L'Expert de Hong Kong

I first saw Jackie Chan in the Hollywood film'Rush Hour2'which was pretty interesting.But my uncle,who is a movie critic,told me that a true Jackie Chan fan must see the hit film 'Drunken Master'. Over the years I saw many Jackie Chan films,both Hollywood,Chinese,and even a Korean movie but none could compare itself to the legendary 'Drunken Master'series. To be honest, I was very disappointed by Jackie's recent Hollywood films,including 'The Medallion'and 'Around the World in 80days'.None of his Hollywood films could compete with 'Drunken Master'. 'Rob B Hood'opened in theaters in my native land Korea the same day as in Hong Kong. Because it was edited into 110minutes from the original 134minute version,there were many scenes that just non understandable,but on the whole,if you watch this film,Jackie Chan is back to his original Chinese roots. The jokes and action are like the ones in 'Drunken Master'. Of course,recently Jackie Chan made a statement that he wouldn't act any more action films, but I hope to see him in many more films like Rob B Hood. Cheers to the one man in Asia whom even Hollywood superstars look up to.

Latest Jackie Chan film is a wildly overly long (well over 2 hours) comedy action film about a trio of safe crackers who use the loot to fuel their addictions. When things take a turn for the worst the trio kidnaps a baby, the same one that they had saved earlier in the film. When one of the trio is hurt and thrown in jail after the getaway, the remaining two, Jackie Chan and Louis Koo must care for the kid. Of course they bond with the kid and of course circumstance provides for some death defying action sequences.

I really didn't care for this film. Sure its nice to see Jackie playing a semi-not so nice guy, but on the whole this is the sort of thing we've seen a dozen or so times before, and I'm not talking action. For me much of the film was past formulaic and into the cliché rut. How many films have their been about grown men with no baby experience taking care of infants? How many of them have gags stolen by this film? As for the action sequences they take a bit of a back seat to the comedy and the baby. Sure there are some nice bits, Jackie walking down the air conditioners and the car chase/crash are good little sequences but they too ring of things that have gone before. It could be argued that Jackie is getting up there, he's 52, but its not that what he's doing is bad its just that its a bit lifeless and repetitive when compared to his earlier films.

It also doesn't help that the film is paced so,leisurely that we feel every one of its 130 plus minutes. This is a movie in need of some real trimming.

A miss. Wait for cable.

4.5 out of 10, 5 out of 10 for IMDb purposes

All I can say is, this is definitely a Jackie Chan movie and fans will definitely not be disappointed at all. Even with his advancing age and toning down of action scenes, Jackie still has it in him and never fails to entertain. For those fans wondering about action scenes, sure Jackie isn't what he used to be back in the heyday of 80's Hong Kong cinema, but his top notch action choreography is still inventive and fun to watch, and there are many fun set pieces. The comedy is also very well done and there are many endearing scenes with the real star of the show, baby Matthew Medvedev, who will melt any viewer's heart. Jackie and his co-stars' characters are very sympathetic and the acting for the most part is spot on. Benny Chan does an excellent job directing his stars and shows that he is not only able to direct a serious action crime drama like Chan's previous New Police Story but is also adept at the family action comedy as well. There are many cameos from well known HK stars, so be sure to watch out for them. Chan fans will appreciate a special extended cameo. Overall an enjoyable quality Chan family movie.

I did not enjoy the previous effort of a Benny Chan directed Jackie Chan film in "New Police Story" that I was definitely worried about a "Three Men and a Baby" inspired effort. The result was mixed, but going in with low expectations I was pleasantly surprised. "Rob-B-Hood" (US release name is a bizarre name change to "Robin-B-Hood" though in this movie there is no stealing from the rich to give to the poor; neither title is very good) is the third film in the collaboration between Benny Chan and Jackie Chan and Benny's first attempt at a comedic action film. While this film was successful in Asia it was not theatrically released in North America and most of Europe.

