Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan to launch Kamal Haasan’s Dasavatharam audio

2007-12-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

It can't get bigger than this. The audio of the much awaited movie Dasavatharam, touted to be the costliest movie to have ever been made in Tamil cinema, will be launched by Jackie Chan.

According to sources close to producer Oscar Ravichandran, Dasavatharam's audio would be a gala affair and would certainly find a place in the history of Indian cinema.

Jackie Chan will come all the way to grace the occasion. It may be recalled that Oscar Ravichandran had distributed several Jackie Chan movies in Tamil Nadu a few years ago. Jackie was shown a few clippings from the movie and he appreciated Kamal Haasan for giving his best in the movie. He readily agreed to be part of the audio launch.

Plans are on to invite prominent actors including Amitabh Bachchan, Chiranjeevi, Mammootty, Mohanlal and Vishnuvardhan for the mega launch.

Dasavatharam has musical score by Bollywood's most sought-after music composer Himesh Reshammiya. The movie directed by K S Ravikumar features Kamal Haasan in ten different roles with Asin and Mallika Sherawat giving him the right company.

According to Ravikumar, "The songs have come really good. It would make an impact among the music-lovers. Himesh has come up with a good stuff".

The audio launch is expected to be launched by February, 2008.

Chan helps ice piracy in China

2007-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Actor to be featured on antipiracy magnets

By CLIFFORD COONAN

BEIJING -- Hong Kong thesp Jackie Chan will be featured on 200,000 antipiracy refrigerator magnets to be distributed by the Motion Picture Assn. and China Film Copyright Protection Assn. in China.
The magnets will be given to film fans who buy authentic copies of "Perfect Stranger," "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "No Reservations."

The magnets feature a message from Chan, a legend on the mainland, thanking buyers for protecting the film industry by choosing not to buy a pirated pic.

Also backing the campaign is Amazon.com's China operation, Amazon.cn (also known as Joyo.com).

Amazon.cn, the largest online vendor for books, music and video in China, plans to advertise the campaign on its website for the first month and will publicize the campaign in a newsletter distributed to millions of its customers.

The MPA reckons that in 2005, its members lost $6.1 billion to worldwide piracy, with piracy across the Asia-Pacific region accounting for $1.2 billion of that figure.

Jackie Chan As Miyagi In A Communist Karate Kid Remake?

2007-12-05T09:22:00.000-08:00

By Josh Tyler

We’ve heard rumors that a remake of The Karate Kid was imminent for awhile now, but specifics have been scarce.

Personally, I was hoping that meant the idea had simply withered by the vine, but it seems the real reason we haven’t heard anything may be because the remake is being done by a communist regime.

Monkey Peaches is reporting that Han Sanping, the president of Chinese state-run movie studio China Film, has been touring America pushing projects they want to do with Hollywood studios.

Among those projects is supposedly a redo of The Karate Kid, which they say may be titled Kung Fu Kid and star either Jackie Chan or Stephen Chow as Mr. Miyagi. Here’s where the rumor gets a little dicey though.

They also claim that Will Smith and his son Jaden are involved in the movie, with Jaden playing the titular Kung Fu Kid and Will playing the villain.

This is actually an old rumor, one which Will Smith himself debunked several weeks ago, saying that while his production company might be involved with the remake, the rumors that his son Jaden would be involved were not true.

Assuming Will was telling the truth and Monkey Peaches has that much wrong, then you’ve got to wonder if there’s anything to their rumor at all. Let’s hope not.

Remakes are bad enough without having them sponsored by an over-polluting, repressive, communist government.

And you thought Scientology was bad.

Jackie's new buzz

2007-11-07T23:17:00.000-08:00

(China Daily)

Could the secret behind action star Jackie Chan's unstoppable energy be as simple as a good, strong cup of coffee?

The movie legend was certainly full of beans at the launch of his Beijing caf last week.

Not one to mince words, the celebrity named his latest venture, Jackie Chan's Caf, with proceeds to benefit his other project, the Jackie Chan charitable foundation.

