The Medallion
Directed by: Gordon Chan
Starring: Jackie Chan, Claire Forlani, Julian Sands, Lee Evans
Rated: PG-13 for action violence and some sexual humor.
Parental Notes: The content of “The Medallion” is fine for preteens and above, provided they can endure the mediocre fight scenes and atrocious dialog and acting.
Jackie Chan has made some absolutely wonderful films in his time. Unfortunately, his record lately has been more than a little hit or miss. Delightful films like “Shanghai Knights” have been interspersed with films like his latest, “The Medallion.”
The plot, as in most of Chan’s films, is superfluous – it’s more of an excuse for the fights than anything else. In this case, Chan has to keep nasty international villain Snakehead (Julian Sands) from getting both halves of a mystical medallion, which can only be activated by a small boy. The medallion can resurrect the dead, bringing them back to life as invincible, immortal super-warriors. Chan’s character, a Hong Kong police officer, is aided by a couple of Interpol agents (Claire Forlani and Lee Evans).
The problem with “The Medallion” isn’t the plot, it’s the simultaneous lack of charm and lack of amazing stunts. Chan’s movies are carried by a blend of his charisma and his ability to at least bend, if not break, many of the laws of physics. Here, however, Chan’s charm is diluted and his stunts are far from breathtaking.
While most of Chan’s movies feature innocuous secondary characters, “The Medallion” suffers under the burden of Chan’s sidekick, moronic Interpol agent Arthur Watson (Lee Evans). Although he is clearly meant to be comical and is played by an acclaimed British comedian, most of his slapstick-filled scenes are actively annoying and make the intermittent waits for the next fight scene difficult to bear. Anyone who enjoys humor with even a modicum of intelligence will likely spend most of Evans’ screen-time wincing.
Chan’s character is a bit off, as well. Again, it’s difficult to tell if this is a problem with the script or with Chan himself. Somehow the sweet, bumbling charm that usually shines from every one of Chan’s pores is missing here. Chan has little more to do than look surprised and let the wires pull him around during ho-hum fight sequences.
The rest of the supporting characters are fine. Forliani’s Interpol agent is amusing and rather sweet. Sands, as the villain, is as over-the-top and nasty as can be. That’s typical for a Chan film, although it’s a shame to see Sands’ talent wasted yet again in a role almost anyone could have filled.
The biggest disappointment in the movie, however, are the stunts. Chan has long been known for his death- and gravity-defying ways, but here we see him using wires to help both himself and the other actors. This isn’t balletic, “Matrix”-style wirework, either. It looks awkward and unreal in comparison to what audiences are used to expecting from Chan.
Overall, “The Medallion” is a disappointment. Those looking for a fun but forgettable action flick would be better served by one of Chan’s earlier films or by “Bulletproof Monk,” a bad film which is in many ways far superior to this one. The fights in “The Medallion” aren’t worth the waits one has to endure.