Ride On

Washed-up stunt man Jackie Chan has papers served on him to take his horse. He meets with estranged daughter Haocun Liu to find a lawyer, and she puts forth her geeky boy friend.

It's Jackie Chan and a horse, which is all fans like me need to make us happy for a couple of hours. Even if Chan is going to be seventy on his next birthday, and his stunts are achieved by close-up, short takes, and actually having stunt men in the longer shots, I can still enjoy Chan's sense of humor, and the fact that this is a movie where he actually acts, with a story about an old man growing up, and the dedication to taking real risks to make good movies that stunt men have shown for more than a hundred years.

And it's a very handsome horse.

Ride On is actually a good children / teen drama about family and legacy. Jacky Chan, again, proved he can act. He has been producing dramatic movies with dramatic acting time and time again, this is one of them.

Action-wise, Jacky is old and he knows it well. He kept the action scene limited and using stunt doubles, his own stunt team, nonetheless.

This is an entertaining movie for the family but nothing special for Jacky's fans. It lacks the memorable craziness of his old stunts because he is older and wiser.

But Ride On is not about comedic action story, this is a dramatic movie with some comedic action. I would consider it as the trial run for Rush Hour latest sequel.

Jackie Chan's new film is a mixture of action and family drama, adding to that is the bond his character shares with his horse. A washed up stuntman, past his glory days is struggling to meet ends and the debt collector wants to take away his horse. As he fights them off, the video of it goes viral. Soon he learns, the previous owner of his horse is going to take him away, he reaches out to his estranged daughter for one last time, to save the horse and mend their relationship.

The film is filled with tear jerking moments which is pretty much what one asks for when an horse is involved. Those scenes mostly work too. Then there is a video montage of Jackie Chan's classic stunts montage which his character reacts to. Needless to say how that particular scene feels. As far as the screenplay goes, it is the usual run on the mill family drama with few action scenes thrown in to please the fans. The melodrama however is stretched and not all the scenes work as intended.

The father - daughter relationship suffered due to how basic it was and somehow it lacked the desired impact. Maybe that's why the bonding with horse had far more impact. The pace is uneven too and resorts to convenient resolution before ending on a predictable note. Jackie Chan still carries the film on his shoulder and this time not with his action skills but by making Ride On his most emotional performance to date.

Lao Luo is an aging stuntman whose best years are behind him. Estranged from his daughter, in debt and out of work, he and his horse Red Hare are desperate for money. After escaping a street fight, Lao and Red Hare become an internet sensation, and offers for stunt work start pouring in. However, a businessman named Xin has his eyes on the horse, and will do anything to get him. Lao reaches out to his daughter Bao- whose boyfriend is a young law student- for legal help, and the two begin rekindling their relationship. Whether Lao and Red Hare are capable of performing the stunts now asked of them- and if Xin's plot comes to fruition- remains to be seen in Larry Yang's 'Ride On'.

An uneven comic-drama, 'Ride On' is a strange concoction striving to combine slapstick comedy with drama- alongside elements of legal procedural and martial arts films- while also trying to come as a homage to Hong Kong cinema and a salute to stunt performers in general. It is a film trying to be a jack of all trades, but is more of a master of none. This is not to say that 'Ride On' is unengaging, as it is entertaining and fun; though it is evident that Yang wants the film to work on multiple levels when he hasn't yet perfected the base one.

Yang's characters are all cliches, his dialogue is corny at best and the narrative is predictable to a fault. The film tries too hard to be heartwarming, coming across as a little mawkish instead. Yang delivers a cursory exploration of the themes of aging, family and loyalty, not having anything new or insightful to say about any of them. While there are some compelling moments involving Lao and Bao getting to know one another, references throughout to previous cinematic escapades of Jackie Chan are enjoyable and the action scenes are generally well realized, the rote storytelling on display is formulaic and underwhelming. It's disappointing that the story and the manner in which it is told is so familiar and uninspired, as there is a lot to be praised in 'Ride On'.

Sun Li's production design is impressive, for one, and the set decoration is rich. Lao's stable-cum-apartment, for example, is a visual delight, overflowing with props and details that bolster the character's backstory. Moreover, Ming Sun's cinematography is stylish, though more realistic and grounded than in recent Chan-led efforts like 'Vanguard' or 'Bleeding Steel.' His use of naturalistic lighting is most effective, while the utilisation of handheld cameras at moments of action- such as when Lao and Red Hare escape the street fight- creates urgency and tension (which is, one might add, missing from Yang's screenplay).

Furthermore, Jackie Chan delivers a restrained, nuanced performance as Lao Luo, handling the comic and dramatic with equal aplomb. As was the case with 'The Foreigner,' Chan's efforts to create a believable, downbeat character surpasses the film around him, and his performance is considerably more memorable than Yang's narrative or characterisation. He proves to be in better shape physically at 69 than most people half his age, and has great chemistry with the horse playing Red Hare- who, one might add, is as brilliant and charismatic a performer on four legs as many others aren't on two.

Additionally, Liu Haocun gives a strong performance as Bao, even if her character is a bit one-note. She works well with Chan (and the horse) to create a realistic, strained family dynamic, and she never overdoes it. Kevin Guo Qilin is similarly good as her boyfriend, an insecure, unfit law student who is something of the comic foil. Yu Rongguang also does strong work as Xin, the villain of the piece, bringing a charm and elegance to the role that is most appreciated.

At the end of the day, Larry Yang's 'Ride On' is a flawed film trying to balance comedy and drama, and occasionally succeeding, but more often than not coming across as a little cloying. While Jackie Chan delivers a measured, thoughtful performance and works well with his co-stars, Yang's narrative is too familiar and reliant on tropes and cliches to make much impact. Though Chan and his horse are great and the film has some fun moments, Larry Yang's 'Ride On' is a bit of a bumpy ride.

No pun intended - there is one scene in this movie that some people confused with Jackies private life. I have to admit, I had no idea about his private life and his issues with his daughter (or hers with him?) ... I reckon if you are not in the know you can easily be fooled ... especially because it was quite emotional ... and it looked like something that could actually happen in real life for them too.

That said, the movie itself lends itself to comparisons ... Jackie Chan being his own stunt man most of the time, having started as stunt man too. So the story is close to home in that regard for sure. Add to that a horse and you have quite the interesting mix. The stunts/action set pieces are really good ... and if you are fan, no one has to convince you anyway ... story is quite simple, but it doesn't need to be more complicated ... and if the drama of it all does not grip you ... well then the movie is not for you I reckon ... most will at least have some moments where they shed a tear or two ... ride on indeed (the movies title is the biggest pun)