The Foreigner (2017)

Strong and Moving!

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Yeah, you got that reference right. Good old Chong Wang finally did a serious movie. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Jackie Chan's movies, his sense of humour, the good old Chop-Socky that Darlene introduced to me back in the seventies, sitting in the front row of the theater.But, this is very different from his other movies. Pierce Brosnan plays a one-time IRA member, now part of the government who is involved with a group which doesn't care who its victims are, including the daughter of Quan --played by Chan-- who wants nothing more than revenge.The fight scenes are well coreographed, and Quan's injuries certainly take their toll on him, his face marked, bleeding. There is nothing funny about revenge.We have good special effects, the stunts are exciting and the violence is revolting -- as it should be. It's a story of betrayal and finally, a satisfying resolution to the conflict.

I love this movie through and through. I've made all my friends and family watch it, and I've seen it myself no less than a dozen times. It is precisely my cup of tea. Why? Well, I'm not too great at explaining myself or critical thinking on film, but I'll give it a shot.The pacing. Starts out with a bang, dials it way back, then turns up gradually. We don't so much see a mystery unfold as we do go through a process somewhat behind the eyes of Jackie Chan's character. He takes his time, not that he bides it.The fallible hero. Jackie Chan is old. You didn't know? Well he is. And it shows. They don't try to go the Stallone route where he somehow hasn't lost a step and can fight a tank even though he's in his 70's. When he gets hit, it hurts. No more 30 minute long fights with ladders and folding chairs.The villain. Pierce Brosnan is one of my faves, and he turned up a good performance, in my opinion. An ex-extremist gone soft, playing politics. His presence enough would've been enough to satisfy, but he played the part well. Thankfully.The score/soundtrack. Carpenter-esque, and it really sets the tone. Keeps it tense. People who aren't familiar with Carpenter might liken it to the score used in Stranger Things. And I think it's perfect.I guess those are the major points. Now go watch it. It may be the last time you get to see Jackie Chan in a decent movie.

This was a thriller that kept me engaged from the beginning to the very end with several surprising plot twists. I have seen many Jackie Chan movies and the seriousness of his character was refreshing. I swear I don't thing he ever breaks a smile during the entire the movie. There are a lot of revenge flicks that follow the same ole same ole but even though the principle was the same the story telling was a great. My only complaint was that as a 61 year old, and he looked all of it, he was pulling off some really implausible physical action and stealth scenes. I thought he played the vengeful father very well. He did not have many speaking scenes but the dramatic effect was still there. If you are looking for a Jackie Chan movie with the usual comedy/action appeal this is definitely not for you.

As an action movie, this film is excellent. But more to the point, it starkly shows up the tragedy that inevitably ensues when people nurture hatred. In the film, it is the IRA, but it could easily be applied to other places where they are still fighting wars going back as many as 500 years or more.