Shinjuku Incident

Shinjuku Incident

Shinjuku Incident

Early on Jackie figured out what he did best and gave it to a public which ate it up. What to do now that an ageing body isn't up to the trademark stunts of his earlier movies? It seems his answer is to develop a new 'persona'. Unfortunately, it's a little beyond his range right now. But, given time and a few more roles, he may learn to act. John Travolta and Frank Sinatra both developed into fine actors late in their careers. There was no sign of that in their earlier films. Jackie needs to develop a new formula - not step into a formula role which is not suited to him. Otherwise, there will be more disappointments.

Contrary to many, at least outside the US, I was introduced to Jackie Chan through Rumble in the Bronx. It was his first big hit in the US, and it ushered in a bunch of other Chan films (i.e. Superop, First Strike) into theaters. It was invigorating to see someone with Chan's skills as a fighter, using martial arts like a dancer and doing it all (sometimes painfully) himself. Then audiences could dig in to one of two things: his previous catalog of work from Hong Kong (i.e. Police Story series, Drunken Master), or films like Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon/Knights and his stint in Hollywood. But now he's in his mid-50's, and one wonders if we might see the last of Chan as a real action-oriented star, especially considering forgettable drek like The Spy Next Door is still playing in theaters. But there is perhaps some hope, and coming in part from Chan himself (for this film he's exec-producer). In The Shinjuku Incident, we see a step forward for Chan in being simply a dramatic actor, as opposed to doing tons of fights and martial arts. Sure, there's still a few stunts to pull in the film, but nothing more than hitting someone with a stick or chopping off a hand really "happens" in terms of the stunts (or, of course, running). Chan is at the service of the story as an actor, and maybe we'll see more of these thrillers or dramas with him as the star; whether they range from greatness to crap is left to be seen. Shinjuku Incident is a nice step in a direction quite removed from The Spy Next Door, and is worth seeing for Chan first, then as a decent Yakuza movie. The premise has Chan, as a character nicknamed "Steelhead" for his work early on in the film as a laborer, coming to Japan to work menial jobs and find a girl he knew in his village. But he also needs to become a legal citizen (there's a lot of illegals coming into Japan, we learn, as it's the 1990's before China's economic boom), and soon becomes absorbed into a life of crime. Or rather, he does a couple of jobs- one especially for revenge for a friend whose hand was cut off- and ascends to become head of a triad. The story mechanics are a little complicated at times- you do have to pay attention to who is in charge where or who has a vendetta against someone else (in the last third it becomes clearer and more focused to understand)- and the characters are well laid out. As far as being quite original, I'm not sure. These sorts of stories and ideas have been dealt with before, and none other than Takashi Miike has made a career in part on doing stories about Yakuzai and/or Triad gangs (his first film was even called Shinjuku Triad Society, and concerns a similar theme present in this film: China vs. Japan gangs). And by the end the drama is a bit forced, and a resolution involving a USB is a little circumspect, just as a contrivance really. But it's competently told and filmed by Tung-Shing Yee, who has a history with crime films, and he can always come back to his star when he needs a strong dramatic lead (not that some of the other actors, like the one playing the amputee with a facial scar who becomes a drug dealer, don't do their best too). I was surprised by how moving Chan could be, if not as memorable as in his Drunken Master days, and it's a good sign of things to come as he goes on in years. It's a small, exciting movie with no big surprises and some interesting dramatic beats.

