P Ji Hua (2024)

Good old Chinese action comedy

Jackie! Panda! Kung fu! It doesn't get much more Chinese than that

I wanted a fun stupid action comedy and I got exactly what I was looking for.

Being a Jackie fan since about 20 years ago, I can't say that there were any big surprises. The story is nothing new, the execution and the quirky characters make it fun. I especially enjoyed Shi Ce playing the panda caretaker, that is scared to bits, but goes out and beyond to protect the little Panda baby. Some parts of the CGI look sloppy, others are really detailed. They did put a lot of effort into the Panda, which makes sense seeing it's the main star of the movie.

To me this movie's charm lies in the fact that you get the good old stunts, but some new faces and a pinch of self-irony.

Jackie, playing himself, looks tired and the fighting is visibly exhausting him, even with his hair dyed you can tell that he is old. Well, because he is old! He is an aging action movie actor, that still keeps on going, because people love what he does. And he himself loves it too, but he also just wants to sit down and enjoy his ice cream sometimes. (one of my favourite scenes)

But I'd argue that you don't need to be his fan to enjoy the movie. You do have to enjoy this kind of slapstick comedy though.
I'd probably rewatch for the same reason I've rewatched Jackie's other movies countless times - for the fun and well choreographed fight scenes.

I do hope Jackie will enjoy his retirement at one point, but until then I am happy to see some more Action!

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A some what step up from A Legend.

Some what of a step up from A Legend, Panda Plan gets by because this is Jackie Chan doing exactly what he's known for, possibly for the last time. The film only really manages to elicit a light chuckle, even at the most trying of times. The problem stems from a lead who's way past his prime, although to be fair, at 70, Chan remains spry and in great shape, but there's no denying that awkward framing, poor editing, obvious speed ramping, body doubles, and painted-out wire work do serious heavy lifting. Zhang Luan's lightweight Die Hard-in-a-zoo action demands so little from its viewers, often thinking a poorly realised CGI panda is a good substitute for all the stuff we love Jackie Chan films for. Instead, the film becomes more of a tedious trudge through lazily choreographed fight sequences, sluggish chases and torridly scripted interactions between Chan's lethargic protagonist, an interchangeable ensemble of goofball mercenaries and a horrendous villain, all coupled with forgettable music and some questionable acting from the supporting players. Setting aside the meta references, Panda Plan fails in its attempt to aim at the kids with the stale jokes that don't appeal to anybody, irrespective of age; it's high budget, but the effort isn't. Maybe New Police Story 2 will deliver… I remain hopeful for that one at the very least.

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