SUBMITTED BY katystarlet

September 24, 2002 — MovieHole's Paul Fischer reports:

Jackie Chan is not the easiest man to talk to. Warm and amiable on the one hand, Chans broken English and speedy demeanour always make for an entertaining audience with this master of physical acrobatics. Ironically, while he loves entertaining the press, he is not a fan of his American films, putting it mildly. He barely tolerates his latest film, The Tuxedo, and clearly loathes earlier Hollywood films such as the two Rush Hour films that really catapulted him to a mainstream level of stardom. Chan is only too aware than to retain a broad visibility he must succumb to a Hollywood sensibility. Its important to do at least one American film a year, he argues. The Tuxedo is as mainstream as they come, a somewhat screwball action comedy, a James Bond spoof that casts Chan as a former taxi driver who discovers the powers of a tuxedo owned by his current boss, a playboy agent now out of action. Chan teams up with Jennifer Love Hewitt on the trail of a madman out to poison the worlds water supply. When asked why this film, as one of a plethora of projects he gets to choose from in Hollywood, Chan is not a man who comes with simple responses. Why this film? Why this picture? Because, because...Spielberg. Definitely Spielberg. A few years ago, I told my manager I wanted to do something different. Im tired. You like it, but Im tired of doing Rush Hour 1, Shanghai Noon, a Hong Kong film, Police Story? I want to do something different. I like action, but I try something new. I fly to New York to find Ang Lee and Ang Lee was doing something, writing a script. Then I fly to China, Zhao Yimou, I want to do something and Zhao Yimou says, Im writing. Right now Im doing something. The latest is Im flying to Taiwan to find younger talent thats doing the same thing. The best way is: Rush Hour 1? the second movie should be like cream over the cream? pure drama. Then Shanghai Noon, boom, comedy-action. Then, Spy Game. Then, Rush Hour 2? then, Gladiator! Then Tuxedo. Now, February, Shanghai Knights. See? Different characters. Im tired of Rush Hour 1, Rush Hour 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...Im tired.

Yet as tired as he is of doing Rush Hour, that doesnt stop Chan working on another one. Yeah, right now were talking 2004 for Rush Hour 3. After Rush Hour 3, were talking about Shanghai Dawn. Shanghai Knights is the best American film Ive made so far, he says laughingly of the Disney sequel to Shanghai Noon.