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The coffee shop in Beijing's high-tech center Zhongguancun is the first on the Chinese mainland, but the third in a franchise, with other outlets recently opened in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

The Hong Kong star was in his element last week, holding the first cup of coffee from his Beijing store aloft for the benefit of the gathered media scrum.

After his ceremonial brewing of the first cuppa, Chan introduced two of his hearing-impaired employees to reporters, revealing that he is creating more positions for disabled people.

Part of the cafe's revenue will be used to build charity schools, said Chan, whose charity has been helping to provide better medical services for young people since 1988.

The cafe is decorated with comfy sofas and seats around 20 customers.

It is a shrine to the kungfu legend, with four television sets screening Chan's latest films, and a wall of photographs of the actor posing with his fans.

Souvenirs such as caps, T-shirts and cups will be available. A large latte costs 28 yuan (US$3.75), and a small one 22 yuan.

Jackie Chan offers to teach Kung Fu to Prince Charles

2007-11-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

London, Nov 02: ‘Rush Hour’ star Jackie Chan has offered to teach Prince Charles Kung fu in a video message.

The message, recorded in China where Chan is making a film, shows the martial arts legend promising that he will drop everything if the Prince of Wales accepts his offer.

Charles got the unusual invitation at an awards ceremony in London, which was organised to recognise the achievements of "unsung heroes" among the UK's Chinese community.

"I send all my love and kisses ... especially for Prince Charles.

If you want to learn some kung fu, give me a call, I will come right away," a magazine quoted Chan as saying in the message.

The video also shows Chan apologising for not making the offer to Charles personally.

The Prince's attendance at the Pearl Awards at the Royal Festival Hall capped off a China-themed day, which began with a visit to London's Chinatown with the Duchess of Cornwall.

He introduced the awards by praising the 250,000-strong UK Chinese community's "significant and largely unsung contribution to national life".

He talked about Chinese cuisine, traditional Chinese medicine, and China's "precocious and brilliant musicians".

Charles even mentioned an "extremely talented and industrious" young man from China who recently joined his office.

Bureau Report.

"Jackie Chan's Cafe" to Donate Profits Towards Underpriveleged Children

2007-11-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Actor Jackie Chan has opened a coffee shop in mainland China, pledging that some of the profits would be donated to local children's charities.

The ‘Rush Hour’ actor launched his first store in the name of ‘Jackie Chan's Café’ chain in Beijing on Oct 31.

The martial arts star proved his philanthropy by vowing to give two per cent of all earnings from the store to help the underprivileged children.

"Each year, I would look for ways to raise money for charity to help needy people.

Why?

Because when I was young, I was very poor and many people had helped me get to where I am today,” Contactmusic quoted him, as saying.

“I am doing my part to repay their kindness to me,” he said. Chan has also opened stores in Singapore and Malaysia.

Source-ANI

JACKIE CHAN - CHAN OPENS COFFEE SHOP IN CHINA

2007-11-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

Caption: Jackie Chan. Celebrities outside Ed Sullivan Theatre for the 'Late Show With David Letterman'. New York City, USA - 02.08.07

Martial arts star JACKIE CHAN has opened his first coffee shop in mainland China - and pledged to donate some of the profits to local children's charities.

The Rush Hour actor launched the latest store in his Jackie Chan's Cafe chain in Beijing on Wednesday (31Oct07), and proved his philanthropy by vowing to give two per cent of all earnings to help disadvantaged children.

He says, "Each year, I would look for ways to raise money for charity to help needy people.

"Why? Because when I was young, I was very poor and many people had helped me get to where I am today.

I am doing my part to repay their kindness to me." Chan has recently also opened stores in Singapore and Malaysia.

Jackie springs SURPRISE birthday visit

2007-11-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

By Chang May Choon

Jackie gives birthday girl Deborah a hug. His appearance was one of the night's highlights.

ONCE the showbiz dai-gor (big brother in Cantonese), always the dai-gor.

That's Jackie Chan for you.

