Rumble In The Bronx (4½ Stars)

"Rumble in the Bronx" (1995) is the film that finally made Jackie Chan a star in America, even though it was originally made for the Hong Kong market. New Line Cinema gave it a wide US release in 1996, and audiences who'd never seen Chan before were amazed by his breath-taking stunts, acrobatic fight scenes and effortless comic timing. Overnight, Hollywood realised it had been ignoring one of the world's greatest action stars.

The film itself is surprisingly uneven. It takes almost half an hour to get going, with too much dull chatter and a paper thin plot before the action really kicks in. Even then, much of its version of New York feels like a collection of Chinese stereotypes about America, complete with cartoonish street gangs and exaggerated culture clashes. Fortunately, once Jackie gets moving, the film comes alive. The spectacular shopping centre fight, rooftop leaps and the unforgettable hovercraft chase in the streets of New York are among the most inventive action scenes of the decade. "Rumble in the Bronx" may not be Jackie Chan's best film, but it was the one that finally introduced his extraordinary talents to America, and cinema was better for it.

Drunken Master 2 (5 Stars)

Despite its title, "Drunken Master 2" (1994) isn't a sequel to "Drunken Master" (1978). The only connection is that Jackie Chan is once again playing the legendary folk hero Wong Fei-Hung and using the famous "drunken boxing" style. The stories are completely unrelated, the tone is different and even the characterisation of Wong Fei-Hung has changed. In the original film, Wong is a mischievous teenager learning discipline from the eccentric Beggar So. Here, he's an accomplished martial artist whose greatest challenge comes not from learning kung fu but from balancing respect for tradition with doing what's morally right.

Set in early twentieth century China during the final years of the Qing Dynasty, the film takes place at a time when foreign powers were exploiting the country's political weakness. Rather than telling a simple revenge story, "Drunken Master 2" uses this historical backdrop to explore the theft of China's cultural treasures by corrupt officials and foreign interests. National pride runs throughout the film, but it never overwhelms the action or the humour.

What sets "Drunken Master 2" apart is Jackie Chan's astonishing physical performance. Every fight builds on the last, combining comedy, breath-taking acrobatics and bone crunching stunt work with almost impossible precision. The final battle against Ken Lo is one of the greatest martial arts fights ever filmed, ending with a spectacular sequence in a steelworks that pushes Chan's willingness to risk serious injury to unbelievable levels.

More than thirty years later, "Drunken Master 2" remains the high point of Jackie Chan's career. It's not a true sequel to "Drunken Master", but it surpasses the original in almost every way. Funny, exhilarating and technically astonishing, it's one of the greatest martial arts films ever made and the film that finally convinced the world that Jackie Chan was a once in a generation talent.

Downsizing (4 Stars)

"Downsizing" has one of the most brilliant science fiction concepts in recent years, then spends the next two hours trying to avoid it.

The opening act is wonderfully inventive. Scientists discover how to shrink human beings to five inches tall, promising a future where overpopulation, climate change and financial inequality might finally be solved. Matt Damon's everyman sees downsizing as a chance to escape his ordinary life, and the film initially feels like a sharp satire of consumerism and modern economics.

Then it changes its mind.

What begins as a social comedy becomes a marital drama. That soon gives way to a fish-out-of-water story, before turning into a romance, then a critique of wealth inequality, then a meditation on global poverty, followed by an environmental apocalypse and finally a philosophical search for the meaning of life. Each new theme pushes aside the previous one, leaving the fascinating central premise increasingly forgotten.

The result is a film that feels less like a carefully constructed narrative and more like several unfinished screenplays stitched together. Every time "Downsizing" finds an interesting idea, it abandons it in favour of another. The miniature world itself, arguably the film's greatest attraction, becomes little more than a backdrop for subjects that could have been explored without shrinking anyone at all.

The real disappointment isn't that "Downsizing" has too many ideas. It's that it refuses to develop any of them fully. Rather than exploring the social, political and ethical consequences of its extraordinary premise, it keeps jumping to the next big theme before the previous one has had time to breathe.

"Downsizing" is an ambitious film that deserves credit for thinking big, but its constant thematic detours prevent it from becoming the great science fiction satire it could have been. It shrinks its characters, but never quite decides what it really wants to say.

Success Rate:  - 1.2

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Rush Hour 3 (4½ Stars)

I watched "Rush Hour" and "Rush Hour 2" back to back in 2022, but I waited four years to watch the third film. It was a mistake to wait so long, but maybe it was wise to have a gap. The first two films are masterpieces. The third film is good, I'd say very good, but in a direct comparison with the first two films it falls short.

Instead of building on the strengths of its predecessors, "Rush Hour 3" settles for repeating the formula with less energy and lower stakes. The only thing in its favour is that there are more laughs. It's still watchable thanks to its stars, but it's easily the weakest entry in the trilogy.

Success Rate:  + 0.1

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The Housemaid (4 Stars)

Before it was even released, "The Housemaid" had all the ingredients of a guilty pleasure thriller. A bestselling novel, an attractive cast and a premise built around secrets, lies and shifting loyalties promised something in the vein of "Gone Girl". The result is an entertaining psychological thriller that delivers plenty of tension, even if it doesn't quite reach the heights it could have.