I would imagine Jet Li being envious of Jackie Chan after he proclaimed Fearless would be his last Martial Arts adventure to concentrate on more dramatic acting. But it is Jackie Chan who has come out with a movie that Jet Li would have wanted a part of. Overall, The Shinjuku Incident is a decent movie with strong acting, gore and violence, and also has a simple yet powerful story. Jackie Chan does a good job as Steelhead, leading a group of Chinese immigrants in dominating areas of Japan occupied by the Japanese Yakuza. Steelhead meets an entourage of immigrants, who are reliant on fraudulent activities to survive in this anti-Chinese society. Their little scams in order to gain a living lead them towards head-on clashes and come into direct conflict with the Yakuza with catastrophic consequences. Daniel Wu plays a gentle and cowardice guy who is always at the wrong place at the wrong time. His misfortune finally bring him to meltdown after he is brutally beaten upon on a couple of occasions. From a gentle loving guy, these violent acts against him proves to be a life changing experience, turning him into a rebellious, punky drug addict whom seeks trouble and fear wherever he goes. After these events, Steelhead vows to play a much bigger game and seek true power within the society of the Japanese Yakuza. They are eventually given territory within the Shinjuku district and the power crazy gang soon turns real ugly, and the gang end up turning against each other, in particular against Steelhead. The Chinese gang end up bringing chaos to the streets of Shinjuku, leading to the Japanese and Taiwanese working together to oust them out in the most brutal and tragic way possible. The acting I felt were all rather solid. Even the veteran TVB actor who played the Taiwanese gang leader in the bar was superb as always. I didn't know his Mandarin was so good - better than Jackie's anyway. Jackie's Mandarin of course is fluent, but the accent - even though I am not a Chinese native - is quite awful to listen to. Jackie's first non martial art role was well done, but he is the same as any of his other films. We've seen his sentimental acting before in just about the end of all of his movies. So it was all as I expected, except his Mandarin accent let him down. Jet Li I believe would have done a more solid job, but we will not know, unfortunately. The supporting cast members are also well played, in particular Daniel Wu who plays practically 4 different roles. First the nice caring guy, then the tragic and badly beaten, the coming to terms with his loss, and finally the crazed, power mad drug addict. He plays a major role in the developments of the gang, spurring Steelhead on to the power they achieved. Shinjuku Incident was a good film, but I felt some discomfort afterwards. It gave me a real eerie feeling, and if a film manages to do so, then the film has done a good job in getting to the audience. It seems the morale of the story is either, if you seek power through fraud, you will not succeed, or being Hong Kongnese myself, I have a stronger feeling that the message is, the Chinese have no place in Japanese society. I found it really sad that the Chinese are depicted in this way, and of course unsurprised this will or has not got a showing in Chinese cinemas. A good film that is worth viewing, especially to see the direction Jackie Chan is going with his movies. Mr Li, take note!

Real rating: 9.5/10 Contrary to many of the ratings here, this film was top-notch. I feel as though that this film is not very well understood for many reasons. I mean it shows off Jackie Chan's acting capabilities quite well while showing a surprisingly accurate life of a Chinese immigrant in Japan (up to the part where they get the land). While many are accustomed to seeing Jackie do the standard Kung-fu dance in action films, this will give them a new perspective on the Hong Kong native. Every actor in this movie seemed to have done a decent or great job in their roles as you can feel the tension and emotions that arise in the film. Some people may be put off by Daniel Wu's flashy look halfway though the film, but let it be known that that kind of style is common among Japanese youths (especially delinquents). As far as the plot goes, it was pretty well constructed (the idea of the land being passed on to the Chinese simply after two murders seems a little far fetched, but it was well explained). It really felt reminiscent of Scarface, but unique in its own right. As for the cinematography, the film did quite a good job at capturing the dirt, grime and substance of the urban Japan life. In order to fully appreciate this movie, one must have some knowledge on Asian cultures (such as racism, which is a big deal with foreigners in Japan). This knowledge provides you with the background information needed to see how all these nationalities clash during the film with the final scene depicting the Triad fighting off the Yakuza in a last stand. Overall, I found this film to be both educational, but with the right amount of drama and action. It ends with a stunning, action-packed climax that left me breathless. The Shinjuku Incident is a movie that can be appreciated by even the most snobbish film goers. I feel as though many of the people who despised the film really just wanted to see Jackie Chan do back flips or see Japan in a better light (as portrayed by the media).