The Hong Kong superstar was in town last Friday to open his first cafe, Jackie Chan's Cafe, Coffee and Tea, and was busy with a full day of promotions.

But once he heard from friends that his old pal Deborah Li - Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse's mum - was celebrating her birthday here on the same day, he decided to pop by and convey his good wishes.

First, he made it to a dinner that the former actress was having with some 30 friends at a Chinese restaurant in Great World City.

Former deejay Bernard Lim who was there told The New Paper that Jackie 'surprised everyone by showing up' at about 8pm, because they thought he would be busy with the opening of his cafe.

Jackie, 53, stayed with the group when they adjourned to Lunar: Asia Fusion Bar at Clarke Quay for drinks at around 11pm.

VIP AREA

They were seated at the VIP area on the second floor with four security staff keeping other club patrons at bay.

When the band started playing a birthday song just before midnight, Jackie took it upon himself to be the dai-gor who led a crowd of 1,000 to sing for the birthday girl.

With a touch of drama, that is.

Mr Lim, who is now executive vice-president of the LifeBrandz group that manages Lunar, recalled: 'Jackie was very nice. He stood on the couch where everybody could see him and started conducting the birthday song.

'His presence added to the sparkle of the night.'

Then came the birthday cake. There was only one candle on it, although Deborah is believed to be in her mid-50s.

Mr Lim said Jackie left soon after the cake was cut, as he and his entourage were driving to Kuala Lumpur. He was headed there to open another branch of his cafe chain.

But the celebrations went on.

So what if Deborah's son, Nicholas, was nowhere to be seen? Or her daughter-in-law, actress Cecilia Cheung and grandson Lucas were absent too?

A visibly elated Deborah still had a fabulous time with her Singaporean husband Kong Yew Seng, whom she married in 2000, and other Singaporean friends.

GRAND FINALE

The finale came when Hong Kong balladeer William So took to the stage and serenaded Deborah.
He was invited to perform a one-night-only showcase as part of the club's opening celebrations.

When it came to the encore segment, William opened with a birthday song and thanked Lai-gu (Deborah's nickname) for taking such good care of him.

He had told The New Paper earlier that 'Lai-gu saw me grow up' and they remain close even today.

Then, he dedicated Teresa Teng's evergreen hit I Only Care About You to both Deborah and her husband.

When the couple went on stage to thank William, the latter even managed to convince the hubby to sing a few lines for his wife.

Lunar's marketing executive Gavin Choo recalled: 'Uncle Kong sang quite badly though, with a lot of prompting from William. It was quite funny and yet touching.'

Did Deborah cry?

Mr Choo said she did not, but 'she was evidently very happy and touched by what William sang and said to her'.

A cup of Jackie Chan coffee, sir?

2007-10-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

Action movie star Jackie Chan has a new job. Not in front of the camera this time, but he acts in front of the coffee machine!

Yesterday, the Hong Kong star was in Beijing's high-tech hub Zhongguancun inaugurating his own coffeehouse.

Jackie Chan's Cafe is the only cafe on the Chinese mainland under Chan's cafe franchise.

At the ceremony, Chan served the first cup of coffee, and introduced two of his hearing-impaired employees to reporters, adding he is creating more positions for the disabled people.

Part of the cafe's revenue will be used to build charity schools, said Chan, whose own Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation has been aiding young people with better medical services since 1988.

The shop is decorated with comfy sofas and four television sets screening Chan's latest films.

It seats around 20 customers.Distinguishing his cafe from others is a wall of photographs of Chan with his fans.

Souvenirs such as caps, T-shirts and cups will be available soon.

Coffee is sold at regular prices. A large latte, for example, sells at 28 yuan (US$3.75), and a small is 22 yuan.

The other two Jackie Chan's Cafes opened recently in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Jackie Chan opens cafe in Starhill, Malaysia

2007-10-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

’The little indomitable dragon’, better known as Hong Kong Superstar Jackie Chan, practises his coffee-making skills. Beside him is YTL Corporation group managing director Tan Sri Francis Yeoh. —NST picture by P.C. Lim

KUALA LUMPUR: The simple act of sipping a cup of aromatic coffee can do wonders for the spirit, warm hearts and enrich relationships.

Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan believes in the universal language of coffee, and he is known for his philanthropy. So he has merged both in Jackie Chan’s Cafe, a chain of coffee shops whose proceeds benefit his Dragon’s Heart Charity that supports organisations for disadvantaged children.

Starhill Gallery was thronged with people yesterday, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the action hero here to officially open the first Jackie Chan’s Cafe on the Bukit Bintang mall’s new Muse floor, also launched yesterday.

The cafe serves premium coffees, including expresso and blended coffees, juices and flavoured teas, as well as light meals — a mix of international and Asian food.

Through his cafe, Chan, a hero to millions, wants to bring a premium yet affordable lifestyle to his many fans in Malaysia who had packed the shopping complex hours before his arrival.

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His friend and fellow philanthropist,YTL Corp group managing director Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, was on hand for the launch. Yeoh was delighted that the Muse floor would be a place for friends to gather and enjoy coffee together while taking in the art that is the main feature of the floor.

Artists Yusof Ghani, Eric Quah, Jack Ting, Yusri Sulaiman, Raduan Man and Fauzul Yusri are holding a joint exhibition there until the end of the month.

Earlier in the morning, Chan judged the Buddy Bear colouring charity campaign. Children joined the superstar in colouring and decorating a series of teddy bear caricatures that will be hung in the the “Hall of Fame” at Jackie Chan’s Cafe.

The energetic actor is launching a Jackie Chan’s Cafe in Beijing, China, today and will be shooting scenes for his latest movie for the next two days.

Chan son shuns life of a dragon

2007-10-26T08:54:00.001-07:00

Stephanie Wong

Jaycee Chan may be trying to move out of the shadow of his Hollywood action star father Jackie Chan Kong-sang, but as soon as he slumps into his chair the resemblance is unmistakable.

"I've just got up," says the bleary- eyed 25-year-old - a confession that suggests a hell-raiser, which was until recently the basis of his reputation.

But thanks to a string of well- received performances, Chan is being taken seriously as an actor, though in a very different style from his martial arts supremo dad.

Chan's latest film is The Drummer, an independent drama in which he plays a Hong Kong crime boss' rebellious teenage son who is transformed into a disciplined and spiritual drummer by performing in a Zen drum troupe.

Chan can also be seen as another teenage son in mainland director Jiang Wen's The Sun Also Rises, this time of a mentally ill mother in a drama that took him to this year's Venice Film Festival.

The more serious roles add a dimension to appearances in two comedies, a fantasy-action flick and a love story.

But no martial arts films. "I did this on purpose," said Chan.

"Why do I make so many dramas, why don't I make more comedies? I didn't get paid that much by Jiang Wen. For what? So I can go to Venice and tell the world that the second generation can do it, too.

"I realized I could take the film to Venice and have foreigners applaud me. So I don't have to follow [my father's] path. I can make things how I want them to be and no one can control me."

He says he is not interested in learning kung fu and only learned Thai boxing for self-defense. But the desire to be taken seriously is palpable.

"People used to not respect me, people in show business didn't take me seriously because I like to play," he said, referring to frequent reports about his love of the night life.

"I work hard too, but people just don't see that and think I can't succeed," he said. "People really look down on the second generation."

Chan sees the criticism as a "slap in the face," adding: "Now I want to slap people's face too. I heard so many stories that people who work hard would succeed, so I believe this is true."

Although seeking to succeed on his own terms, Chan draws inspiration from his father - nicknamed Sing Lung, which means "Already the Dragon" in Cantonese.

"Things like `I'm tired' cannot come out of my mouth," said Chan. "When [my father] would keep filming even after breaking his bones, you realize you are not qualified to say such things."

Jackie Chan visits children's cancer ward at NUH

2007-10-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

By Chio Su-Mei, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan on Friday visited the children's cancer ward at the National University Hospital.

