Shinjuku Incident
Pixelmatsch is right, this is totally not a Jackie Chan movie (even though he is doing well!)
So yeah, on the one hand, I thought that Jackie Chan really works in this film. He is believable in this character he is playing, and since he is by far not just a one-dimensional actor (and old enough to have accumulated experience), it doesn’t surprise me that he could pull a film off like this.
There also is nothing to criticize about the storyline, which is suspenseful, engaging and in some scenes quite funny. It also helps that Jackie Chan was backed up by some fairly good actresses as well as Milchi! I didn’t even mind the fact that the movie was majorly anti-Japanese (who cares? I was surprised that nobody took offense at that though) and brought out literally every cliché Shinjuku offers. Silly looking western prostitutes, pachinko, goth and punk kids, you name it. “Shinjuku Incident” is not really a portrait of society because such a portrait wouldn’t use cheap clichés for whatever reason. The use of such clichés in fact makes the story less real, putting it into a world of fantasy which is much more suited for, well, a comedy.
But, what can I say? I was depressed after seeing the film. That is the fallacy of Jackie Chan making a sad movie – it makes me sad! Where I was hopeful and hoping for a good story, I was completely crushed! Very silly, I know. It’s not like I cried or anything, but I still thought it was amazingly sad.
Sad.