I expected the movie to be a standard action movie with a weak plot. This movie surprised me on several levels. First the plot was above average for an action movie. Second, Jackie Chan turned in a subdued and very good character portrayal. Third,the movie was not the typical martial arts laden Jackie Chan performance. There were martial art scenes but they were not over done as in prior Chan movies. Supporting cast led by Pierce Brosnan were also very good. In summary, if your a fan of the action genre you will not be disappointed.
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sjspol28 October 2017
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yskwong-255-8482459 October 2017Was a huge fan of his movies made earlier in his career. Lately, most of his movies had been nothing but disappointment, until The Foreigner.
Jackie Chan isn't young anymore, but he was able to show that he still have some juice left.
Pure action, his stunt trademarks, and not too much of CGI (unlike recent movies where poor CGI effects really spoilt the films).
I will not spoil it for you, just got watch it, and you'll not regret it. -
atlasmb26 October 2017Terrorists routinely take out civilian targets, killing innocents who just happen to be in the wrong place. The terrorists don't consider reprisals from the victims or their families; they only expect government agencies to retaliate. But what if a victim had unusual abilities that would permit him to take action? This is the basic premise of "The Foreigner".
Jackie Chan plays Quan, a small, unassuming Asian man whose daughter happens to be a casualty in a politically motivated London bombing. With little left to live for, he commits him self to revenge/justice. Adapted from a book called "The Chinaman", the story allows Chan to use his martial arts in service to a personal cause. He employs stealth and intimidation to discover who the terrorists are, then goes after them.
Pierce Brosnan plays Liam Hennessey, an Irish politician who is a former IRA member. He wants to identify the bomber(s) for political reasons, and to hold together a fracturing 19-year accord that was never accepted by some.
The story is complex, but totally comprehensible. The direction of Martin Campbell and the editing keep the action moving and tight. This is not merely an action film; it's a tense drama about conflicting causes. -
TheBigSick2 October 2017The film "The Foreigner" is a truly brilliant thriller that holds your breath from the first minute to the last minute. You never know what will happen and have to stare on the screen all the time. The makeup, sound mixing, action choreography, and acting performances are all top-notch. Jackie Chan perhaps gives his career-best performances, both physically and emotionally.
More specifically, there are two disparate story lines in "The Foreigner". The first is an action line, where Quan(Jackie Chan) seeks revenge after the death of his daughter, and the second story line is a political one, in which Hennessy(Pierce Brosnan), a former IRA member, gets involved in a complicated conspiracy. The two story lines progress in parallel in an extremely fast pace, and converge from time to time. The directing is just amazing in the sense that such a complex story can be told in less than two hours. Some action fans might get confused when they find out that only half of the film is about action, but the political story line only adds to the complexity and depth of the film, making it more relevant to real life.
In one word, I would give the film a 9/10 rating. -
henry8-312 August 2018After Jackie Chan's daughter is killed by the so called 'authentic IRA' he sets out to track down her killer, by coercing ex IRA member and now deputy minister Pierce Brosnan to find out who did it.
2 stories essentially run in parallel here, Chan's revenge which gives us most of the standard, albeit well paced action and Brosnan working to find the killers whilst his past catches up with him
Not surprisingly given Martin Campbell is at the helm this hangs together well particularly the political elements and a fine star performance from Brosnan - seeing an older more subdued turn from Chan is also interesting -
ma-cortes31 March 2019Better than expected vendetta movie with an unusual role for Jackie Chan as a humble restaurant owner with a buried past, who eventually becomes a merciless avenger . It deals with a businessman, Jackie Chan, runs a restaurant, when Quan carries to his daughter Fan : Katie Long, to a dressing store she is suddenly killed at an act of terrorism. The bombing is claimed by a terrorist organization called "Authentic IRA". Quan erupts in vendetta-fueled action and focusing on the Northern Ireland deputy Prime Minister, Henessy: Pierce Brosnan, married to Mary and with a lover, Charlie Murphy. Henessy holds a dark past and knows about identity of previous Ira terrorists, at the same time condemning the massacre perpretors . As Quan heads for Belfast to meet Henessy who allegedly has clues to the identities of the elusive murderers. While , Quan sets off a homemade bomb in his office. As he carries out threats unless he gets the bombers' names, though the government official Henessy claims to have not knowledge of the bombings . Quan blows away enemies who have killed those who were dear to him.
