Jackie Chan Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Click image below to view full poster

Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for The Spy Next Door, starring everyone's favorite martial arts maniac Jackie Chan as a secret agent undercover and acting like a mild-mannered guy who, while babysitting his neighbor's kids, winds up having to fight off secret agents after one of the kids inadvertently downloads some secret code. Don't you hate it when that happens? You meant to download the latest episode of The Office on Hulu when all of a sudden you end up accidentally hacking into the Pentagon? Oh internet, you so crazy.

Also starring in this War Games meets Spy Kids meets Adventures in Babysitting-type action-comedy are Billy Ray Cyrus and George Lopez, and Brian Levant (Jingle All the Way, Snow Dogs, Are We There Yet?) is the man behind the camera. As an added bonus, Moviefone just premiered the trailer for The Spy Next Door in conjunction with our poster premiere, so after you check out the art, head after the jump to take this sucker for a ride.

The Spy Next Door hits theaters on January 15, 2010. Click the image below to view the full poster, and watch the brand new trailer after the jump.

Sunday afternoon seems like the perfect time to check in on our friends from Worth1000, whose latest movie-related photoshop contest has to do with taking any celebrity image and transforming it into a Star Wars character. You can find an example above; that's Wall-E and Eve as R2-D2 and C-3PO. And they definitely get wackier -- with President Obama showing up as Yoda multiple times, and Princess Leia merging with folks like Angelina Jolie and Kevin Spacey (probably the oddest and most random image of the lot). Ever want to see Elvis as Han Solo? It's in there. And ever wonder what Goofy mixed with General Grievous would look like? No? Well it's in there, too ... with the Please Let Them Never Do This In Real Life award going to an image of Han Solo (as Jim Carrey), Chewbacca (as Jack Black), Luke Skywalker (as Owen Wilson) and Obi-Wan (as Jackie Chan) onboard the Millennium Falcon. Creepy.

Check out some of our favorites down below and the rest over at Worth1000.

The weekly Asian Cinema Scene returns to share recent news and answer reader mail.

Breasts Spark Concern. An upcoming sports comedy is creating consternation in Japan. The movie's title, Oppai Bare (AKA Boobs Volleyball), reportedly has embarrassed both theater owners and potential moviegoers because of what "oppai" means, so theater marquees and movie tickets will display the title as O.P.V. Evidently everyone is OK with the premise, in which a high school teacher promises to show her breasts to her all-male volleyball team if they win the big game. The film, directed by Eiichiro Hasumi, releases on April 18. Twitch has the trailer; it looks like a pleasant, feel-good flick. [Cinema Today, via Toronto J-Film Pow Wow.]

Recent Releases. Derek Yee's Shinjuku Incident, starring Jackie Chan in a straight dramatic role (no kicking, no punching), opened the Hong Kong International Film Festival a couple of weeks ago and has now opened in Thailand, where Brian of Asian Cinema - While on the Road saw it: "It has to be said that Jacky is really not all that great a dramatic actor and I think this hurts the film overall." Still, he found the film to be "quite compelling." (Trailer can be viewed here.)

Takashi Miike's Crows Zero II has opened in Japan, and Mark Schilling of The Japan Times says: "As in the first film, the brawls are nearly nonstop ... the group battle scenes, with hundreds of punks whaling on each other, have a scale and impact reminiscent of the gaudier clashes in Braveheart ... Miike directs with an energy, velocity and cheeky bravado that are pure punk." Check out the trailer, embedded below.

After the jump: Nippon Connection opens this week. Plus, a reader asks, 'How do you find your own local Asian cinema scene?'

From the get-go, the new Karate Kid film was going to be different. Ralph Macchio was traded in for Jaden Smith. Then Mr. Miyagi was traded in for Jackie Chan, thrusting the project into a more kung fu state of mind. And now, well, it sounds like Columbia Pictures is listening.

