I love Jackie Chan. You love Jackie Chan. We ALL love Jackie Chan. However, I think we sometimes forget when we started loving Jackie Chan.
It's kind of crazy to think, but some people's introduction to Jackie was in the 2010 Karate Kid movie starring Jaden Smith (which I love, by the way). For others, they might have discovered him with Rush Hour (which even Chan himself seemed to not have completely understood). For me though, it all started with 1995’s Rumble in the Bronx, which I just rewatched the other day.
I’ve always loved this film, but honestly, after a rewatch, I don’t think most people remember just what an absolute gem this movie is. So, today, I’m here to remind you.
Rumble In The Bronx Is The Perfect Mix Of Action And Comedy
As a Black dude, I love martial arts movies (honestly, who DOESN’T?). The thing is, I’m usually into SERIOUS martial arts films, like stuff from the Shaw Brothers, JCVD classics like Time Cop, and old Bruce Lee joints. Then, in 1995, a movie came along that had everything I love about martial arts, but it was also funny as hell.
Enter Rumble in the Bronx, which basically changed the whole concept of what a martial arts movie could be for me. Here was a film that wasn’t just martial arts, but was a comedy. It was a film that had a lively cast of characters, such as Uncle Bill Ma (Bill Tung), Elaine (Anita Mui), the wheelchair bound, Danny (Morgan Lam) - who could play a Game Gear with no game inside, and Jackie Chan himself as Keung, a police officer who just wants to attend his uncle’s wedding until trouble arrives.
The fight choreography in this movie is SO GOOD (especially the warehouse fight!), and its humor also lands with the same impact. Rumble in the Bronx wasn’t the first movie I'd seen that mixed martial arts with humor - I did grow up in the age of Turtle Power, mind you - but it was the first that wasn’t based on a comic book that still had this sense of humor. Seriously, watch it again. It's probably funnier than you even remember it being.
I Truly Hate The Bad Guys Here
I first watched Rumble in the Bronx when I was just a kid, and I seriously hated the villains back then. Well, I'm 43 now, and I STILL hate the villains, which is a true testament to just how awful they are to poor Keung in this film. Yes, the late Marc Akerstream as Tony is the main antagonist, and he's a pretty good villain, but even better is his underling, Angelo, played by stuntman Garvin Cross.
Angelo is a true scumbag who is always getting his ass whooped, but also finds ways to mess with Keung. The “best” scene is when Angelo and others corner Keung in an alley and hit glass bottles at him with a baseball bat, cutting Keung severely. I hated Tony’s henchmen when I was a kid, but this really infuriated me as an adult. It made their ultimate beatdown later on that much sweeter.
It's Not The Craziest Stunt Work Chan Has Done, But It's Super Effective
Lastly, can I just talk about how great the stunt work is in this film? It's not the craziest stuff in the world (we would see WAY crazier stuff from Chan in earlier films of his, many of which came stateside following the success of RitB), but when I saw his death-defying stunts in RitB - like a huge jump between buildings! - I was hooked.
And I wasn't alone. With the humor, action, and crazy stunt work in Rumble in the Bronx, it's little wonder why this film made Jackie Chan a household name - especially since it's set in “America” (Even though it was filmed in Canada).
However, I think people may have forgotten just how all of it - the humor, the action, the stunts - are just perfect in this movie, and I think you need to rewatch it for yourself just to remember. It's still really that good!
