Rumble in the Bronx (1995)
Director: Stanley Tong
Starring: Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Francoise Yip, Bill Tung
Primary genre: Action
Secondary genre: Comedy
Jackie’s big break in the US long before Brett Ratner’s Rush Hour (1998) was Stanley Tong’s charming Rumble in the Bronx. Unlike other 90s Chan flicks that bore lame villains and plots which unnecessarily feature Jackie playing himself(!), this one genuinely has bad guys we want to see their asses getting kicked: gangs from, you guessed it, the Bronx.
“Don’t ever make trouble here. Or I’ll beat you up each time. Careful, mind the step.”
Boasting a superb costume design only the 90s can be proud of, Jackie goes head to head with, as he calls them, “garbage” in many sequences that range from street chases to the now iconic fight in the gang’s hideout. There Chan creates one of his most inventive set pieces where several things are used for weapons in pitch-perfect reaction time and a dose of humor. This Fred Astaire and Charlie Chaplin hybrid from Asia not only conceived his own action style but since his humble debut in the 70s still continues to impress with his setup of energetic scenes under expert editing, seamless moves and unmatched physical confidence. Of course this does not mean Chan forgets what his audience desires. He quenches their thirst for dangerous shenanigans by staging ludicrous, perilous stunts (that saw him breaking his ankle) that a lot of time to pull them off. There is a lengthy hovercraft chase with spectacular stuntwork, a jump between buildings, a bike race on top of parked cars, and more which are enough to place Rumble in the Bronx among Chan’s best and easily digestible films.
Thunderbolt (1995), Police Story 4 (1996), Mr. Nice Guy (1997), and Who Am I? (1998) were overall mid-tier in terms of quality and when compared to Rumble in the Bronx , it is obvious how the latter is tighter and more visceral despite a thinly sketched plot at its core. Nevertheless, the Hong Kong cut is vastly superior to the International cut giving room for extra character growth.
Cast wise, the successful chemistry with the comedic goddess that was the late Anita Mui seen in his Miracles (1989) and in Drunken Master II (1994) returns while the stunning Francoise Yip provides plenty of eye candy as the strife generator which results in the Bronx becoming a battleground. The ultra stereotypical, OTT white villain who causes more mayhem to this New York district than Bruce Banner did in The Incredible Hulk (2008) might rub some people the wrong way, then again the whole movie is not supposed to be taken seriously.
Rumble in the Bronx is not Chan’s finest output but it is among his better and most memorable outputs. It might not have the martial arts panache of Drunken Master II or the breathtaking stuntwork of Police Story (1985). Its plain but easy to follow story is an excuse to display great stunts, fun fighting and solid comedy with high production values. Fans of the beloved actor will eat this up. Newcomers will be delighted and genre aficionados will have a blast.
Chan’s big US break
+Chan’s charisma
+Energetic and inventive fighting
+Great stunts
+Anita Mui!
+Stunning Francoise Yip!
-Thinly sketched plot
-OTT villains