According to an interview with 3 News (toward the end of the interview), the film is no longer called Karate Kid -- Chan says it's now Kung Fu Kid. I'm thinking they should've decided this from the get-go and saved us all some energy. While the idea still doesn't appeal to me, it's a lot more palatable to say that you're taking the basic idea and going in a totally different direction, rather than throw fans of Daniel Larusso and Mr. Miyagi into aggravated hissy fits. Then again, there's a good possibility that this only came about because the legions seemed quite unthrilled with the news (even if it's insanely obvious to most of us that no one can replace Mr. Miyagi).

But there you have it -- the themes will be the same, but it won't be anything like the film we remember, and presumably, it won't step on the toes of the classic that many love.

But, what say you?



[via First Showing]

In this week's edition of Asian Cinema Scene, we cover the unexpected and the surprising.

Oscar Shocker: One of the few genuine surprises of last night's Oscar telecast was the victory by Japan's Departures (Okuribito) as Best Foreign Language Film. Most observers thought that Israel's Waltz with Bashir or France's The Class would win; the former won the Golden Globe, while the latter picked up the Independent Spirit Award.

Of course, most observers haven't actually seen Departures, which played the Montreal film festival rather than Toronto last fall, and had its US Premiere at the Hawaii Film Festival shortly thereafter. As I reported in January, Regent Releasing acquired distribution rights and announced summer release plans. Regent has already updated the film's official site to reflect the Academy Award victory, but there's no word yet on whether they might push the release up to take advantage of the attention.

Yojiro Takita's film follows a young musician who is forced to take a job preparing corpses for cremation. It's a movie about "finding your bliss, even if the world thinks your bliss is odd, icky and a marriage breaker," as described by Mark Schilling in The Japan Times. Four subtitled clips are available at the official site.

Banned in China: As disheartening as it may be to hear, it's not really surprising that China's censors refused to pass Derek Yee's Shinjuku Incident because it is "too violent," according to the director (as reported by Variety). What is surprising is that the film stars Jackie Chan. The excellent-looking trailer is embedded below.

After the jump: More on Shinjuku Incident.

We wondered who could possibly fill Mr. Miyagi's shoes in the new Karate Kid remake, and now the news is officially here. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Jackie Chan is in negotiations to take the part. So, barring failed talks, we'll soon see Chan waxing on and waxing off. Can't say it's much of a surprise. Chan is old enough to look like he's been around the block, and he definitely has the chops to kick some Karate Kid ass into shape. Whether he can look unassuming and weak, as Erik pointed out, remains to be seen.

In less thrilling news, a director has finally been picked -- Harald Zwart. While he's far from a Hollywood abomination, his resume doesn't inspire much confidence: One Night at McCool's, Agent Cody Banks, and The Pink Panther 2. So I'm betting we'll get one of those fluffy family features that does alright at the box office, but doesn't inspire much critical love or lasting fandom. I mean, the last one had the guy behind Rocky. (Okay, okay, John Avildsen was also the guy behind A Night in Heaven, but it was the '80s. I'll give the dude some benefit of the doubt since he went on to helm Lean on Me and The Power of One.)

So, does Chan fit in the Miyagi mould, or are you officially steering clear of this remake?

We know him as the man who made the radios go wild with "Achey Breaky" hearts, and he who holds the loins that made Miley, but could Billy Ray Cyrus soon become that tough action spy?

The Hollywood Reporter posts that Cyrus, George Lopez, Amber Valletta, and Katherine Boecher have joined Jackie Chan's upcoming comedy The Spy Next Door. Chan plays a man who helps out his neighbors by babysitting their children. In a twist of bad luck for the guy, one accidentally downloads a code and he must protect the tykes from secret agents. They're lucky Kenneth from 30 Rock wasn't the babysitter... Lopez is "a CIA agent who might not be all the he appears," Cyrus is an agent as well, Valletta is mom, and since we're in spy-land, there are Russian shoes that will be filled by Boecher.

I think it's safe to presume how this will turn out. But what about the family of Cyruses? Will this lead to co-starring father-daughter gigs? Will anyone believe Cyrus is in the CIA? Sound off below!