At the beginning the plot is plain and simple, a relentless revenge, but along the way the script becomes more and more complex and twisted, including a dangerous cat and mouse game among the main protagonists. As the tale contains noisy action, intrigue, violent fights, thrills, chills, suspense and a lot of twists and turns. Here our protagonist Quan acts Charles Bronson/Death Wish-alike, as he exacts as a vigilante, taking law on his own hands when his daughter is victimized , doing Judge, Jury and executioner. Very good acting all around. Jackie Chan gives the best performance of his long career as a good elderly father who seeks revenge when his only person who holds his existence is murdered in a clothing store bombing. Pierce Brosnan is fine, he plays the suspect State Official, Gerry Adams-alike whose past may hold fundamental tracks in the case. His jealous spouse is well played by Orla Brady, his intriguing lover performed by Charlie Murphy and his assistant Kavanaugh acted by Michael McElhatton of Game of thrones.
It contains an atmospheric and adequate cinematography by David Tattersall, showing efficiently London metropolis where sets the action. Thrilling and suspenseful musical score by Cliff Martinez. The motion picture was well directed by Martin Campbell. He is a good craftsman and expert on thrillers and action movies such as : No escape, Criminal law, Lovecraft, The mask of Zorro, The legend of Zorro, Three for all, GoldenEye, Casino Royale, Vertical limit, Reckless, Last resort, Edge of darkness, Green Lantern, among others. Rating 7/1o. Well worth seeing. Better than average. Essential and indispensable watching for Jackie Chan fans. -
paul-allaer22 October 2017"The Foreigner" (2017 release from the UK and China; 114 min.) brings the story of Quan, an older Chinese restaurant owner in London. As the movie opens, Quan picks up his 16 yr. Old daughter from high school to take her shopping for a dress. He drops her off at a boutique, and while he parks the car, a bomb explodes, killing his daughter and 11 others. The "Authentic IRA", a previously unknown IRA splinter group from Northern Ireland, claims responsibility. Northern Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister Hennessy fears this may end the 19 year old peace, and calls in all political leaders. Meanwhile, Quan decides to do to Belfast himself to track down the killers... At this point we are 15 min. Into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from British director Martin Campbell, best known for directing the James Bond films "Goldeneye" and "Casino Royale". It also marks the reunion of Campbell and Pierce Brosnan (who plays Hennessy). I know little about the movie going in, and was surprised (in the best possible way) that this turned out to be a complex and serious political action drama. This is MILES away from the silly (if entertaining) "Rush Hour" movies. In fact Jackie Chan (playing the role of Quan) disappears from the big screen for significant stretches of time (I'm talking more than 15 min., and more than once). The biggest surprise for me is the outstanding work from Pierce Brosnan, in his best role in YEARS, and in that sense Brosnan ends up stealing the movie. The photography of London and Belfast is eye-candy. Last but certainly not least, there is a wonderful electronic score for this movie, courtesy of composer Cliff Martinez.
"The Foreigner" was already a big hit in China by the time it was released in the US last weekend. I finally got a chance to see it this weekend. The Saturday early evening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great. Perhaps it was because I had no specific expectations, but I was more than pleased with this movie. If you like a complex political action drama, I encourage you to check out "The Foreigner", be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion. -
TimDiesel19 July 2018I love this movie through and through. I've made all my friends and family watch it, and I've seen it myself no less than a dozen times. It is precisely my cup of tea. Why? Well, I'm not too great at explaining myself or critical thinking on film, but I'll give it a shot.
The pacing. Starts out with a bang, dials it way back, then turns up gradually. We don't so much see a mystery unfold as we do go through a process somewhat behind the eyes of Jackie Chan's character. He takes his time, not that he bides it.
The fallible hero. Jackie Chan is old. You didn't know? Well he is. And it shows. They don't try to go the Stallone route where he somehow hasn't lost a step and can fight a tank even though he's in his 70's. When he gets hit, it hurts. No more 30 minute long fights with ladders and folding chairs.
The villain. Pierce Brosnan is one of my faves, and he turned up a good performance, in my opinion. An ex-extremist gone soft, playing politics. His presence enough would've been enough to satisfy, but he played the part well. Thankfully.
The score/soundtrack. Carpenter-esque, and it really sets the tone. Keeps it tense. People who aren't familiar with Carpenter might liken it to the score used in Stranger Things. And I think it's perfect.
