Even though he’s proven time again to be one of the greatest screen entertainers of all time, I think it was a bit of a shock to moviegoers who saw the new Karate Kid just how well Jackie Chan was able to carry a role that was more dramatic rather than action or comedy oriented. While seeing Chan do incredible feats has become commonplace over the decades, doubts about his ability to really carry any weight dramatically are still pretty rampant, and putting out films such as The Spy Next Door or Rush Hour 3 really don’t do a lot to quell those sorts of discussions. Thankfully, while his U.S. output has been lacking the last few years until The Karate Kid, Chan has been hard at work overseas to start building a new reputation as a serious actor, and with the U.S. release of the film Shinjuku Incident, Jackie may finally have some ammunition to silence his doubters.
This is Jackie Chan stripped of his usual tropes. As Nick, a poor immigrant from Hong Kong who comes to Japan illegally, Chan is never seen doing Kung fu this film, and he doesn’t even smile very often here, much less participate in broad comedy. Nick has to turn to crime to stay alive, and while he does have a small group of friends to help him, he finds that he alone has to make the tough decisions in order to be able to find success on the streets. When even murder is a line he is willing to cross, we’re seeing Chan in a place we’ve never seen him onscreen before.
A film reminiscent of the type of ‘30s gangster films that depicted the rise of street hoods into kingpins, Shinjuku Incident is a very well made movie on nearly every level. The film has a nice gritty look without being over stylized. Supporting performances up and down are uniformly terrific, and film’s violence is very well staged by writer/director Derek Yee for maximum impact. Still, the whole thing could fall apart without a strong performance from Jackie Chan at the center. As Nick rises in notoriety, you can feel the toil on his soul, and Chan brings that sense of a character losing his innocence to the forefront, but with a surprising amount of subtlety. Even after doing horrible things, he still believes he’s a good person deep down, and that struggle is pretty fascinating to watch.
Making the film even more powerful is the dichotomy of Nick’s good fortune compared to other characters, especially his friend Joe (Daniel Wu), a fellow immigrant who tries to help Nick get acclimated at first, but falls further into tragedy as Nick’s star begins to rise. Wu is tremendous in his own right here, coming across as a very likable everyman who simply can’t catch a break. The calamity that follows this character is devastating, as Joe makes innocent mistakes but pays high tolls, even getting mutilated at one point.
Director Derek Yee just does a great job of creating this world of crime and making it very identifiable and familiar. Yes, this is a very violent picture, but more important is that the director goes to great lengths to depict the world of these immigrants and show them as a regular family. When that group makes a transition into a type of crime family, it seems to happen organically. This is a story of survival for this group, so even when they break the law it’s easy to root for them for most of the picture. This goes especially when compared to a local Yakuza outfit in the film, whose members are power hungry and constantly turning on each other. Director Yee wrangles all of these characters and factions into a captivating tapestry, but also manages to keep the focus on Nick and his personal struggles, never letting the picture get bogged down in crime-world politics.
For those thinking Jackie Chan’s performance in The Karate Kid remake was a fluke, Shinjuku Incident may come as a revelation. Much like his character in the film, this dramatic side of Chan has come to prominence seemingly from nowhere, and it’s a relief to see the actor not falling back on old habits to get through a movie. If this is the direction Chan’s career is heading, then it’s a welcome one, and hopefully will mark the end of the string of bad comedies that are tainting the legacy of this legendary performer. Shinjuku Incident is a terrific crime film from top to bottom and though it may take some getting used to seeing Jackie not mugging for the camera, a patient viewer will find Chan’s best addition to his cinematic legacy in some time and probably his best dramatic performance to date.
Sony’s print on this disc is pretty nice, but it’s too bad there isn’t a Blu-ray release. As it is, the film looks good here with nice detail and good colors. There doesn’t seem to be any degradation and this disc is comparable to the Asian DVD release of the movie.
Commentary on Select Scenes by Jackie Chan – I really wish this was a track that covered the whole movie, but Chan’s track is surprisingly great throughout. We only get five or six major scenes covered, but the track is always interesting as Chan gives us insight into the production as well as what it’s like to just be on an Asian set and how different it is from an American film. Difficulties when shooting in super cold water or in bath houses are discussed and this really gives you a sense that it’s kind of hard to be Jackie Chan sometimes. Ultimately, this track is pretty absorbing, I just wish there was more of it.
Say Hello to the Bad Guy: Up Close with Jackie Chan – Again, any insights into Chan’s experience making this movie are nothing less than captivating. The actor discusses all kinds of elements when it comes to making a picture like this from staging the action to the film makers having to ask a real life local Yakuza gang in the area if it was ok to film in their neighborhood. Of course, not even Yakuza could deny Jackie Chan. There’s a really terrific portion of this featurette when Chan discusses the violence in this picture, because apparently it was so graphic that showing it in the picture meant that the film wouldn’t be able to be distributed in China, which is a giant market for Chan. Jackie was so committed to the picture though, that the decision was made for the violence to be shows for the movie. All in all, much like the commentary, this is amazing, but I wish there was more of it.
Trailers
Doubters who cringe at the thought of a dramatic role from Jackie Chan should definitely check out Shinjuku Incident, because I have no doubt the movie will change your mind. This is the best dramatic performance of his career and the movie itself a terrifically gritty crime picture. The disc itself also looks nice and the extras that are here are very good, just not plentiful. Overall, this is an easy recommendation.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment presents Shinjuku Incident. Directed by: Derek Yee. Starring: Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, and Naoto Takenaka. Written by: Derek Yee. Running time: 120 mins. Rating: R. Released on DVD: June 8, 2010. Available at Amazon.com.