Director Derek Yee's film that opened the HK International Film Festival was released a week later in the cinemas. Set in the underworld (no vampires here, except figuratively) of Tokyo in the 90s, this is the story of an illegal Chinese immigrant Steelhead, arguably the most dramatic role that Jackie Chan has tackled to-date. The storyline line is simple. Steelhead goes to Tokyo as an illegal labourer in search of his sweetheart from the innocent days, and gets entangled with the gangland war between Chinese gangs from various backgrounds. A born leader, he organizes his co-workers, initially for self-preservation, but gradually moves into shady, profitable activities. As the local Chinese gangs have yakuzas backups, the power struggle soon escalates. Siding with a powerful yakuzas gang, Steelhead successfully cuts a profitable tuft for his gang. But when he feels that it's time to make a gradual transition into legitimate business (what responsible underworld leader wouldn't – think Vito and Michael Corleone), he finds that he is already too far down in the road of no return. Despite being set in relatively exotic Shinjuku, this gangster movie, on the surface, does not seem to offer anything new. What Director Yee has done however is crafted a consistently engaging movie that stay on course throughout, depicting a world where there is no true hero. Everything is done with mixed motivations, altruistic as well as self-serving. Jackie Chan portrays the protagonist's dilemma particularly well in the final confrontation with his blood brothers who have turned against him. Another interesting plot line, which has a bit of John Woo flavour, is the relationship between Steelhead and Inspector Kitano, whose life he saved in an accident. The moral parrying between the two in quite engaging, especially with the good performance of Naoto Takenaka who departs temporary from his comic persona to play a serious role here. Still another interesting subplot is the character development of Jie, a most tragic character played powerfully by Daniel Wu. Without revealing the details, I'll just say that Jie starts as one of the boys, the most timid and good natured of the lot, and ends up as a reckless leader of a young gang dealing in drugs. Watching Wu towards the end of the movie, you may be reminded of Heath Ledger's appearance as Joker. It might even be an intentional tribute. The romance department is no more than decorative. While we have two very attractive actors who can act – XU Jinglei and FAN Bingbing (especially Xu) – their respective roles as Steelhead's ex and current sweetheart don't offer much opportunity for them to. Under Yee's confident, no-nonsense direction, the story is told with crisp clarity. It is not one of those movies that try to sell on gore and blood, but when it is called for, it's grittier than most. While even the typical violent movie would handle the bloodiest scenes with quick flashes, this movie dwells on them. And there is a reason for it – to register the devastation on the victim. The audience better be psychologically prepared for this.

In the early 1990's, a Chinese man named Steelhead illegally enters Japan by way of a cargo ship, which sinks off the coast. He is looking for his fiancé Xiu-Xiu, who disappeared in the country years before. Stranded miles from nowhere without his papers, Steelhead somehow makes it to Tokyo, where he rendezvouses with friends from back home. They teach him the tricks of the underworld, and he is soon the de-facto leader of an all-Chinese gang. Still searching for Xiu-Xiu- and incurring the wrath of the Yakuza- Steelhead comes to realize that the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side, and that life in Shinjuku may not be worth living at all. Directed by Derek Yee, 'Shinjuku Incident' is a dark drama that makes for a refreshing change of pace for star Jackie Chan. Yee and co-writer Chun Tin-nam's screenplay focuses on the experience of illegal immigrants, examining how some are taken advantage of and left with no prospects outside a life of crime. Their version of Shinjuku is a violent, inhospitable place populated by bottom-feeding scum and insidious gangsters. Steelhead's story- of an outsider being perverted by the depravity of the city- is a sadly believable one, at times feeling reminiscent of films like 'Manila in the Claws of Light.' This is not to say the screenplay is without fault. Secondary characters are generally ill-defined and- more often than not- sequences involving the Yakuza feels like a pale imitation of the work of Kinji Fukasaku. Additionally, the character of Steelhead is initially morally ambiguous, though paradoxically becomes more virtuous as he rises in the criminal underworld. Perhaps this was done to acquiesce to Chan's cardinal rule that he never plays a villain- or an irredeemable one, that is. Whatever the reason, it is a strange bit of characterization that feels slightly jarring and out of place within the gritty urban drama that the film is billed as. 'Shinjuku Incident' features assured cinematography from Nobuyasu Kita that highlights the grime and degeneracy of the city. Oliver Wong's impressive production design adds to locations a feeling of authenticity, which the detailed set decoration compounds. Furthermore, the costume design from Satoe Araki and Angelo Bernardo Castillo is striking, with Xiu-Xiu's kimonos and various Yakuza outfits being particularly memorable. Jackie Chan stars as Steelhead, delivering a restrained performance that ranks alongside his very best. Chan has proven himself an adept dramatic performer before, in projects like 'Heart of Dragon' and- to some extent- the first two 'Police Story' pictures. Here he showcases a great amount of vulnerability, disappearing inside the character in a way he had not done before. Though Steelhead has a moral code and plenty of redeeming qualities, it is still the closest Chan has ever come to playing a bad guy; and he does it brilliantly. Chan's co-stars prove themselves to be up to his standard, with a few being especially deserving of praise. Daniel Wu stars as a friend of Steelhead's named Jie, who has an interesting character arc that Wu realizes brilliantly. A multifaceted talent, Wu threatens to steal the picture at times with his remarkable ease of performance. Additionally, Fan Bingbing does excellent work as Steelhead's love interest Lily, demonstrating the boundless charisma and pure acting prowess that has endeared her to so many. Also worthy of note is Naoto Takenaka's performance as Inspector Kitano, which is- simply put- faultless. A gritty urban drama, 'Shinjuku Incident' offers fans of Jackie Chan something a little different. Violent, exciting and nicely shot by Nobuyasu Kita, the film has many positive elements. While the story may lose steam in the latter half, and a few of the secondary characters are underwritten, it is still entertaining and suspenseful. For fans of Chan- and of Hong Kong cinema in general- 'Shinjuku Incident' is well worth a watch.