I guess those are the major points. Now go watch it. It may be the last time you get to see Jackie Chan in a decent movie. -
autisticreviewers19 October 2017From the director of Casino Royale comes the movie starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan The Foreigner! Humble businessman with a buried past seeks Justice when his daughter is killed in an act of terrorism. His name is Quan Ngoc Minh (Jackie Chan). He will stop at nothing until everyone that was responsible is killed or brought down!
Jackie Chan real life is now 63 years old and for someone who is 63 years old he is still doing his own stunts and is able to carry the entire movie without any need of pointless CGI or stunt people. I know a lot of people will be disappointed due to the fact that the film relies heavily on it being a thriller and drama rather than an action film. There are still very many fight scenes in there the Jackie Chan fans will love but the whole point of the movie was Jackie Chan's loss of his daughter. Pierce Brosnan also gets a lot of screen time and his scenes are quite powerful. Not everyone will love it but it definitely just goes to prove the Jackie Chan still has enough juice left in him to do his own stunts! 3/5 stars -
Derek11728 October 2018Given that my "Jackie Chan Experience" had been limited to the "Rush Hour" films with Chris Tucker, I was totally (no pun intended) blown away by "The Foreigner." Not only is this is a really good revenge/action movie but Jackie Chan, though still limiting his English dialogue, manages to hold his own with Pierce Brosnan. Jackie Chan's performance made me think back to the silent movies (I went to film school) when actors conveyed emotion through facial expression, not words.
As for the plot--that aI won't spoil for you--it's above average, and blends several social issues about immigration, family loyalty, and Britain/Ireland history. Bottom line: this film was much better than I expected it would be. -
SnoopyStyle22 October 2017In London, Quan Ngoc Minh (Jackie Chan) takes his daughter dress shopping and she's killed in a terrorist bombing claimed by the Irish UDI. Northern Ireland government deputy minister Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan) is a former UDI leader who knows nothing about the bombing. He fears upcoming pardons being endangered and an unraveling of the political peace accord. Mr. Quan confronts Hennessy in his own way demanding names.
Jackie leaves behind his comedic skills. He replaces his fun style of kung fu fighting to deliver some darker fights and a more dramatic performance. I'm more convinced than ever that he should be doing a seriously dark Death Wish reboot. He's ready for this acting turn. This is good for his career and hopefully, somebody has a good franchise for the man. Brosnan is a great foil playing a two-faced character. This is a thriller with action. It's a throwback to the 90s including the IRA replacements. They should have simply done a period piece which would be even better. -
bankofmarquis16 October 2017Jackie Chan is back, ladies and gentlemen! And the political/action/revenge thriller he has chosen as his comeback is a wise choice - action packed, exciting but very, very serious.
Jackie stars as Quan Ngoc Minh (he's called Quan throughout the film) a father of a teenager who is overly protective of her. When his daughter is killed by an IRA terrorist bomb (this is not a spoiler, it was shown in the trailers and happens in the first 5 minutes of the film), Quan turns out to have a "certain set of skills" that will help him identify and hunt down those responsible.
Part TAKEN, part PATRIOT GAMES and part RAMBO, Quan gets caught up in a much larger game of political intrigue and terrorism as he seeks to bring to justice those that harmed his daughter.
Chan is a welcome sight back on the big screen. But be aware - this is a dour, serious Chan - I don't think he breaks a smile throughout the course of this film. His character has a minimal amount of lines and - as we expect from a Jackie Chan film - he is a man of action and not words.
And the action is terrific. Chan, now 63 years old, seems to be doing most of his own stunts and age hasn't slowed him much at all. It was great fun to see him jumping around, beating up the bad guys and flying down drainpipes and over vehicles. Jackie still has it.
Since Chan is silent and dour, the lion's share of the emotion, plotting and energy of this film falls to the chief antagonist - Pierce Brosnan's Liam Hennessy - who just might know more than he is letting on about the bombing. Brosnan has aged gracefully, post-James Bond, and he continues to surprise me with the depth of his performances. He makes a good adversary to Chan.
Also making a comeback, of sorts, is Director Martin Campbell - who Directed Daniel Craig as James Bond in CASINO ROYALE and Brosnan himself as Bond in GOLDENEYE. Campbell hasn't directed a Major Motion Picture since the 2011 flop, THE GREEN LANTERN. It is good to see the practiced eye and steady hand of a veteran Director at the helm.