The superstar, known for his philanthropic acts, created a stir in an otherwise sedate environment. Inundated with gifts and flowers, the obliging star made all the right moves.

He charmed the young patients with gifts and obliged their parents with autographs and photographs.

Staff, parents and patients were obviously star-struck and could not get enough of the star.

Jackie is in Singapore for a day and will leave for Malaysia on Saturday.

CNA/ms

Jackie Chan overcomes disabled dilemma to record Olympic anthem

2007-10-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

by Kev Kharas

Limber Jackie Chan has been selected by the Chinese government to record the official song for the 2008 Beijing Olympic games.

The revelation came as Chan posted the from-the-blue bolt as a ‘blog on his official weblodge. T’ing.

The track’s called ‘We Are Ready’ and it took three hours to record – sung in Chinese, there are plans to record in English. Rest assured.

For now, a sample, as provided by the AP.

"Waiting year after year,” the chorus begins; “We can see into the future. Together with hard work and sweat, we've created the five different colours."

I don’t know what this means, but I do know the track was written by Peter Kam, whose track record is a proven one.

Other posts on his ‘blog describe the travails of recording and performing ‘We Are Ready’ - details emerge of sleepless nights agonising over unlearnt lyrics, unresolved technical issues and the fate of disabled co-stars.

“Today, I have to sing ‘We Are Ready’ live on stage and I feel very nervous because 1) I have to learn the lyrics by heart but I’m finding it hard to remember all the words in such a short period of time.

"2) sponsors for the event promised me that they would place a small television screen (somewhere) on the stage so the lyrics of the song could be shown on the screen for me, but now they say they can’t find a place to put it.

"3) I have been scheduled to perform the song alongside some disabled people in wheelchairs. I’m quite concerned for their safety because I don’t want to put them in any danger during the performance.”

Conscientious to a fault. Sweet dreams brother Jackie.

Jackie Chan Records Official Beijing Olympics Song

2007-10-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

Actor lends voice to song...

Actor and martial arts expert Jackie Chan has recorded the official song for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the star has revealed.

Speaking in a blog on his official website, Chan said that the song, titled ‘We Are Ready’, took just three hours to record when he hit a studio in Beijing.

Sung entirely in Chinese, there are also plans to record an English The rather cutting lyrics in the chorus read: "Waiting year after year/ We can see into the future/ Together with hard work and sweat/ We've created the five different colours." Genius.

The track was written by the acclaimed Peter Kam who recently scored the soundtrack to the film Isabella.

Jackie Chan's Olympic song

2007-10-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

07/30/2007 - Jackie Chan - Rush Hour 3 Los Angeles Premiere - Grauman's Chinese Theater - Hollywood, CA © David Gabber / PR Photos

Jackie Chan has recorded a song for the Beijing Olympics.

The 'Rush Hour' actor spent three hours recording 'We Are Ready', the official countdown tune for the games, which take place in the Chinese city next summer.

Chan - who recorded the song during a recent trip to Beijing - said he was impressed with the song's lyrics, which were composed by Peter Kam.

The words include: "Waiting year after year/ We can see into the future/ Together with hard work and sweat, we've created the five different (Olympic) colours."

Chan - who was born in Hong Kong - recently revealed his excitement at attending an event to mark the one-year countdown to the start of the Games.

He said: "During this public appearance, I actually had goose bumps on my arms. The ceremony made me very emotional and I said to myself, 'That's our China, that's our day!'

"I felt this moment belonged to our China, this moment belonged to us."

NOTES: Fall Out Boy, Marilyn Manson, Akon, Jackie Chan, Duran Duran and more..

2007-10-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

by Andrew Tijs, Daniel Zugna

News In Brief...

• Marilyn Manson's Lolita-esque girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood is rumoured to be negotiating a record deal.

• Fall Out Boy singer Patrick Stump is set to appear in an episode of 'Law & Order'.

