  When he came to America, he left a lasting impression with his impressive moves, but ultimately became relegated to typical buddy-comedy movies such as the "Rush Hour" series and "Shanghai Noon."  He became known more for martial arts slapstick than just the arts, and hasn't really appeared in any serious films for awhile (at least none that hit mainstream theaters).

Then came "The Foreigner," directed by Martin Campbell, best known for directing "Casino Royale," "The Mask of Zorro" and "GoldenEye," based off a novel written by Stephen Leather.  Here, you won't see Chan hamming it up for the cameras for laughs, but instead you'll see a different side of Chan's acting - a solemn, serious role that's truly heartbreaking.  He lost his wife and two daughters while escaping Taiwan, and then lost his last child in a bombing.  His face shows the decades of sadness and grief, and now he's got no one left to live for, so he sets out to avenge his daughter's death by any means necessary - even if it costs him his life.  To top off his acting ability, Chan also once again performs his own stunts, and for a man of 60 years of age, that's pretty darn impressive.

That's not to say the film doesn't have faults.  Despite top billing, Chan doesn't appear a lot in the film, only stopping in here and there to threaten Brosnan's character and check up on the investigation.  However, when he does light up the screen, expect the action to fall fast and furious.  He's like a mixture of Liam Neeson's Bryan Mills and Matt Damon's Jason Bourne, a man with a particular set of skills who uses intellect, ingenuity and years of trained combat to survive.  Still, his appearances are short and separated by long dialogues of espionage and terrorism that seems to have been written by someone who doesn't have a lot of ideas as to how either of those work.  The most obvious criminal in this case is Pierce Brosnan's Hennessy, who spouts the same dialogue over and over (if you played the drinking game every time he mentions how Quan - in his old age - gets the better of him and his men, you'd be passed out before the closing credits) and tries way too hard to show himself as a grey character - someone who could be either good or bad, but doesn't really show his hand fully to the audience.  Plus his Irish accent is terrible.

The story itself is very cut-and-dry, simplistic and obvious.  We know who the bad guys are, and they aren't given a lot to work with.  They're the third character in a two-character play, the means to the end, the purpose for Quan's revenge.  We don't learn a lot about them, and we don't need to - they're not particularly necessary except serving as the plot device.  It's an obvious ending and we just sit back and watch Chan do his stuff, knowing full well how it'll all wrap up.

Still, if you choose to ignore the spy saga the film tries to tell and focus on the deeply personal revenge tale of a grieving father, you'll really appreciate the film for what it tries to do, despite its faults.  Jackie Chan is a living legend, a one-of-a-kind actor who never shies away from grueling action sequences and always gives it his all, performing better than men three times his age. 

The Summary:
If it was done by any other man, "The Foreigner" would fade into obscurity and mediocrity, but when martial arts legend Jackie Chan tackles a dramatic performance such as this, the film is elevated to a higher standard, thanks to his fearless acting and terrific martial arts prowess.

The Score: A-