Jackie Chan Talks About His Feelings for Bruce Lee During Japan Visit Amid Hit Movie Release
Jackie Chan Puts Together Action with Tech and Tradition in “Shadows Edge”Jackie Chan (71) is back on the big screen in the action film Shadows Edge, which opened in Japan on December 12 and has already been attracting attention. In the film, Jackie plays a retired legendary detective who returns to the field in Macau to investigate a mysterious cybercrime organization that is baffling the police. Teaming up with young detectives, he employs a tactical method called pursuit to track down and corner the criminal group.
Despite his age, Jackie delivers intense action sequences, culminating in a brutal hand-to-hand battle with a former assassin who leads the cybercrime group.
The film was a massive hit in China, holding the top spot at the box office for four consecutive weeks and earning 1.2 billion yuan (approximately 25 billion yen) within about a month of release.
The cast is star-studded. Leon Lai (67), portraying a former assassin and the leader of the criminal group, gives a chilling performance. SEVENTEEN’s Jun (29) takes on his first villain role as a core member of the group, showing off dazzling action scenes. Popular Chinese actress Zhang Zifeng (24) plays a young female detective paired with Jackie’s character. The director is Larry Yang, who previously collaborated with Jackie on Ride On.
The film blends cutting-edge technology with meticulous analog investigation techniques, particularly the pursuit methods, showcasing an evolved form of Jackie Chan action cinema.
Jackie’s roots in action stem from classics such as Snake in the Monkey Fist (1978), Drunken Master (1978), and The Fearless Hyena (1979), which popularized his unique style of kung fu.
Although a Hong Kong production, the author recalls interviewing Jackie in Tokyo in April 1982 during a promotional visit for his starring film Dragon Lord. At the time, Jackie was just 28 years old.
The hotel where he was staying was swarmed by bodyguards
After the superstar of kung fu films, Bruce Lee, who took the world by storm with movies such as Enter the Dragon(1973), suddenly passed away at the young age of 32 in 1973, Jackie Chan broke through in the Hong Kong film world with his unique kung fu action and his approachable character that also shows comedic elements, becoming popular in Japan as well.
When asked about being called the second Bruce Lee,
“I don’t really know the cause of his (Lee’s) death, but he probably had a lot of pressure from becoming so famous. I’ve heard his training was extremely hard. Even though he knew his limits, he probably trained beyond them. In my films, I play roles that also have weak sides. Even girls could hit me (laughs). I always try to make the movies happy,”
he emphasized the difference between himself and Bruce Lee, which left an impression.
“My friends also told me not to become the second Bruce Lee. I watched his movies a lot, but I didn’t want to copy them. Even in (kung fu) moves, I want to show composure and perform them like a dance, for example.”
At the time, he was as popular in Japan as an idol, with nearly 100 fan clubs nationwide and a total of 20,000 members. At the hotel where he was staying, young female bodyguards came every day, and gifts from fans arrived in six cardboard boxes.
Although Hong Kong is his hometown,
“My homes are in Los Angeles, Australia, and Hong Kong. Since I move around with work, there isn’t really one place that is my true home,”
he said.
Regarding his next project at the time,
“I’ll shoot one in America. For the fans of Cannonball,”
he revealed plans for a sequel to Cannonball, co-starring Burt Reynolds, which is about a race across the American continent to see how fast you can drive a commercial car.
“I want to make movies that satisfy both Western and Asian audiences,”
he spoke of his aspirations as an international star.
Watching the power of Jackie Chan’s films, which continue to evolve even in his latest work Shadows Edge, it is once again clear that the roots of Jackie movies he spoke about in the ’80s support his long-lasting career. People can look forward to seeing what kind of films Jackie will show next and his continued success.
Interview and text： Ryo Sakamoto (Writer, former head of the Culture and Society Department of Tokyo Sports Newspaper) PHOTO： VCG/Afro