• Akon's drummer and others were injured when part of the stage fell while setting up for a show at Atlanta's Emory University.

• Melbourne three-piece The Time Of The Assassins had their debut full-length, 'Awake In Slumberland', produced by the legendary Steve Albini. It's released in Australia on November 9, during the band's launch at the Tote Hotel.

• The video for Duran Duran's new track 'Falling Down' has been banned from British TV because it was deemed to racy.

• Jackie Chan has recorded the official theme to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 'We Are Ready' was written by composer Peter Kam and has only been recorded in Chinese so far with plans for an English version to come.

Chan shows Olympic singing chops

2007-10-25T01:11:00.000-07:00

By CLIFFORD COONAN

Jackie Chan has shown his vocal dexterity with his latest recording, “We Are Ready,” the official countdown song to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The star of the “Rush Hour” franchise spent three hours laying down the track during a recent trip to Beijing, according to his website. Chan is also well-known as a singer in Asia, and has recorded several albums.

The lyrics are as patriotic and stirring as you would expect for a song aimed at priming auds for the Olympics, which open at 8:08 p.m. on the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008 -- eight is after all a lucky number in China.

“Waiting year after year, we can see into the future, together with hard work and sweat, we’ve created the five different (Olympic) colors,” runs one stanza from the song, which is sung in Mandarin Chinese, even though Hong Kong resident Chan’s natural dialect is Cantonese.

Chan has been involved in many public events surrounding the launch of the Olympics and features in many TV ads and billboard posters, as well as commercials for Visa. He carried the Olympic torch for 100 meters (110 yards) in Greece in 2004.

The song was written by Peter Kam (“Isabella”).Chan’s version is not the only one -- organizers have also recorded a second version sung by more than 100 pop stars.

Jackie Chan Opens First US Office In SCV

2007-10-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

by Jon Dell

Action movie star will call Santa Clarita Studios home

On Friday afternoon, mega movie star and martial artist Jackie Chan announced that he would open his first office in the United States. That office will be located in Santa Clarita.

Santa Clarita Studios will be home to his office, located in the Industrial Center. JC Culture is the name of his company, and it’s mission is to expand the actor’s brand, produce and co-produce entertainment outlest, and to promote Chan’s role as the ambassador for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

Many movies highlight Chan’s career, including the popular Rush Hour trilogy.

Chan was flanked by executives from the China Film Group and was honored by several of California’s elected officials, including Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, LA County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, Congressman Buck McKeon, and Santa Clarita City officials.

Chan was awarded the “Sino-American Cultural Exchange Ambassador” award for his entertainment and philanthropic achievements.

“Jackie Chan opening up his offices here in Santa Clarita is huge for us,” said Jason Crawford, Economic Development & Marketing Manager for Santa Clarita. “It really catapults us to the next level.”

Jackie Chan.

Chan and Assemblyman Cameron Smyth.

Chan and Mayor Pro Tem Bob Kellar.

Han Sanping, Chairman of the China Film Company.

Chan Tells Aspiring Actors to Be Natural

2007-10-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

HONG KONG (AP) — Jackie Chan to aspiring action stars: Don't bow to me. Chan said in a blog entry on his Web site Sunday that he's not a fan of the way disciples greet their masters in kung fu movies by grasping a clenched fist in a prayer-like gesture, then bowing their heads.

The veteran actor said he had noticed the move in audition video clips for his Chinese talent show "The Disciple."

"Some preliminary competitors would introduce themselves the old-period kung fu way: the fist of one hand clenched firmly, the palm of the other wrapped on top, head slightly bowed, then saying, 'All the heroes here today, please advise and correct my wrongdoings,'" Chan wrote.

He called the greeting "old-fashioned and definitely not what I'm looking for."

"I think actors of today should adapt to situations appropriately, like using old-fashioned terms for old-fashioned movies or using modern-day speech for modern-day films. Actors shouldn't mix old-fashioned speech with modern-day films. It just doesn't fit," Chan said.

He said actors who adapt to the times will enjoy a wider range of roles.

