Movie Review: Skiptrace (2016)
Synopsis: Nine years after his partner was murdered, Hong Kong police detective Bennie Chan is still trying to prove prominent businessman Victor Wong is both the killer and a criminal mastermind known as "Matador." When his latest attempt to obtain evidence results both in failure and significant property damage, Chan is placed on a leave of absence but instead of taking a vacation, he is forced to hunt down American conman Connor Watts to help his deceased partner's daughter, Samantha, who has crossed paths with Wong's crime syndicate and is in trouble. The assignment proves to be fortuitous when Chan learns Watts has evidence implicating Wong but the men first must make it back to Hong Kong alive.
Who's in it? The movie stars Jackie Chan, Johnny Knoxville, Bingbing Fan, Winston Chao and Eric Tsang.
Review: I had never heard of Skiptrace until I came across it on one of our movie channels over the weekend. From the description, it sounded like a low-budget rip-off of Jackie Chan's Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon movies, but I still decided to watch it with my wife last night. For the most part, I was right in my assumption, but it still turned out to be a fun film to watch.
The movie leans heavily into a proven Jackie Chan formula - pair him with an American actor/comedian, focus on the cultural differences and fill in the rest of the movie with great action scenes that have a solid mix of martial arts and comedy. While this movie did lean a little heavy on the Asian culture thing, to the point it felt as though it could have doubled as a Travel Channel documentary, that formula still worked.
I'm not a huge Knoxville fan but he has had some memorable roles, and I thought he did a decent job in this pairing. His character, Watts, was one of those guys who probably would do the right thing if needed but, at the same time, wasn't completely trustworthy. This did lead to some unexpected moments that helped keep the movie interesting.
I also liked how the overall plot wasn't as predictable as I thought it would be. I kind of suspected the surprise twist involving Matador and was able to point out one of the "secret" bad guys a few minutes into the film. However, there were quite a few wildcards as well, including the Russian criminals who were looking for Watts with the help of Siberian hitwoman, Dasha (Eve Torres). It was unclear what kind of role they would ultimately play in all of it.
The end of the movie was solid, with a fun (and destructive) final battle before a humorous and touching closing scene. Unlike too many films, the writers knew how to wrap things up in a satisfying way.
Final Opinion: I wouldn't classify this as one of Jackie Chan's best movies, but it does borrow from his best roles and manages to be an entertaining film. I'd recommend watching it.
My Grade: B
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