In 1995, Rumble in the Bronx was released internationally and the world was introduced to Jackie Chan. What a perfect introductory movie this is.
At this point Chan was already hugely famous in Asia with mega hits such as The Legend of the Drunken Master and the Police Story franchise, as well as some other classics that he stared in alongside Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao.
While Rumble in the Bronx was not an American production, it's story took place in New York (being mostly filmed in Vancouver though) with the movie getting dubbed and released worldwide.
I can only imagine what it must've been like to see Jackie Chan on the big screen for the first time, without being familiar with his prior work. North American audiences were used to seeing these macho stars such as Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Van Damme, who seemed invincible. This was far from the case with Rumble in the Bronx and Jackie Chan in general, who is constantly vulnerable when faced with a threat, but at the same time showcasing his agility and martial arts talents.
Rumble in the Bronx perfectly encapsulates his style of action with a short 90 minute movie that is constantly moving. The story is simple (as in most Jackie Chan movies) and the action is top notch. From the first brief action scene in the supermarket you can tell that this guy is the real deal. His speed is highlighted by the great camerawork. You can see that he isn't using a stunt double. With the American action heroes of that era, the hand to hand combat scenes were often limited to simple brawling which consisted of back and forth jabs and hooks (ex: Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones). Combining the complex choreography with the use of props brought something completely new to the table. That fight scene towards the end of the movie with the gang members is one of his greatest fight scenes when it comes to using items that he finds in his environment. The movie also featured some fantastic chase sequences, another staple of Chan's action style. The one towards the middle of the movie that culminates in him jumping from the top of a car park to a staircase a few meters across is excellent. The final chase sequence which features him chasing a hovercraft on both sea and land is hilariously over-the-top.
Sadly, the American produced movies he starred in were in my opinion far inferior to the greatness he had achieved in the 80's up to and including 1998 which marked the release of Rush Hour. The first Rush Hour movie is solid, but after that I felt like all his other movies were a watered down experience. The action was not as exciting, the stunts nowhere near as impressive and the humor often felt forced.
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