Chan also said he didn't launch "The Disciple" — jointly produced by Chan and a Beijing TV Station called BTV — to scout for the next kung fu superstar, but rather to spot people with talent to become genuinely skilled "action artists."

@The Associated Press.

Chinese Kungfu stars honored for the first time

2007-10-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

Kungfu superstar Jackie Chan and most renowned Chinese novelist Louis Cha at a grand ceremony of Chinese Kungfu held on Friday night in Shenzhen's Bao'an Gymnasium. [Photo: sina.com.cn]

An impressive ceremony celebrating Chinese Kungfu was held on Friday night in Shenzhen's Bao'an Gymnasium. Hong Kong director Stanley Tong directed the grand occasion.

Veteran Hong Kong actor Paul Chun hosted the evening party, divided into four parts in order to effectively narrate the spirit and development of Chinese Kungfu. It also paid tribute to five late Chinese Kungfu masters, Bruce Lee, King Hu, Cheh Chang, Ko Sau Leung and Tak-Hing Kwan.

Internationally acclaimed Kungfu actor Jackie Chan attended the "Global Chinese Martial Arts Presentation Ceremony" and was given an award proclaiming him as the most influential Kungfu star. Renowned novelist Louis Cha (Jin Yong) was presented with the most honorable award of the event, for his 15 best-selling Kungfu novels, all of which has helped to introduce Chinese Kungfu to the world.

The best Kungfu actors award were given to 11 action stars, with three of them female. Two foreign stars, Tony Jaa from Thailand and Yasuaki Kurata from Japan, also shared the glory.
It was the first time ever that a grand ceremony has been held to award those who have contributed to promoting Chinese Kungfu.

China Internet Information Center

A monk from the Shaolin Temple presents the "Chinese Martial Arts Global Influence Grand Prize" to actor Jackie Chan (R) during a "Global Chinese Martial Arts Presentation Ceremony" in China's southern city of Shenzhen October 12, 2007. [Agencies]

Japanese actor Kurata Yasuaki (R) receives one of the "Best Action Actor" awards beside Chinese actress Athena Chu during a "Global Chinese Martial Arts Presentation Ceremony" in China's southern city of Shenzhen October 12, 2007. [Agencies]

Thai actor Tony Jaa gestures as he attends the Global Chinese Martial Arts Presentation Ceremony in China's southern city of Shenzhen October 12, 2007. Jaa won one of the "Best Action Actor" awards. [Agencies]

Chinese actors (L-R) Meng Fei, Li Yajun, Wu Jing, Vanness Wu and South Korean actor Jang Hyuk receive "Chinese Martial Arts Best New Performers" awards during a "Global Chinese Martial Arts Presentation Ceremony" in China's southern city of Shenzhen October 12, 2007. [Agencies]

Actor Jimmy Wang from China's Taiwan Province holds one of the "Best Action Actor" awards during a "Global Chinese Martial Arts Presentation Ceremony" in China's southern city of Shenzhen October 12, 2007. [Agencies]

Jackie Chan's son wants his own identity in movies; doesn't want to star in action films

2007-10-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

MIN LEE AP Entertainment Writer

HONG KONG — Jackie Chan's son doesn't want to be an action star like his father.

While "Rush Hour 3" was another box-office hit for Chan this summer, his 24-year-old son, Jaycee, was mixing with the arty crowd at the Venice Film Festival.

With a major role in "The Sun Also Rises," a Chinese-language movie that competed for the top Golden Lion prize in Venice, Chan was considered for acting honors alongside the likes of Adrien Brody and Michael Caine.

Neither Chan nor the film won any prizes, but his appearance highlighted his desire to chart a course distinct from his father's.

"I'm starting to carve my own path," he told The Associated Press. "I've made an art-house movie. ... My range is greater. I'm not just making action movies. I'm trying many different things."

Chan has been in one film that resembles the work of his father: "Invisible Target," a frantic flurry of fight scenes and daredevil stunts in which he played a rookie police officer.

