Jackie Chan goes all mystical and mythic on our collective arseholes in this engagingly silly fantasy.
The plot: Our man Chan plays renowned archaeologist Jack (yeah, I know, I know. Just roll with it) who seems to be experiencing two lives at once. The first, his normal if pretty exciting life digging up relics and unearthing ancient artifacts, his second, a world of dreams in which he is an ancient Chinese warrior, set around the time the Great Wall of China was first constructed, approximately 200 years BC.
Inevitably, the two worlds collide, and the heroic Jack must do battle against foes both mythic and mortal to uncover the location of an ancient mausoleum that could yet provide the secret of immortality.
Wilfully silly, this is pure flight of fancy stuff, unusual for Chan, but he takes it all in his impressively athletic stride. Jackie's knocking on a bit by now, already into his 50's, but that doesn't stop him leaping around the set like a thing possessed, the trademark fast paced, close contact martial arts on show, along with his uncanny ability to use whatever is in the vicinity. One scene of genuine Jackie Chan gold involves a fight on a conveyor belt that is coated in super strong adhesive, forcing Chan to improvise, removing articles of clothing from both himself and those around him to navigate his way to safety.
Funny and impressive all at the same time.
Whilst not up there with his earlier movies - Project A, Police Story et al - this is nevertheless something of a return to form after the unwatchable diabolicus that was the Rush Hour franchise.
3 out of 5
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