To be honest with all of you. I'm really impressed with the movie and possible one of the best Jackie Chan Films. The plot itself tell in early 1990s, a mechanic nicknamed Stellhead entered Japan illegal in search for his girlfriend Xiu Xiu. Stellhead meet his friend Jie in Japan and work as a manual labor until he find out that his girlfriend's is married to Eguchi whom he was Japanese Yakuza Leader. He decided to remain in Japan, but in order to obtain Japan residences, he agree to work Eguchi as killer. The plot itself is amazing, All the actress and actor act amazingly, I really recommended you to watch this movie. Nice movie, action, story. Even though the movie itself has little action in it 10/10

In China, the poor worker Nick (Jackie Chan) works repairing tractors and misses his sweetheart Xiu Xiu (Jinglei Xu) that moved to Japan and has never sent any news to her family or him. While illegally emigrating to Japan, Nick loses his Chinese documents; therefore his journey would have no return to his country. He is welcomed by his countrymen that lodge and help him to find illegal work in Shinjuku. While running from a police raid in the sewage system where Chinese are illegally working, Nick saves Inspector Kitano (Naoto Takenaka) from drowning in the dirty water. Later, after an incident with his cousin Joe (Daniel Wu) and the Taiwan gang, Nick saves the powerful Yakuza boss Toshinari Eguchi (Masaya Kato) and husband of Xiu Xiu, who is now called Yuko and has a little daughter with Eguchi. The mobster offers a dirty job to Nick; in retribution, he promises to deliver the quarter dominated by the Taiwan gang to him. Nick becomes the boss of the Chinese illegal immigrants; however he loses control of his countrymen, leading the Chinese gang to a tragic end. "San Suk Si Gin" is a surprisingly great Yakuza movie that discloses the raise and fall of a poor illegal immigrant with warming-heart in an environment of corruption, betrayal and greed. I dare to say that the storyline is very similar to 1983 "Scarface", now set in place in an exotic neighborhood. The anti-hero Jackie Chan is a contradictory man with good principles that loses his innocence in a hostile environment and is capable of murdering to improve his and his countrymen's lives. My only remark is the ridiculous Brazilian DVD released by the distributor Califórnia Filmes that does not offer the original languages (Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese) but only awfully versions dubbed in English or Portuguese instead. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): "Massacre no Bairro Chines" ("Massacre in the Chinese Quarter")