Legendary martial arts icon Jackie Chan reunites with writer and director Stanley Tong for their tenth collaboration in “A Legend” from Well Go USA. The film is a threequel to “The Myth” and “Kung Fu Yoga.” During a glacier excavation project with his students, a distinguished archaeologist, Professor Chen (portrayed by Jackie Chan), observes that the uncovered artifacts closely resemble a jade pendant he has encountered in his dreams.
This observation gives him the suggestion that the pendant can bring the past and present together, mystically linking dream and actuality. He thus arranges for his research team to take an expedition to Glacier Temple in search of the truth and a deeper understanding of his life. But they have treacherous obstacles and surprises ahead when they venture over the ice. However, their journey across the ice has perilous challenges and unforeseen dangers.
The most apparent feature in the film is that de-aging is employed to use the immortal Chan as a character from the past. On the one hand, I can appreciate what Tong is up to here, but as with any film dominated by technology, the execution is missing the true passions and human tones that would be so beautiful on Chan’s screen. The lack of character development leaves viewers missing the true sense of empathy that Chan is famous for with his roles.
What was most disappointing about the movie was the supporting cast. Although it starred great actors in Asian cinema, like Lay Zhang, Na Zha, Aarif Lee, Li Chen, Peng Xiaoran, and Shawn Dou, who each brought their individuality and charm to the role, it didn’t add anything special to the film. Even the battle scenes set in the past don’t add anything to the movie, as they appear overly routine.
Furthermore, the film’s overuse of AI became a major roadblock for me. The AI effect was somewhat distracting and unnecessary instead of supporting the story, and it disconnected you from the characters and their experiences. Finally, “A Legend” features two overlapping timelines, so I had difficulty understanding the story.
Fortunately, the last 25 minutes of the movie do make the film a lot better overall. Mr. Chan gives a phenomenal final fight scene that his loyal fans will want to watch repeatedly. It has been several years since Chan had a memorable fight scene or action sequence, and “A “Legend” “changes that. But we have to look at him more generally; here, he is still a great martial artist, and while he’s a little old when he’s on screen, he is still sharp.
While “A “Legend” doesn’t return Chan and Tong to their glory days, I believe they have another good film in the tank.
Final Grade : C-
“A “Legend” Debuts on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital January 21
