Jackie Chan is, from east to west, a global icon. The actor has starred in countless pictures in both the Hollywood market and the Chinese market. The Hong Kong born star is not known for deviating too far away from his typical filmmaking though, for the most part staying within his brand of action/comedies that have made him a fortune. That’s probably why when the news broke of his film The Foreigner, some eyebrows began to raise with curiosity. The Foreigner would hit screens in 2017, selling itself as an action/revenge flick. It turned out to be more than that.
Chan is Quan Ngoc Minh, or, Mr. Quan. Not much is known of Mr. Quan, until his hand is forced. Known only to the British government as an Asian immigrant, Quan lives a quiet life with his daughter Fan. When Fan is killed due to an explosion believed to be the work of a terrorist group, Mr. Quan makes it his mission to discover the identities of those responsible. Everyone, who is responsible. It quickly becomes clear that there’s more to Mr. Quan that meets the eye, and that he is more than capable of becoming a thorn in the side of anyone who stands in the way of his goal.
The Foreigner is Chan’s departure from comedy, but definitely not from action. This is the most serious he’s ever been in any role he’s taken on before.
The Foreigner is Chan’s departure from comedy, but definitely not from action. This is the most serious he’s ever been in any role he’s taken on before. Nothing about his character exudes any manner of warmth or humor. His performance is completely out of character from the Jackie Chan people know, and this is a major positive. That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with the work he’s already done. The Foreigner just happened to be the outlet of which Chan was able to show off his range. Pierce Brosnan bears the rest of the film’s acting responsibility, and from a man who was one of the more popular James Bonds in his day, he plays a more reserved role contrasting to that of Chan’s retribution driven character. Martin Campbell’s directing and Stephen Leather’s source material also make The Foreigner a political movie. There are plenty of key moments that ooze subliminal messaging, this adding more layers to an already easy to follow arrangement of incidents. Rest assured though, the film doesn’t have a specific political leaning apart from condemning terrorism and the tragedy it leaves in its wake.
There’s a lot to be said about Chan’s decision to venture into new territory. The question that begs to be answered, is why didn’t he do this sooner? He’s made enough money to last himself ten lifetimes and with his profile, nearly any movie is an easy sell with his name attached to it. The world may never know, but at least he was able to get this one on the ledger before he decides to call it a day. The Foreigner can be found on multiple online platforms. Take the opportunity to see Jackie Chan in rare form.
