RUMBLE IN THE BRONX (1995)

MORGAN'S RATING

After years as the biggest star in Asia, Jackie Chan took North America by storm in 1996 with this first American effort. Keung visits his uncle in the Bronx and ends up helping protect a local grocery store from thugs. A beautiful neighbor's involvement with the gang catapults Keung into even more trouble, and it will take all of his wits -- and whiplike kicks -- to save himself. The film introduced Chan's original combination of masterful martial arts and goofy comedy to a widespread American audience.

Jackie Chan (Ah Keung), Anita Mui (Elaine), Francoise Yip (Nancy), Bill Tung (Uncle Bill), Marc Akerstream (Tony), Garvin Cross (Angelo), Morgan Lam (Danny), Ailen Sit, Chan Man Ching, Fred Andrucci, Mark Antoniuk, Lauro Chartrand, Chris Franco, Lance Gibson, David Hooper, Kathy Hubble, Terrance Leigh, Dean McKenzie, Kimani Ray Smith, Lisa Stevens (Tony's Gang Members), Kris Lord (White Tiger), Richard Faraci, Mark Fielding, Terry Howsen, Jordan Lennox, Gabriel Ostevic, John Sampson, Owen Walstrom (White Tiger's Gang Members), Carrie Cain-Sparks (Whitney), Guyle Fraizer, David Fredericks, Harold Gillespie, Alf Humphreys (Police Officers), Elly Leung (Realtor), Rainbow Ching (Saleslady), Jamie Luk (Friend with Limo), Emil Chau (Ice Cream Salesman), Alex To (Ice Cream Customer), Hua Yueh (uncredited).

NO FEAR. NO STUNTMAN. NO EQUAL.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Stanley Tong (Supercop 2). WRITERS: Fibe Ma and Edward Tang. PRODUCER: Barbie Tung. CO-PRODUCER: Roberta Chow. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Raymond Chow and Leonard Ho. LINE PRODUCERS: Johnny Lee and Shan Tam. ORIGINAL MUSIC: Nathan Wang and J. Peter Robinson. DISTRIBUTOR: New Line Cinema.

QUOTES

Ah Keung: If you got the guts, drop the gun.

FACTS

Ah Keung: I hope next time we meet, we will be drinking tea.

RELEASE DATE: February 23rd, 1996 (USA) BOX OFFICE OPENING: $9.8 million (USA) BOX OFFICE RESULT: $32.3 million (USA) BUDGET: $7.5 million (USA) - The script called for a leap from the top of a parkinglot to a fire escape on the floor below on the building across the street. As is his custom, director Stanley Tong attempted the stunt before asking any actors to do so. He tried it with the help of a cable harness. The landing point was not visible from the point where the jump began, so tape was placed on the take-off point as a guide. The jump was completed perfectly by Jackie Chan on the first attempt, doing his stunts as is his custom. The jump was captured by four cameras. - Filming in Vancouver, Canada on October 6th, 1994, Chan broke his right ankle while attempting the scene where he jumps onto a hovercraft. Despite the injury, he was present at the premiere of Drunken Master II (1994) at the Vancouver International Film Festival that night. Later in the production, Tony sprained his ankle, completing the film on crutches. Francoise Yip also broke her leg while filming the scene where she rides a motorbike across the tops of parked cars. She insisted on returning to the set after her leg was plastered at the hospital. Two stunt women also broke their legs during the filming of the motorcycle chase.  - The wearhouse fight scene took 20 days to film, with Chan having to teach the local stunt players to fight "Hong Kong-style".

Ah Keung: Don't let the situtation change you. Change it.

Ah Keung: Don't you know you are the scum of society?

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"Unlike most action stars, Chan understands acting. His face is as flexible as his body, and, when he's moving, he's like a violent, supercharged combination of Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and Buster Keaton." -- James Berardinelli, Reel Views

"You can smirk at Rumble and deny its pedigree with some justification, as long as you concede that it's ten times more fun to watch than Before and After and Mary Reilly put together." -- Mike Clark, USA Today

"The whole point is Jackie Chan -- and, like Astaire and Rogers, he does better than anybody." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times

"A giddy triple somersault of a film that makes no sense whatsoever, although in its best moments it is as much fun to watch as a death-defying circus act." -- Stephen Holden, New York Times

"The film may look amateurish, but the camera-work is fluid, the best to catch Chan's choreography." -- Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

"Giddy, surprisingly and raucous fun." -- Rob Blackwelder, Spicedwire

"Chan is his usual amazing self onscreen." -- Ray Greene, Box Office Magazine