The Foreigner

This is a super engrossing action-thriller-drama.

An innocent child is the victim in a terrorist bomb but the perpetrators do not know of the desperate determination and grit of the victim's father.

There are two astonishing performances: first from Jackie Chan as the aggrieved father; and second from Pierce Brosnan as a suspicious and duplicitous politician.

Jackie Chan is outstanding as the grieving parent out for justice. And despite some action being of the kung fu variety that does not detract from a great show.

Pierce Brosnan is equally remarkable, displaying amazing realism in his portrayal of an Irish political leader.

This movie is highly recommended:

8/10.

Given that my "Jackie Chan Experience" had been limited to the "Rush Hour" films with Chris Tucker, I was totally (no pun intended) blown away by "The Foreigner." Not only is this is a really good revenge/action movie but Jackie Chan, though still limiting his English dialogue, manages to hold his own with Pierce Brosnan. Jackie Chan's performance made me think back to the silent movies (I went to film school) when actors conveyed emotion through facial expression, not words.

As for the plot--that aI won't spoil for you--it's above average, and blends several social issues about immigration, family loyalty, and Britain/Ireland history. Bottom line: this film was much better than I expected it would be.

In London, Quan Ngoc Minh (Jackie Chan) takes his daughter dress shopping and she's killed in a terrorist bombing claimed by the Irish UDI. Northern Ireland government deputy minister Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan) is a former UDI leader who knows nothing about the bombing. He fears upcoming pardons being endangered and an unraveling of the political peace accord. Mr. Quan confronts Hennessy in his own way demanding names.

Jackie leaves behind his comedic skills. He replaces his fun style of kung fu fighting to deliver some darker fights and a more dramatic performance. I'm more convinced than ever that he should be doing a seriously dark Death Wish reboot. He's ready for this acting turn. This is good for his career and hopefully, somebody has a good franchise for the man. Brosnan is a great foil playing a two-faced character. This is a thriller with action. It's a throwback to the 90s including the IRA replacements. They should have simply done a period piece which would be even better.

I expected the movie to be a standard action movie with a weak plot. This movie surprised me on several levels. First the plot was above average for an action movie. Second, Jackie Chan turned in a subdued and very good character portrayal. Third,the movie was not the typical martial arts laden Jackie Chan performance. There were martial art scenes but they were not over done as in prior Chan movies. Supporting cast led by Pierce Brosnan were also very good. In summary, if your a fan of the action genre you will not be disappointed.

From the director of Casino Royale comes the movie starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan The Foreigner! Humble businessman with a buried past seeks Justice when his daughter is killed in an act of terrorism. His name is Quan Ngoc Minh (Jackie Chan). He will stop at nothing until everyone that was responsible is killed or brought down!

Jackie Chan real life is now 63 years old and for someone who is 63 years old he is still doing his own stunts and is able to carry the entire movie without any need of pointless CGI or stunt people. I know a lot of people will be disappointed due to the fact that the film relies heavily on it being a thriller and drama rather than an action film. There are still very many fight scenes in there the Jackie Chan fans will love but the whole point of the movie was Jackie Chan's loss of his daughter. Pierce Brosnan also gets a lot of screen time and his scenes are quite powerful. Not everyone will love it but it definitely just goes to prove the Jackie Chan still has enough juice left in him to do his own stunts! 3/5 stars