Jan 28, 2023
“In my movies, I get beaten up all the time. It is not that I like looking like a loser; its just that’s the way life is. You lose, and lose, and lose, and then, with any kind of luck, you eventually find a way to win. Life isn’t about winning every battle; it’s winning the one that counts,” writes Jackie Chan in I Am Jackie Chan, his autobiography (301).
When Bruce Lee died, the hunt was on for the next Bruce Lee. Some thought Jackie could be the next star. However, with the failure of such films as the New Fist of Fury, Jackie Chan feared that his chance to be a star would end quickly if he continued to try to imitate Bruce Lee.
Thus, Jackie made the decision to be the anti-Bruce.
- Lee kicks high, so Jackie will kick low.
- Lee never gets hits, so Jackie will be beaten up severely.
- Lee is serious, so Jackie will be humorous.
Therefore, the next Bruce Lee, the next superstar of Asia was not a Bruce Lee wannabe but the one and only Jackie Chan. Jackie became Jackie: himself, mixing humor, stunts and martial action in new way.
Not the Next Bruce: The First Jackie!
Jackie Chan’s films broke all box office records that Bruce Lee had broken. He became the biggest Asian star after Bruce Lee died. While teaching in Korea, I saw Miracle in 1989, it was the first Jackie Chan film I liked. I had seen The Big Brawl (1980), directed by Robert Clouse years before, and I didn’t like it.
Robert Clouse had tried to discover or create the next great martial arts superstar, but he forgot to let Jackie be himself. Frustrated after the failure of that film, Jackie reinvented himself and created some of his best films: Project A and Police Story.
I felt with Miracle, Jackie had arrived and created his own fighting style and screen persona. Once again, Hong Kong cinema had created something Hollywood could never invent. In one sense, Jackie Chan had transcended Bruce Lee, for one cannot compare Bruce and Jackie because they have such different styles. I would start to search out for unique Chan films, for I was hooked on a new cinematic action genius.
I also saw my first John Woo film in 1989. Hollywood would forever seem too mundane for me. And so my kids grew up watching Japanese, Korean, and Chinese films, action and horror genres.