In a recent blog entry on his Web site, Jackie Chan described his joy when Jaycee surprised him with a birthday cake on his private jet.

The 53-year-old actor said he doesn't see Jaycee very often, and the two didn't talk much on the plane after the birthday surprise.

"I know we care about each other," he wrote. "It just isn't always necessary to be expressed with words. So Jaycee and I just sat side by side reading newspapers and it was very comfortable."

DVD Review: The Myth

2007-09-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

Written by Matt Paprocki

Even at his age, Jackie Chan can still put on an amazing show. His beautifully choreographed brawls still have the speed, style, and humor to make them each a memorable romp regardless of the setting. Still, even Chan needs some help, and The Myth has overused CG, an impossibly awful ending, and sloppy mistakes surrounding the otherwise enjoyable action scenes.

Set in two eras, The Myth jumps back and forth between present day and early China. Chan plays two characters, General Meng-yi in ancient times and Jack, his reincarnate. This leads to gorgeous variety in the visuals, moving from India, modern China, and open plains of the undeveloped country. There’s more than enough here to keep someone visually interested in the film, and that’s in addition to some wildly fun fights.

Swapping between eras in time happens perfectly. The switches are edited properly, and it’s never confusing or jarring to the viewer. Both stories have solid pacing, properly mixing action and dialogue to keep the film moving.

Problems creep up when the special effects take over. During a battle in ancient times, Chan rides a horse which begins kicking enemy soldiers in a laughably bad sequence that destroys the care taken to create sets and costumes for authenticity. Modern times have some equally appalling CG effects, including a dive into a waterfall to find a hidden cave.

Sloppy directorial choices and an apparently rushed shooting schedule create oddball issues that at times make this seem like an amateur effort. Chan is stretched vertically in early China scenes that make it seem like the wrong lens was used to shoot the scenes or there’s something wrong with the settings of your player. Alas, it was an impossible to decipher directorial decision to make the actor appear thinner and taller. The effect is anything but effective.

Likewise, the audio is depressingly sloppy. It’s readily apparent the dialogue has been over-dubbed in a studio, and without care. An obvious echo accompanies a few scenes even though they’re clearly outdoors. Certain dialogue fades in and out behind static, making it difficult to hear.

All of this leads to an awfully silly finale. Some cheap scientific babble attempts to explain how characters suddenly start flying through the air in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon style, but there’s no attempt to suspend disbelief that far. Worse, the effect isn’t done even half as well as it was in the latter respected epic, and the green screen shots further cheapen the effects. It takes away from the otherwise excellent choreography, and destroys a chance to bring a different level to Chan’s fights.

It’s nice to see Chan branch out and try something different. The Myth wasn’t the way to do this though. There was nothing wrong with his famous style in the otherwise standard New Police Story one year prior. Stunts are spectacular regardless of the setting, but there still needs to be a sense of reality or suspension of disbelief somewhere to pull it all together.

Inconsistent is the way to describe this DVD transfer. At times, the vistas of countrysides are stunning in their detail. In the next scene, rough compression artifacts creep in to eliminate the sense of clarity. Some color bleeding is discernible when bright reds appear on screen (the feathers on the army’s helmets are especially ugly).

Oddly, the same goes for the audio. It’s impressive to hear a character continue talking off screen, and the sound following them through the speakers. Then, when the action picks up, especially during the massive battle scene in ancient China, it’s as if the rear speakers suddenly turn off. Some decent bass saves the film from sounding flat.

Six deleted scenes of exposition join a solo Jackie Chan commentary to begin a small set of special features. Two music videos for the song featured in the film (“Endless Love”) are included, both with a unique sound. A featurette called Myth Adventures runs down the basics of shooting the movie for 21 minutes, while two promos (one a PSA for meditation, the other for Chan’s charity) finish the menus choices.

Dragon Dynasty currently has Chan’s follow-up feature Robin-B-Hood scheduled for US DVD release in late December. This will piggyback the release for Rush Hour 3. That’s a nice week for fans of this always fun action star.