PRINTJackie vs. Jet
Two legends go head-to-head
Kaitlin Kuhl
April 17, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Action movies involving martial arts never get old, even with aging stars. It’s hard to believe Jackie Chan and Jet Li have not made a picture together before The Forbidden Kingdom. The movie opens April 18 and combines Chan’s style of comedy and Li’s artistic aura. Together, they join an American kung fu fan on a journey to save a captured king.
Jackie Chan
His beginning
Jackie Chan took classes at the China Drama Academy. His origins are in theater, and part of his training involved martial arts. Chan worked with Bruce Lee and wanted to make his own niche in martial arts. “When Bruce Lee came out, he was very serious,” says Mike Rojas, the head instructor at Hockman’s ATA Martial Arts in Columbia. “And Jackie Chan knew, ‘Well, I need something different from everybody else to make my mark.’”
Chinese breakout
Drunken Master (1978) is the first film to unveil Chan’s comedic side with kung fu. He plays Wong Fei-Hung, who is deemed “undisciplined” and is sent to his cruel uncle to learn kung fu.
Welcome to America
After numerous attempts to break into the American film market since 1980, Chan finally achieved fame as Chief Inspector Lee in Rush Hour (1998). Director Brett Ratner is an avid fan of Chan’s comical work from Hong Kong and imitated some of the gags from his previous work. When Lee accidentally touches Detective Johnson’s chest, the scene references one of Chan’s previous films, Mr. Nice Guy.
A bad move
The Tuxedo (2002) relies on Chan’s skills in a special gadget tuxedo. The tagline, “He’s not looking for trouble ... He’s wearing it,” sounds as if Chan is a playboy. Seems like Chan got played with this ridiculous plot.
Jet Li
His beginning
Jet Li began his training in wushu, the national sport of China that is a mixture of martial arts styles, at age 8. By the time he was 11 years old, Li was performing on the White House lawn in front of President Nixon. “Li is one of the most respected martial artists in the field,” Rojas says. “He originally started wushu with the Beijing competition team. He came from a very traditional style.”
Chinese breakout
Li’s film debut in 1982’s The Shaolin Temple was a box office success in China with 50 million viewers. The film is based on Shaolin folklore, and Li plays a son of a slave who learns kung fu in order to avenge his father’s death.
Welcome to America
Coincidentally, Chan turned down the villainous role in Lethal Weapon 4, which allowed Li to take his place. The 1998 movie represents not only Li’s American debut but his first portrayal of a villain. Despite being the bad guy, his rapid fight moves proved to be a memorable, if not the most memorable, part of LW4, and he had no problems keeping up with his American co-stars.
A bad move
Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) is, as its tagline suggests, “Bad 2 the bone.” Cast next to luminaries DMX and Tom Arnold, Li struggles in a crime drama that ultimately tries too hard with flashy cage fights.
