Based on the novel The Chinaman by Stephen Leather and bought to us by the Huayi Brothers of Bejing, China, this action-packed and suspenseful film isn’t filled with CGI or tons of FX. Nope, this movie is filled with a lot of kick-ass Jackie Chan and a butt load of explosions.

Chan plays Quan Ngoc Minh, a small-time business owner in downtown London. Minh has one family member left to him since his escape to England, his daughter Fan (Katie Leung). If you’ve seen the previews, you know that she is one of the victims of a terrorist bombing. Minh is there when the bomb goes off, but is outside the main blast, so he is battered but alive.

Minh starts his personal campaign to find out who the bombers are. Too bad for the good guys, he’s stonewalled by every government official he comes into contact with. Eventually, it gets out that the bombing has IRA (Irish Republican Army) ties.

This brings us to Pierce Brosnan’s part. He’s playing Liam Hennessy a British Government official with ties to old IRA members, having been one himself. Hennessy tries to console and then ignore Minh, both on the phone and when Minh come to Belfast to speak in person. Not his best idea, but what would you expect from a sixty-something year old beat up man, right?

This is the real beginning of the fight. Hennessy tries to track down the rogue IRA members while simultaneously trying to neutralize Minh. He soon finds that he has snakes all around him and a giant angry tiger nipping at his throat.

The Bottom Line:
Overall, this movie really delivers. It’s action-packed, suspenseful, with bits of humor here and there, and it’s just all-around fun. I would definitely see it again. The plot was a little slow at the start, but it picks up very quickly. Loved seeing Jackie Chan again, and I’d definitely say Jackie hasn’t lost his touch. – 8.0/10

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-Hannah Collins
Staff Writer: Nerd Nation Magazine