Amanda Seyfried gives the film its strongest performance. She walks a fine line between elegance, vulnerability and menace, constantly making you question her true intentions. It's a layered performance that keeps the audience guessing from beginning to end. Sydney Sweeney is equally compelling as Millie, bringing warmth and determination to a character who could easily have been reduced to a typical thriller heroine. Her chemistry with Seyfried gives the film much of its dramatic power.

Where "The Housemaid" falls short is in its screenplay. Some of the twists are telegraphed too early, while others arrive so quickly that they don't have enough time to breathe. The final act is exciting, but a little more restraint and psychological ambiguity would have made the revelations more satisfying. The supporting characters are also somewhat underdeveloped, making them feel more like plot devices than fully realised people. Would the film have lost anything without the gardener Enzo?

Even so, the film remains an absorbing watch. The stylish direction, strong atmosphere and committed performances ensure that the suspense rarely fades. It may not become a classic of the genre, but thanks to Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, "The Housemaid" is a polished, entertaining thriller that keeps you invested until its final twist.

Success Rate:  + 9.4

Fantastic Four: First Steps (5 Stars)

Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is easily one of the MCU's strongest films in years. Instead of relying on endless cameos and multiverse chaos, it tells a confident, self contained story with genuine heart. The retro futuristic 1960's setting gives the film its own identity, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach make an instantly believable family and Galactus finally feels like the cosmic threat fans have waited decades to see.

So why wasn't it a box office sensation? The biggest problem wasn't the film itself. Years of uneven Marvel releases have eroded audience trust, making many viewers wait for streaming instead of rushing to cinemas. Superhero fatigue has also become a real factor, and the Fantastic Four have never had the mainstream popularity of Spider-Man or the Avengers. By the time "First Steps" arrived, it was trying to win back audiences who'd already stopped paying attention.

Ironically, one of Marvel's best recent films became a victim of the franchise's weaker years. "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" proves the MCU can still produce exciting, character driven blockbusters. It just arrived after too much damage had already been done.

Success Rate:  + 0.9

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Thunderbolts (4 Stars)

B-O-B.

Spell it backwards. What does it say?

The same motherfucking shit.

Success Rate:  + 0.1

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Dragons Forever (4 Stars)

There's an irony in the film's title that might not be obvious to modern viewers. It's not just an exciting name for an action film. In reality, it's a tribute to Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, the legendary "Three Dragons" of Hong Kong cinema. Having trained together at the China Drama Academy under Master Yu Jim-yuen, the trio spent years redefining martial arts films with their unique blend of breath-taking stunts, comedy and flawless fight choreography. The title suggests that the Three Dragons would make films together forever.

However, "Dragons Forever" was the last film to feature all three stars together in leading roles. Although they continued to collaborate in different combinations, this was the end of an extraordinary partnership that had dominated Hong Kong action cinema throughout the 1980s.

The film cleverly avoids making its heroes instant friends. Jackie plays a charming lawyer working for a corrupt chemical company, Sammo is a scruffy private investigator, and Yuen is an eccentric inventor whose bizarre gadgets rarely behave as intended. Their conflicting personalities create plenty of comedy before circumstances force them to unite against a common enemy.

As always, each Dragon brings something different. Jackie supplies his effortless charisma and fearless stunt work, Sammo provides both the comic timing and the emotional heart of the story, while Yuen reminds audiences why he's one of the greatest physical performers the genre has ever produced. Together, they create a chemistry that no other trio has ever matched.

The plot, involving industrial pollution and corporate corruption, is stronger than many Hong Kong action comedies of the period, but it's really just a framework for spectacular action. The unforgettable finale, culminating in Jackie's ferocious showdown with Benny Urquidez, ranks among the finest fight sequences ever filmed.

Looking back, "Dragons Forever" feels like a fitting farewell. Its title turned out to be prophetic. The Three Dragons may never have headlined another film together, but their influence has never disappeared. Their films continue to inspire filmmakers and thrill audiences around the world. In that sense, the dragons really are forever.

Toy Story (3 Stars)

Disney Wednesday #30

I've rarely felt so ashamed to give a film a low rating. While watching "Toy Story" with my granddaughter Evelyn I could objectively accept that it's a good film, but it didn't excite me. Usually when I watch children's films I try to see them through a child's eyes, but this time I couldn't. I've made an effort to write a fair review, but my three star rating will will remain unchanged.

Evelyn laughed out loud while the film ran. What did she see that I didn't? She saw a world where her greatest wish is true: her toys really are alive.

To a young child, Woody isn't just a cowboy doll and Buzz Lightyear isn't just a plastic spaceman. They're friends with their own hopes, fears and adventures, carrying on secret lives whenever grown ups aren't looking. It's an irresistible idea that encourages children to see their own bedrooms as places of endless possibility.

The story is simple enough for young viewers to follow, yet exciting enough to keep them on the edge of their seats. There are funny characters, colourful settings and just enough danger to make Woody and Buzz's journey thrilling without becoming frightening.

Most importantly, the film celebrates imagination. After the credits roll, children don't just remember the story, they return to their own toys and continue it themselves. That's the real magic of "Toy Story". It doesn't end when the television is switched off; it inspires hours of make believe long afterwards. Few films understand childhood quite so well.

Success Rate:  + 11.4

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