Welcome to the new Everything Action segment called Action Adventure Classics. With all the amazing special effects driven action movies today it can be difficult to objectively evaluate the older, less flashy action cinema. Nonetheless, some of the most amazing, suspenseful, enthralling and just plain bad-ass action and adventure films were made well before CGI. There are two types of classic movies: the ones that have withstood the test of time (That is to say, an older movie that is pure bad-ass), and your “instant classics” — say, a movie made in recent memory so immediately good that it becomes a classic. So sit back, relax and enjoy.
Today on AA Classics, I am taking a look at one of my favorite 90’s classics to come out of Hong Kong, “Who Am I?.” It is Jackie Chan’s last film with Golden Harvest Films; about a man who has to fight to regain everything he once was. Directed by Benny Chan and Jackie himself, it is the story of a man who wakes up in a isolated African tribal camp with no memories. He is nursed back to health by the tribe and begins a quest to find out who he is, regain what he has lost and and figure out who is trying to kill him. Along the way he meets new and interesting friends, gets in car chases, fights in clogs and participates in some of the best Chan-tastic action of any Jackie Chan film past or present.
Depending on how you take your action, this movie has quite a bit of different types of action. There are gunfights, where per usually Jackie never uses a gun. There is a breath-taking Mitsubishi Lancer Evo-led car chase as well as a Rally Race sequence in the desert. It takes place in lots of very far off destinations ranging from Africa to Amsterdam, from the desert to the rainforest. It’s also got all the stunts you could possibly shake a stick at. Last, but not even close to least, there are some of the most amazing fight sequences, include a very internationally casted one. What do I mean? You will see!
For the naysayers, I will admit that some of the long camera shots are of dodgy quality and there is a sequence or two that is choppy, but this is an action movie! ‘Who am I?’ was not shooting for the awards season. This is one of Jackie’s best action based films and one of my all time favorites.
I highly suggest you pop out to your local rental store, jump onto Netflix or go on amazon and purchase this beast of a flick. Its fun, action packed and it doesn’t let up till the very, very end. Please, for my sake and everyone else here at Everything Action, check out ‘Who Am I?’ as this weeks action classic. Enjoy and I’ll see you next week with another Action Adventure Classic.
Watch a fight scene from “Who Am I?” below:
video://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjkSC4SQORw