Over the years, Jackie Chan has tirelessly dedicated himself to his craft, ultimately achieving unprecedented fame and delivering numerous hit movies. His influence has thus now extended across both his homeland and the American entertainment industry, solidifying his status as a global star.
But despite the immense success of his films in the American market, Chan revealed in a past interview that some of them don’t personally resonate with him. During the interview, he also shared insights into his favorite American movie of all time.
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Jackie Chan Hates His Own Rush Hour Franchise!
Despite Jackie Chan’s extensive track record of delivering blockbuster hits in both his homeland and the American film industry, he continues to remain grounded. And thus, interestingly, he critiques his own movies regardless of their scale of success.
One such example is Rush Hour. While the first installment managed to leave a positive impression on Chan, the subsequent parts that followed the monumental success of the initial film failed to captivate the actor in the same way.
In a 2002 Crosswalk interview, he stated,
“Something I don’t like is successful like Rush Hour, I make the movie and I tell my manager, ‘See I should never make this kind of movie!’ Then I go to Asia to make Asian film and they call me and say, ‘Jackie, big hit! It success!’ I say what? Then I make Rush Hour 2 and I hate it! Worse than Rush Hour 1! And they call me and say, ‘It success!’ Then I slowly realize, okay, I still have Chinese mind, I have ‘hometown’ mind. I don’t get American culture, American dialogue.”
He explained how he has yet to figure out the American market in order to correctly predict the success of his movies. Furthermore, he clarified that the decision to participate in multiple Rush Hour movies boiled down to a straightforward reason, and that was numbers, especially from the American market. He stated,
“American market. Yeah, right now I know making a film for American market and every year I go back to make Asian film for Asian market. So right after Rush Hour 2, now I’m doing my next movie, Around the World in 80 Days, right after that I go back to Hong Kong to make Titanium Ring. It’s a Hong Kong film for Asian market. But Asian market film cannot release in American market, only direct to video. Even though I think my Asian film Accidental Spy, 10 times better than Rush Hour 2!”
He then stated that although American industry is beyond his comprehension. The Asian market is where he shines still,
“Now with Asian film I am right! I know what works and what doesn’t. Rush Hour release in Asia and bomb. Nobody go to see it! Yeah! Only 12 million! My movie, I make a Hong Kong film and it make 50 million! You see the difference? If Rush Hour not starring Jackie Chan, I think it only make half million in Hong Kong–that’s all!”
But the question remains despite Rush Hour holding the last position on his list of favorite movies, which film managed to secure the coveted first place on his list?
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What Is Jackie Chan’s Favorite Movie?
In that same interview, the actor revealed his favorite American movie he had been a part of, is none other than the Shanghai Knights. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film performed admirably at the box office, grossing $88 million against its $50 million budget. He revealed,
“Right now we talking about 2004, Rush Hour 3. After Rush Hour 3, then talking about making Shanghais Dawn. But I like Shanghais Nights. It best American film I made so far!”
When asked about the reasons behind the movie’s success and his personal preference for it, the actor blamed the American market, for being unable to pinpoint a specific reason for its popularity. He said,
“I can’t tell–you have to go see it! You go see it–maybe I’m wrong! I like American people, and I think they will like it. “
Despite not always being able to comprehend the intricate nooks and crannies of the American market, all of Jackie Chan’s movies have managed to be hits.
Shanghai Knights is available on Apple TV to rent.