Jackie Chan and Louis Koo Tin-Lok star as mediocre bad guys Thongs and Octopus. Jackie Chan tired of stereotypical nice guy roles wanted to play a criminal, though his character Thongs is a burglar and compulsive gambler, the "good guy" nature of his character comes through quite clearly and his performance does not veer far from most of Jackie's previous personae. This role is a good step in broadening his experience as an actor. Octopus is a married womanizer who works with Thongs. He married very young to Pak Yin (the terminally cute Charlene Choi) and is doing his best to woo wealthy young women while avoiding his wife. Thongs and Octopus both work under the guidance of the Landlord (Michael Hui) a conservative criminal who hoards his theft while the other two spend their "earnings".

The Landlord has had his loot stolen by another criminal (he suspects everyone after this) so he allows himself to get contracted to a nefarious case to kidnap a baby for seven million dollars and give the infant to the possible grandfather to test if the baby is his sons (the son is dead and currently frozen in a very expensive decorated freezer). Thongs and Octopus both need the money so they acquiesce and help the Landlord with the felony. Of course, Thongs and Octopus, through a partially botched kidnapping attempt, are forced to take care of the cute defecating infant until they can reestablish getting the kid to who hired them. And, of course, they get attached to the baby (I cannot believe the baby got nominated for Hong Kong Film Award's Best New Performer category).

Some of the negatives of this film include the ill-defined female characters (it seems they would have been better characterization in the original three-hour workprint, but that meant a whole lot more exposition); especially Gao Yuan-Yuan's Melody character who I had trouble figuring out what her relationship with Thongs was the first time I watched this. Some of the baby poop jokes were overdone as well as some of the infant's scenes in general (reportedly the child was an infant terrible on the set; delaying shooting and helping push the film over budget). There is only so much you can do with a babbling, spitting, crying child with flatulence. Yuen Biao's Inspector Steve Mok character is definitely underused (as well as Michael Hui), though at least he gets more than a cameo in this film. And then there is the horrible overuse of Pepsi advertising including one scene where Jackie slides down a pole revealing the largest Pepsi graffiti I have ever seen.

I did end up liking this film though. There is a certain congenial innocence with the lead characters that works well in this comedic action hybrid. In most Jackie Chan movies there are little stunts that sometimes seem as throwaways but are quite dangerous and are done with Keatonesque ease. In this movie Jackie slides down a staircase column and props himself up with ease at the end. If he fell on the wrong side he could have been seriously injured, but since it is so effortlessly it seems so simple. Jackie Chan has used more wires in his stunts and it definitely shows in this film, but I do not fault him for it, since his body cannot handle the punishment like it used to. The stunt where he jumps from air conditioner to air conditioner to the bottom of the street is impressive (even if a wire was used) and his and Louis Koo's stunts in the amusement park owned by the grandfather (location was Ocean Park) were quite good. In fact Jackie was said to be impressed of Koo who was willing to do many of his own stunts in the movie.

There could have been more fighting in this movie but there is a good scene in the apartment of Jackie between Jackie, Yuen Biao, Ken Lo and more. It is inspired by a similar scene in Project A (this is also mentioned in the Benny Chan commentary), but still pleasant. While there are many faults in this film and I think that many action purists will not like this film, I found much that was enjoyable from the comedy to the action and stunts. Now please Jackie no more movies with babies.

I first wanted to say its not nearly as bad as some of the other idiots who reviewed this film said it was. This movie does have some scenes that miss the mark and weren't really needed, but all in all I was satisfied. After watching New Police Story I needed to see Jackie in a film that's more fun, and Rob-B-Hood certainly delivers! Even though this movie's main element isn'the fighting there are some really nice fight sequences, the best of which is towards the end (as always!). The entire finale takes place in an amusement park over rides, ATVs, and speeding roller coasters! I felt that some of the danger the baby was put in was unnecessary but definitely gave Jackie chances to use death defying stunts. If you can get over the fact that the obviously fake baby is visible from time to time you will enjoy this. TWO THUMBS UP!

I also thought I should add that this film ended up outgrossing X-Men: the Last Stand AND Mission Impossible III at the 2006 Chinese box office!