Be warned - this film is not all action - Campbell spends much of his time on the political maneuvering of Brosnan with Chan jumping in (literally) to spoil plans time and again, so be ready for that type of film, not a RUSH HOUR fun romp. If you do, you'll be rewarded, indeed.
Letter Grade A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis) -
themadmovieman30 September 2017This really isn't the film you expect it to be. Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan in the lead roles points towards an action-packed revenge thriller, but for the first half of the film, it's actually a well- balanced, dark and often dramatically intense film. Then once you're settled into that, it switches back to the Taken-esque action thriller you were expecting in the first place, providing some good entertainment, but getting a little stuck in developing a genuinely enthralling story.
Let's start with the first, more dramatic half of the story. The film starts off quite literally with a bang thanks to an impressive and memorable terrorist attack sequence, and one that perfectly sets up the story of Jackie Chan's character for the rest of the movie.
What's great about the first half of The Foreigner is that it knows you're expecting action, so still satisfies that with a couple of big bursts of action, but it most impresses when it comes to the slower, quieter sequences in which Chan begins his quest for justice after his daughter is killed, and he is left feeling utterly battered and alone.
Jackie Chan himself is one of the real stand-outs of the whole movie, proving that he's actually got the dramatic chops when it comes down to it, and impresses with a genuinely nuanced performance early on, bringing home the tragic nature of his character's situation, easily letting you sympathise with him.
So, throughout the film's first half, we see Chan becoming more and more engrossed in the search for the terrorists who killed his daughter, to the point where he travels from London to Belfast in Northern Ireland with the hope of gaining information from an influential politician.
At first, the film continues the character's tragic story, and continues to impress in that degree, even showing some hugely unexpected lengths to which a man will go in search of justice.
However, the second half of the film is where things start to change, and unfortunately disappoint. Despite the first act's dramatic intrigue, the story runs out of genuinely interesting development, not managing to bring anything further to the plot than watching Chan get more and more impatient in his quest for answers, something that really does get repetitive eventually.
From then on, the movie turns back into the big action thriller you were expecting when you first went in. Despite his character's age, Jackie Chan abruptly bursts into his trademark martial arts action, and although it's a plot point that is eventually explained, it's not something that feels all that organic in the middle of the story, instead feeling like the dramatic story ran out of ideas, to the extent that it could only resort to Jackie Chan's trademark stuntwork.
A lot of the action is actually pretty good, and Martin Campbell directs a lot of the fighting sequences with an impressively brutal and striking style, meaning that the film remains an entertaining watch throughout, even if it doesn't manage to keep up the impressive drama it had managed to establish earlier on. -
thefilmnotebook29 October 2017The Foreigner is a film that rushes to its ends without putting effort into the process. This happens, and that happens, but you don't really understand why. I was curiously excited to see Jackie Chan playing a serious role, and although there is the usual martial arts involved, there is a certain energy missing.
Chan plays Quan Ngoc Minh, a common immigrant living in London, and when his daughter is tragically killed in a terrorist attack, he chases after government official Liam Hennessey (Pierce Brosnan) for information, knowing that since he was a former leader of the Provisional IRA, he would have what he needs.
The most problematic thing about the film is its weak connections – between the characters, their stories and with the audience. For a film that relies heavily on its characters' back stories, it does not devote enough time to allow us to explore and understand their psyche. What we are given is a rather bland emotional palette. I sympathised with Quan's past and present despair, but only on a surface level.
Chan and Brosnan's stories feel like two separate ones, forcibly meshed together. The most effective revenge tales requires magnetic chemistry between the hero and the villain, where one has something the other doesn't. In this film, Quan is, as Hennessey puts it, 'always one step ahead'. This hurts the dynamic balance, and it is deadly, when it comes to holding the tension. As a result, there is lack of urgency for the majority of the film, and coupled with the implied invincibility of Quan, there is nothing much left for us to guess and anticipate.
Chan and Brosnan are both capable actors, but here they are inhibited by the fixity and thinness of their characters. We see who they are too clearly. When I think about the film more, it also occurred to me that Quan's actions closely mirror that of a terrorist's, as he uses terror tactics to extract information and force obedience. An eye for an eye mentality is what the Foreigner suffers the most from, it stereotypes and lends its characters no depth.
