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ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
JET LI vs JACKIE CHAN: DUELING IMAGES
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:56:16 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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The reason Jet Li says he turned down Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was because he promised his wife he would be with her while she was expecting a baby. You don't hear him now turning down the part of the same character in the new movie. Besides Chow Yun-Fat looked better than Jet would have looked as the noble swordsman.
Lacy
Lacyguymon@aol.com
Thursday, June 20, 2002 at 07:29:09 (PDT)
Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Wesley Snipes - those slow mainlanders faster and kick more ass than Jet Li? LMFAO umm yea whatever man. taking in more cash in the box office dosen't make you the best action star. li's got those guys covered when it comes to real action.
are you aware of this little thing in the movie industry called a script?
---- red flag...really? shit! lol, i knew someone would get sucked in from that one.
SAMOAN FURY
Wednesday, June 19, 2002 at 16:36:20 (PDT)
I think that people are getting a little off track.. 1) Think about the fact that Jackie Chan is over 50; what types of roles do you think they were offering asian men when he was around in the late 70's and 80's. He did a movie with Danny Aeillo where he was playing a cop and it was a quasi-serious role. Besides even in his movies in Hong Kong he's funny (or goofy). You know why? HE'S A COMEDIAN!!! Yes he can kick serious ass (He was Bruce Lee's stunt double - FACT) but he makes a certain type of film. When he did the drunken master he was doing a different version of an asian folk hero story and no he was not embarassing "his people". 2) Jet Li turned down CTHD because he promised his wife when she got pregnant, that he would stay by her side until she gave birth and to quote him "a promise is a promise." 3) All of this is mute, why do we have to choose one person to represent all asians. HELLO, we all come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Also, not all of us are CHINESE!!! What about Dustin Nguyen, yes the whole Pam Anderson show is, in my view, a bad choice; but let him represent! And there are so many others that I could name, Won Bin, Robin Shou, etc. You get the picture. I like them all and for different reasons.
All I'm saying is there are plenty of AA and Asian "import" stars; my husband and I don't know kung fu so I don't feel either of them represents us. By the way Red Flag, you want numbers, Tom Cruise is not a global star; at least he wasn't until he started dating that Spanish chic. Jet Li and Jackie Chan (and many others) are stars all over the world, and have made many studios tens of millions of dollars over and over again; sounds to me like big crowd pleasers!
Just another rice girl
Wednesday, June 19, 2002 at 09:39:28 (PDT)
Red Flag,
There's just no pleasing you. There aren't that many Chinese Stars that made it to the USA.
If you watch HK movies, how many genre are there. There's the action kung fu flick, the love story kung fu flick, the supernatural kung fu flick, the comedy kung fu flick, the gambling kung fu flick. Every big star in HK, Taiwan, and China has done a Kung Fu flick. It is part of the Chinese culture. Sure there are movies without kung fu coming out of HK. But which one of those stars could appeal to the white masses of the USA.
So are you suggesting Chinese people forget their kung fu culture, to appease PC college students.
Every watch the "Heroic Trio" with:
Michelle Yeoh as Ching, Invisible Woman; Anita Mui as Tung, Wonder Woman;
Maggie Cheung as Chat, Thief Catcher
I think a movie like that could help the asian american image.
AC Dropout
Wednesday, June 19, 2002 at 08:50:35 (PDT)
Kimchi1/2,
Actually Jet Li turned it down, because his wife was pregent and he promised her that he would not leave her side when she was expecting.
True love ain't is sweet.
AC Dropout
Wednesday, June 19, 2002 at 08:36:59 (PDT)
Jet Li is the best action man in Hollywood right now, nobody matches his high octane killer adrenalin sequences.
-----Samoan Fury
I disagree wholeheartedly.
Right now the best men in Hollywood are Tom Cruise, Wesley Snipes and Swarzzenneger.
Consider this. Hollywood can make ANYONE look good in a fight scene but JEt Li has NEVER drawn in record breaking movie openings in America and has been more successful with movie rentals. Tom Cruise cant beat jet Li in a fight BUT HE CAN DRAW A CROWD. Thats all that matters to hollywood directors. I guarrantee you..Minority Report will make more in its opening 5 weeks than "Romeo Must Die" and "Kiss of the Dragon" did in their entire runs. KNOW WHY? Because Tom Cruise (backed by Spielberg) are MARKETING Masterpieces. There is no debate about this. I will present you with COLD HARD NUMBERS.
Red Flag
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 16:51:46 (PDT)
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
---Samoan Fury.
ARE YOU AWARE of this little thing in the movie industry called a SCRIPT?
Red Flag
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 16:45:26 (PDT)
>>>>Which is why she is the prettiest, toughest and the best martial artist for the Asian American Image.
-AC DROPOUT
I would have thought that it was better for Asian Americans to stray away from the kung fu figher's image. They are already depicted as desexualized martial art masters or your submissive sex creatures. The more Asian Americans entertain this image, the more they will suffer from it.
Red Flag
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 16:44:18 (PDT)
Jet Li turned down crouching Tiger hidden Dragon because he didnt want people to think he was a 1/2 pound sissy, woman's man who could float through clouds and dance on tree limbs.
If Jet Li had taken that role I woulda thought he was a punk.CTHD was a WOMAN's KUNG FU FLICK. probably the first WKFF EVER!.
But thats all it was. Jet Li deserves more respect.
Kimchi1/2
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 16:41:47 (PDT)
aa ma,
"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."
Don't forget his daily training of doing drugs and alcohol. Yup smoking dope and doing coke was also part of making him a great martial artist.
AC Dropout
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 12:17:52 (PDT)
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