Espion amateur

As a vehicle for Jackie Chan action sequences, this movie is decent. There are some clever scenes, and while some, particularly one in which a naked Jackie tries to cover himself while his enemies seem determined to keep them off, make no sense, they are amusing.

Unfortunately, the story is an absolute mess. None of it makes any real sense and it's often unclear what on earth is going on. The movie just jumps from scene to scene with little thought for the sense of it all.

The movie also ends, not with a typical Chan action scene, but with a highway scene that uses none of Chan's talents, is confused and lacks any sort of excitement or suspense. It is a huge misstep in a film full of small missteps.

Talented star. Opaque plot. Murky dialog/translation. I will not add this film in my Jacky Chan collection. It's embarrassing.

The plot is impossibly murky. The dialog is heavy and clumsy. Characters come and go, and sometimes return, but there is no reason for any of it. If you see this film you will have no idea who is who, or what is going on. (Jacky, please have an English-speaking person write your English dialog!)

I suspect Jacky himself is to blame. Jacky is such a huge star, it must be difficult to reign in his enthusiasm or give him any kind of plot guidance.

This looks like an old Hong Kong film. I'm a big fan, so that's not an insult, but without the momentary laptop/internet scene, this easily could have been a 1980s Jacky film repackaged for the Western market. I can't see how that is a benefit.

The English translation may be at fault. I have many, many Chinese films in my collection, and this film was far below average. I'd prefer subtitles. Better yet, shoot the major dialog twice, in English and Cantonese. Jacky has done this with other films successfully. Besides, Jacky speaks English very well.

The locations were SUPER! I loved the lighting in places. Some good camera angles. The credits were heavy-handed but nice. A couple interesting stunts, but often shot poorly.

The American DVD was very disappointing. No extra material, at all! A terrible, old-looking photo. Again, everything points to a repackaged old film. Why make a new film like that?

I have 26 Jacky Chan films. This film would certainly rank as one of his least polished, exotic locations notwithstanding. It's no wonder it was never released in US theaters. Don't get me wrong, I hate Bret Ratner, the director of Rush Hour, but his stories made sense. By comparison, "Accidental Spy" is a home movie.

I cringe to see such a great star in such a shoddy film.

Apparently there are two versions of "The Accidental Spy" in circulation, the most commonly found cut one (which runs about 90 minutes) and the harder to find long one (which runs about 110 minutes). This certainly offers a reasonable explanation as to why the plot of this movie in its cut form seems so disjointed. But it does not fully explain why it is so dull. The tone swings wildly from light spy comedy to serious spy drama - the movie never seems sure of itself. The fighting is unremarkable if you've seen any of Jackie's previous outings, and some of the action scenes have a "been there, done that" feel to them. The climactic "Speed"-like sequence of a tanker that must not slow down or it will explode is spectacular, but has nothing to do with the main plot. On the bright side, there is at least one amazing stunt (Jackie jumping from the roof of a building to the road below using three umbrellas as parachutes!), there is a nice international flavor (the locations include Hong Kong, Seoul and Istanbul), there are two pretty Chinese women, and of course there is always Jackie. (**)

I'm a big Chan fan and have watched most of his films.

This one seems to be a forerunner (except the Aussie-based ones) to his attempt to internationalize himself by appearing with Western co-actors and filming on international locations. I would say that A.S. is the better of this group of films. It has a resonable plot with more purpose than most of his other films. It also has a decent filming location in Turkey, and his co-stars also have some degree of character. We also still manage to savour some good quality stunt antics before they are about to all but disappear in Chan's most recent films of Tuxedo etc.

Worth selecting out of Chan's collection.

A worker in an athletic equipment store (Jackie Chan) saves the day when a robbery is going down. With a bit of fame, he attracts the attention of a dying Korean man who believes the hero is his long lost son. But, after traveling to Korea to meet with his supposed father, Jackie learns he may have a large bank account in Istanbul and his dad may have been involved in drug trafficking, too. Even as Jackie jets off to Turkey and fills a suitcase with his new bank-vault fortune, various groups of bad guys are out to get him. One of them dangles a beautiful young lady as bait for a trap. Will Jackie fall for it? Also, is the CIA involved in some respect? This is a fairly exciting movie which sports Jackie's patented and imaginative martial arts talent. Watching him get away from his pursuers by squirting shampoo in their eyes, among other things, is fun, no doubt about that. There is also a great scene in an open market where a disrobed Chan covers his vitals with tambourines and other handy items. Chuckle, chuckle. This dubbed film from the Hong Kong filmmakers also offers an excellent visual tour of Istanbul and its surroundings, something very rare and attractive. Jackie's castmates are well chosen, also, with two beautiful women gracing the screen for the viewers' vast enjoyment. If you love Chan movies, don't miss this one. Although it may not be his best work, it still has plenty of humor and action to keep the audience watching until the credits start to roll.