In the end, I am ambivalent about this film. I don't like it, neither do I hate it. It is quite plain and gives me a plain feeling. It needed more pieces of the puzzle for us to solve, and most crucially, its single-minded and simplistic painting of characters caused it to be just blood and guns, leaving little for us to connect with. -
0U15 February 2020I loved this film. Sad at times, but was a great showcase of Jackie Chan's acting ability with a little bit of action thrown in for good measure. Political intrigue was decent and Brosnan played a great bad guy. Ending was pretty good - made me wish they would use Jackie in this character for a spin off. Could have used more of him in this film.
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asb_deutsch22 October 2017When I came to knew that Martin Campbell directed Brosnan in GoldenEye (1995) and Daniel Craig in Casino Royale(2006), I knew that I was going to experience something refreshing. China-Man and Ex-Bond in one flick! A composed and crafted script from the crew. Much better than Blade Runner 2049. You don't need IMAX/3D "immersion" if you can deliver it to the audience!
The best Jackie Chan movie till date. Last but not least , I like this dialogue: "Politicians and terrorists,they are just 2 ends of the same snake. One end bites and the other doesn't." -
Quinoa198418 October 2017The Foreigner is one of the movies that is good to spend a car ride once it's done considering certain things, like, for example, why Jackie Chan is even in the movie. One could argue that if you took him out you would still have a sturdy plot involving (so-called?) IRA people, with Brosnan as the government man who was an A-Okay IRA guy once and the intrigue involving these bombings and prisoners possibly being released in exchange and shady dealings and etc etc etc. But then it hit me: in any significant bombing, particularly in the past several years (which in Europe, England especially, not IRA, but it's not something that seems completely impossible), there are those who get killed, perhaps "collateral damage" one might try to say, and so little attention gets paid to them. So Chan may have sort of special super-movie-secret-forces powers, but one could say he's fighting for everyone who is left to wait while the greater political powers shuffle boards around and wait for one side to crack.
In other words, it's a bit of those older IRA thrillers from the 90's (didn't Boorman do one, The General I think, and of course In the Name of the Father, but that's a whole other dramatic beast) with a touch of Taken, but it's also Chan showing us that he can act in such an extremely subtle way that it's easy to miss how nakedly emotional his performance is. He's going to be remembered in his celebrity eulogies for his comedies and how his martial arts skills were closer to ballet and dance than anything else (I'm sure 100 other critics have noted but, yeah, the Buster Keaton of Kung-Fu), but he is not to be underestimated for his dramatic chops, and to go head to head here with Pierce Brosnan, who is especially bringing his A-game, is impressive. He's not just doing a Liam Neeson or Bronson shtick; he's created a character full of complete pain that is bottomless, and though nothing can fill it, his Quan will take all the people down that have to go (in a rather polite way of doing it too). I haven't seen Chan in a movie, at a cineplex at least, since 2009's Shinjuku Incident. He also was full-on dramatic there; here, he goes deeper.
A moment for Brosnan: I haven't seen him this good since The Matador, which may have been ten years ago (sheesh, him, Campbell since Green Lantern, this is a quasi-comeback movie, isn't it?) I admired how skillfully Brosnan navigates this man's growing desperation, which kicks off in the first scene we see him in as his nice, calm time with his mistress is broken by the news of this bombing. From there each scene brings him further and further into the s***, and while Brosnan gets to flip out and use the string of expletives that an Irishman slugging down whiskeys here and there (in moderation, of course, but perhaps not enough all things considered), a lot of his performance is there in the face, in the eyes, as he tries to control his voice and keep it all about the growing desperation that he can't show to too many at all around him. If the prospect of yet another Jackie Chan beats people up movie sounds not enticing, Brosnan should be.
Does this mean the movie is a must-see? For the acting it is - the supporting players all around them are totally solid too, I imagine most more local players in Ireland and the UK - but the story is only OKAY. I feel like this scenario has a lot of procedural beats that should be air-tight, and in the moment they work, but there are also holes that could be punched through (don't ask me to point them out now, I'm sure CinemaSins will get to them eventually, but some of them involve some scenes in the woods and that's all I'll say). The very end also seemed like a cheat; it may not be a big deal, but it leaves a potential moment of tragedy that isn't realized, all because a character makes a decision that doesn't sound logical at all after everything that's gone on (more tragic for us to experience, not for Quan exactly). The best thing about the technical aspects are that Campbell knows what he wants and can get it all filmed, his action scenes are shot competently but with a few too many cuts (not like Greengrass-level many, but more than I care to see with Chan, who can still do most of his own stunts and fights I wager). And the score is Daft Punk lite, which is cool.
