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ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
JET LI vs JACKIE CHAN: DUELING IMAGES
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:56:17 PM)
n late July 2001 the world's two top martial arts stars announced a deal to co-produce and co-star in an action flick to be filmed in late 2002 for a 2003 release. The question naturally arises: what kind of movie could do justice to two such divergent types? Jackie Chan is a highly acrobatic clown who has built his following on a self-effacing counry bumpkin image. Jet Li is a deadly serious warrior who finds it easier to crack a man's neck than a smile.
Now that both global megastars are releasing big-budget Hollywood films at a breakneck pace for seven-figure salaries, they are the most visible Asians in the American filmgoing consciousness. Whether we Asian Americans like it or not, our image is shaped more by the screen exploits and antics of these two broken-English speaking foreigners than by any dozen Asian American actors. In the filmgoing psyche the sober, chaste and deadly-efficient Chinese cop in Kiss of the Dragon is pitted against the nimble goofball in Rush Hour 2.
Which Hong Kong star is better for the image of Asian Americans?
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WHAT YOU SAY
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Jackie's cool and all, he puts in his hard yards but I wouldn't want a clown representing me. For example last year at the theatres when I watched Rush Hour 2, the crowd were laughing not only at Jackie but at all Asians in general. I know it's a comedy but it sucked how Jackie never really gave it back to Chris Tucker, dang if that was Jet Li - he would've slapped Tuckers mouth like a sissy and Chris would've shut his damn mouth for the rest of the movie. Jet Li is a killer with no mercy and he dosen't let anyone mess with him, I like the man's style, he reminds me of the Master himself. Shit please, a clown representing me? Oh helllll nooooo. Therefore Jet Li gets my vote definitely. I notice that too last year, after Rush Hour 2, I watched Asian dudes walk out of the theatre like it was just another movie....after Kiss of the Dragon, Asian brothas were walking out with chests suddenly two inches thicker and recalling Jet's fights with excitment and flashing hand movements. Jet Li is the best action man in Hollywood right now, nobody matches his high octane killer adrenalin sequences.
PEACE IM OUTTA HERE
Samoan Fury
Monday, June 17, 2002 at 21:29:05 (PDT)
Desslar,
Again, your comments show your total lack of understanding of the intended message. You are such an idiot!!! Are you even Asian-American?? Get a clue!
LA yonsei
Monday, June 17, 2002 at 17:27:24 (PDT)
Jet Li has never portrayed an unbelievable character. His fight scenes have ranged from kung fu comedy to lethal fighting but NEVER did I not take him seriously even when I could SEE that he was doing Stunts.
Jackie Chan is the Kung Fu clown. This guy was nearly sold by his parents to a British couple for god's sake. His background is funny at best. I am glad that he has come so far but I think in a real-life fight, JEt Li would kick Chan's Ass clean off.
These men both have decent styles though. ITs like comparing Swarzzenneger to Stalone. ARNIE cant BE stopped.
JING CHA
Monday, June 17, 2002 at 13:59:27 (PDT)
You guys got it all wrong. Michelle Yoeh kick both Jacky's and Jet's butt.
That's why Jet turned down CTHD. He was afraid Michelle would whoop his butt.
If you follow their movie history.
You will see Michelle invented Wing Chun Kung Fu.
Jet Li invented Tai Chi Kung Fu.
And Jacky Chen invented Drunken Fist, he also invented Tiger Crane (but that was before popular wire stunts, so we won't count that).
But you see, Bruce Lee studied Wing Chun. Invented by Michelle Yoeh. Not to mention she was Miss Malaysia or Singapore.
Which is why she is the prettiest, toughest and the best martial artist for the Asian American Image.
AC Dropout
Monday, June 17, 2002 at 11:57:02 (PDT)
"what really bores me is people going on about Bruce Lee, his movies were dull and he was over hyped, how many tornaments did he win, the fact is that he pioneered the martial arts movies and people seem to think that the 1st is the best, if he was around now he would be compared to Steven Segal."
What? It appears that you know very little about Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee's movies were done in the 1970s before the special effects of today. Bruce Lee was a true fighter (not a movie fighter). He was a streetfighter as a teenager in Hong Kong. He regularly gave martial arts displays at exhibitions. When he was in the TV show, Green Hornet, they regularly had Bruce Lee do this: He would jump straight up and kick and break a lamp that was hanging from the ceiling (9 feet in the air).
Bruce was in top physical condition his whole life. He could do push-ups on one finger. His former student Kareem Abdul Jabbar remarked that Bruce was a master of the "one inch punch". He could send a man flying 10 feet by hitting this man with a punch from a distance of 1 inch away.
Bruce Lee 's jeet kune do style combined wing chun kung fu, karate, taekwondo, other martial arts, and even boxing.
Said Bruce in a interview once "I want to be the best martial artist. To be good I have to spend a lot of time practicing. My minimum daily training is two hours. This includes running three miles, special weight training, kicking and hitting the light and heavy bags."
aa ma
Monday, June 17, 2002 at 11:48:22 (PDT)
You can't be serious.
Jackie Chan is always casting himself as a goofball because he just wants to make white hollywood feel unthreatened. He's always putting Asian men in a stupid light. He even shows himself getting beat up by half-assed thugs just so white people won't get their feathers ruffled. He's more like a court jester.
Jet Li paints his characters as deadly and effective, not to mention intelligent and compassionate. Like the Chinese cop in Kiss of the Dragon. His heroes are more impressive but more believable and human too. I say Jet will do 10 times more than Jackie to counter the stereotypes.
RWW
Friday, June 16, 2002 at 09:20:23 (PDT)
Jackie Chan is much funnier and more acrobatic I think he is the best.
Jenson Opson
Friday, June 14, 2002 at 12:29:29 (PDT)
jakie chan is only goofy because he chooses to be that way.
jet lee wants to be funny and goofy also but americans are forcing him to play fierce fighter roles.
in china jet did a bit of comedic kick ups
Aquarian wushudai
Friday, June 07, 2002 at 18:24:29 (PDT)
"Whether we Asian Americans like it or not, our image is shaped more by the screen exploits and antics of these two broken-English speaking foreigners than by any dozen Asian American actors."
What an offensive statement. "broken-English speaking"? They are obviously not native speakers, give them a break! How well can YOU act in a second language? What's with the "foreigners" crack? Sounds pretty xenophobic to me.
Desslar
Thursday, June 06, 2002 at 14:10:32 (PDT)
Both Jackie and Jet are very active and great fighters. But there always seems to be competition in the minds of people when 2 people in the same genere are doing something they like. Jackie, yes, is a comic fighter but if he recieved a script that has nothing to do with comedy he would probably work that role so hard he could be Jet's personality double. Jet Li is of course a serious fighter but I know he can act either in romance, comedy and action. My point is that you can't just have one Asian American image, what if something happens to that one. It has to be both, other people or none at all.
Shanique
mygurl_sb14@hotmail.com
Saturday, June 01, 2002 at 23:47:12 (PDT)
well lets look at it like this they both are very great fighters but if you look at it i think it would be a tie they would both call it quits they would have each other on the ropes a few times but in the end it would be a tie but if you add the man himself bruce lee it would be all over for the two but to me i think that the asians are over bruce and his killin ways and would like to see an action with a touch of comedy and thats why i think jackie is better for the asians to look up to
thomas
lilt53221@yahoo.com
Thursday, May 30, 2002 at 12:45:04 (PDT)
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