Look, the original Karate Kid is one of those films that stays close to my heart at all times, and I totally see how you all would feel disgruntled after hearing the news that Jaden Smith (aka Will Smith's kid) will be starring in a remake. Good news is they're changing it up and setting the flick abroad, however the central concept (of a bullied boy who learns life lessons from an eccentric karate mentor) will remain the same. If Smith's kid has half the charm and charisma of his pop in a leading performance, this could turn out to be a reasonably successful re-launching for the younger tweens.

Right now, we're not sure whether they'll be using the name Mr. Miyagi (as played by Pat Morita in the original Karate Kid franchise) for this new film. Assuming they are, though, who do you think should play him? Defamer threw up a pretty funny list of suggestions today that includes Nicolas Cage, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson ("I want this motherf**king wax ON and OFF my motherf**king CAR"). Of course, most will also throw Jackie Chan's name in, though Miyagi was always a great character because he looked so unassuming and weak. Chan could play eccentric, but would he look the part?

I'm completely up in the air on this one. What do you think: Who could play Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid remake?

Moviegoers who only know Jackie Chan from his Hollywood studio productions might be surprised to learn that he's continued actively working in Asia on films that have rarely made their way to North America (except on DVD). His latest project has the English-language working title Junior Soldiers, and it's expected to start filming early next year, according to Variety.

In the decade since Rush Hour, his blockbuster US hit, Chan has ceded control on his American star projects to studio-approved Hollywood vets. But in Asia, where he's been an established superstar since 1985, he makes films the way he wants to make them. He is the real auteur, no matter if he's credited as director or not. The quality has not been consistently high, but I really liked the solid action of the original version of The Accidental Spy (not the truncated, English-dubbed edition), appreciated the dramatic turn he tried in New Police Story, and enjoyed Rob-B-Hood as the silly riff on Three Men on a Baby that it is. Most of his Asian titles have featured better, more extended action sequences than any of his non-Asian flicks, even though Chan has recently slowed a bit with age (he's 54).

Not much is known about Junior Soldiers so far. Referencing reports on Sina.com, Variety describes it as "a road movie in period costume set during the Qin dynasty." Chan arrived in New Mexico last week (photo above from his official site, where he recounts a side trip to Santa Fe) to begin filming the English-language action comedy The Spy Next Door, directed by Brian Levant, in which he's an undercover spy who babysits his neighbor's kids; they unwittingly draw the attention of "dangerous foreign agents." No doubt, hilarity and action ensue.

Welcome to Cinematical's revamped but still opinionated guide to movies on disc, whether new-fangled Blu-ray or good old fashioned DVD, Hollywood blockbusters or indie wonders, direct to video debuts or refurbished classics.

Buy: The Fall
Rent: Baby Mama, The Forbidden Kingdom, How the West Was Won
Pass: Foreign Exchange, Seed, Sarah Landon & The Paranormal Hour, Then She Found Me

Blu-ray Spotlight: Exiled, Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2, Jerry Maguire, Cool Hand Luke, Rudy
Indies on DVD: Heckler, The Last Days of Left Eye, Last House on the Beach
Collector's Corner: The Big Lebowski, Child's Play, Pumpkinhead

The Fall.
Directed by Tarsem (The Cell), this incredible visual feast, filmed over four years, imagines the fantastical, far-flung stories told to a little girl recovering from a fall in a hospital. A wild, weird trip of a flick that cries out to be replayed time and again. Extras include deleted scenes, featurettes, and audio commentaries. Of the Blu-ray edition, DVD Talk said: "Easily ranks as reference quality." Buy.

Baby Mama
The "must rent" of the week, just to luxuriate in the comedic stylings of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin SNL vet Tina Fey as she learns about compromise with baby surrogage Amy Poehler. Extras include an audio commentary with Fey, Poehler, director Michael McCullers and SNL's Lorne Michaels. Also available on Blu-ray. Rent.

Read on for many more details on this week's highlighted releases.