This is better in some ways and more involving than it had any right to be, and the writing doesn't lag much in its 112 minute run time which makes it never dull (at least for me). I'm not sure how well I'll remember it a year from now (aside from the two leads), but it gets the job done it sets out to do, and Chan shows he's finding interesting things to do as he goes into his later years - to put it another way, if he has to play a guy that doesn't fight at all, he can still turn in work better than a hundred or a thousand others. 7.5/10 -
The Foreigner is a darker, somber action flick starring Jackie Chan & Pierce Brosnan.
The conflict revolves around a personal vendetta that Quan ( Jackie Chan ) has after a rogue IRA attack kills his daughter. He plays the serious, depressed father who will stop at nothing to get his revenge... and it somehow works for this film. Pierce Brosnan plays Minister Hennessy who's IRA past he can't seem to escape from.
Though Martin Campbell did an excellent job in casting these A-list stars, I felt as if he could have fleshed out. Particularly for Brosnan's role. Brosnan is a reactive character for most of the movie that gets bullied by the other characters. He doesn't have real say in his actions till later in this film. A shame since I know Brosnan is capable of much more.
Action and set design are top-notch. David Tattersall in cinematography does a superb job of paying homage to the fragile peace of Northern Ireland. Jackie Chan does what he does best in doing all his own stunts. All gun-fights, knife-fights, and fisticuffs feel real and authentic.
The pacing of the film is rather systematic and calculated, parallelling Quan's character in the film. Though some suspense of reality is broken by Quan's near invincibility. But these types of films is never meant to be too deep.
3.5/5. Great watch on a rainy day. -
rbrb6 October 2017This is a super engrossing action-thriller-drama.
An innocent child is the victim in a terrorist bomb but the perpetrators do not know of the desperate determination and grit of the victim's father.
There are two astonishing performances: first from Jackie Chan as the aggrieved father; and second from Pierce Brosnan as a suspicious and duplicitous politician.
Jackie Chan is outstanding as the grieving parent out for justice. And despite some action being of the kung fu variety that does not detract from a great show.
Pierce Brosnan is equally remarkable, displaying amazing realism in his portrayal of an Irish political leader.
This movie is highly recommended:
8/10. -
RforFilm18 October 2017I'll admit that I was excited to see The Foreigner. Not for the story or the action, but for the fact that we're getting a new Jackie Chan movie in America. Though a lot of kids today don't remember him, but from the mid nineties through the early 2000s, Jackie Chan was a Chinese martial artist who unexpectedly rose up to the action hero ranks of Stallone and Schwarzenegger. But unlike the big stature of Schwarzenegger, Chan had some of the fastest reflexes and spectacular fighting skills that we haven't seen since Bruce Lee. His playful personality made him popular worldwide, especially with children. So what happened?
Where Jackie Chan went wrong was picking film roles that were either too fantastical (which doesn't work well with martial artists) or simply not funny. After the travesty of The Spy Next Door, Chan seemed to go back to China do films over there. His presence in the US was limited and seemed to fade out. Even with his age, Chan has proved that he still has the skills to pull off action scenes. So with The Foreigner, Jackie Chan not only has a chance to show that he can still carry an action film, but he can even play against his type.
A retired special forced Vietnam veteran Quan (played by Jackie Chan) immigrated to the UK years ago and now runs a Chinese restaurant. A car bomb goes off, killing his teenage daughter. With no family left, the only thing on his mind is justice. He first goes to Scotland Yard to try and get then names, but finds no information. He then turns of Irish deputy minister Liam Hennessy (played by Pierce Brosnan) who was outspoken of his past a part of the Irish Republican Army. Phone calls don't seem to be working, so Quan travels to Ireland to confront Hennessy.
I honestly don't want to give the rest away as anymore would spoil certain parts of the story. The Foreigner is a political thriller in a disguised action movie. Does it pay off. I think it does as long as your willing to sit through a lot of political talk and corruption. It's stuff that we've seen before, but I found it intriguing enough to want to see through the end. It's helped by the fact that both Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan are phenomenal in their parts.
