“The Medallion” (Screen Gems)
Jackie Chan is always good for a thrill or two with his fancy kicks and daring feats. But lately his movies have been on a downward slide. “The Medallion” won’t do anything to change that slant. It is a run of the mill action adventure with some comedy thrown in, and doesn’t come close to living up to the standard established by the “Rush Hour” movies.
In the film Jackie plays Eddie Yang, a Hong Kong policeman who is working with Interpol to try and catch a mysterious criminal named Snakehead (Julian Sands). Snakehead is on the trail of a young boy who has in his possession a medallion, which supposedly has the power to grant eternal life.
At one point Eddie rescues the boy from a kidnapping and the kid gives Eddie half the medallion. Later Eddie is killed but is revived by the medallion. Now he seems to possess some type of super powers.
Eddie works with Arthur Watson (Lee Evans) of Interpol, along with Nicole James (Claire Forlani). Nicole and Eddie had a romantic fling a few years back, while Eddie and Arthur have never had a smooth working relationship. Arthur is a bumbler who tries to blame his mistakes on others.
The movie’s enjoyment comes from Jackie Chan’s ability to make the most amazing feats look simple. He can scale a wall or take a fall with ease, and then pop back to do another energetic stunt. He is legendary for the tricks he can do, but at this point in his career we have seen him do almost all he can do. Now we are into repetition.
Claire Forlani is a beautiful woman but she and Jackie have no chemistry together at all. They seem like two good friends who just happen to be in the same movie. Evans appears to be the poor man’s Rowan Atkinson, and he pales in comparison to that classic bumbler’s abilities. Sands always makes a sinister villain but he has little to do in this film.
The movie is rated PG-13 for violence and mild profanity.
Fans of Jackie Chan will enjoy this movie if only because it showcases him doing what he does best. Anyone looking for something new and entertaining will be disappointed. This “Medallion” doesn’t swing; it doesn’t even shine. Chan-ces are you don’t want to spend your entertainment bucks on this Jackie Chan do-over.
I scored “The Medallion” an unen-CHAN-ted 3 out of 10.