What's unfortunate is that both of the leads are just as good as they were when they were popular, and yet we don't see them as much as we used to. Though it's hard to place blame, I think it's definitely an age discrimination issue. The studios assume that audiences are only going to want to see younger stars take on the world, and leave their older actors out in the rain. It's bad for film and doesn't paint ourselves in a positive light.
Going back to the stars, Jackie Chan is just as much of an action hero as he was before. What he does different in The Foreigner is that he's forced to give himself a more vulnerable look. On the surface, he looks like a quiet older Asian whose nonthreatening. He accomplishes what Liam Neeson couldn't do in Taken; He appears that no one would ever suspect him. This could have not been easy for him (especially later on when we see how fit Chan really is), but this shows how well of a dramatic actor Chan is as well of an action star. Speaking of which, you definitely get the action you'd expect. It's not as much Kung Fu, but simple defense.
I'll give this six Irish Republican Army propaganda posters out of ten. This movie doesn't offer much new in terms of revenge stories, but it was at least entertaining. Those that want simple Jackie Chan action will get it, but they have to be willing to sit through a political thriller to get it. Check out and see why Jackie Chan is still worth our while. -
simmonschris16 October 2017I knew ahead of time going in this movie was more about the story that it was Jackie beating the crap out of goons (which I personally love to see). Both Jackie and Pierce did very well in the respective roles, Pierce's malice really shined through in the story while Jackie's dramatic acting was very believable and really helped immersion. I was impressed by the actions scenes as they were fitting and not ill placed. Everyone added to the storyline and wasn't throw in there to just to give us action. Even though this doesn't fit the standard role we usually see Mr. Chan in, he really brings depth to a story that could have been shallow. If you're debating it, don't just watch it.
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SimonDeKater31 October 2017Entertaining, funny and moving, with an interesting and deep story line. Excellent acting by Jackie and Pierce. I'm bored easily but this kept me involved with and committed to the characters throughout. My girlfriend who normally can't stand action movies rated this movie as "Remarkably bearable" which should be read as high praise.
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I am easily distracted during a film but not this one, utterly engrossing. A good build up, sound plot line, enough turns to keep you thinking but not so many you get lost. Jackie Chan gave a believable performance of a father stricken by grief and Pierce Brosnan a commanding portrail of a conflicted member Irish parliament and of Sein Féin. Both gave a performance that should be listed as one of their best...ever. It's not full of 'cinema' martial arts but effective and authentic skills, even the use of a curtain/towel as a tenugi. The attention to minor items such as call signs and radio procedures was spot on. The military aspects were legitimate and a credit to the advisors on the film. Please watch it, it is well worth it.
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ActionFan-Reviews14 October 2017I've been a fan of Jackie Chan since I was a kid. I grew up watching movies like Rumble In The Bronx, Rush Hour, First Strike. So I was excited to see him back and he proves he is one of the best action stars ever.
The Foreigner provides on plenty of action, suspense, thrills and a surprisingly fair amount of drama. You may be used to his movies of the past that are light hearted and fun. This was not your typical Jackie Film, as it is quite serious with little to no humor and more like his films "Crime Story" & "New Police Story" which also differ from Jackie's usual style of action films. Both Jackie & Pierce were both solid in their roles and the acting was quite good with the characters being allowed to develop along with the story. It may seem like a typical revenge, Taken style action movie, but as the film progressed it turns more into a story involving political intrigue and conspiracy which I thought at times slowed the movie, but still was entertained and thrilled throughout.
Overall, if your an old school Jackie Chan fan and love his films like I do, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. One of the best action movies of 2017.
7/10 -
Lian21 January 2018....of rubbish. Usual shallow understanding of the complexities of the Northern Ireland situation, everything reduced down to pathetic stereotypes, and simplicities. And then you have the incredibly sloppy plot holes. A major politician with one of the two most important positions, in a country where security is a major concern, where appearances are crucial, with NO PSNI security around him just his mates (yes, even Sinn Fein reps have govt security). British SAS types, breaking through the ceiling of a hotel to get to their targets but NOT putting anyone on the front door, allowing people to walk straight out?! It's a wonder half the city of London isn't on fire with class work like that. Chan gave an excellent downbeat performance but can't help but wish it wasn't in an utter mess like this.