...really gotta give mega-action-star Jackie Chan, some serious gumption. After all, look at the dude; at only 59 years of age, still being one of the most youthfully vibrant celebrities, working in martial arts cinema, despite his seasoning...and still doing his own stunts, at his age, no less. The guy is, without a doubt, the 'Mick Jagger' of the martial arts movie genre, in the sense that the death-defying stunts that he does, isn't gonna kill him; it'll be merely the fact that he'll keep tirelessly working in the motion picture field, up until the point that...well, up to the point when he just can't do it, anymore, physically...he's that dedicated. What's so damn cool about that dedication, is that for him, it's not just for the money...it's for the endless, world-wide legion of fans, who he dedicates himself to. As such, this proves a most invariably inarguable point, considering his well-documented, record breaking stuntwork, which has been a better part of his work...as well as the ensuing, equally record-breaking injuries, which he has sustained, in the course of the 40-some-odd years, which he has been performing (...and for those privy to all of Jackie's work, that observation might be emphasized best, in watching the jaw-dropping end-credit outtake footage, in each of his films...a practice, which he was inspired to include at the end of each of his films, after having starred in 1981's "Cannonball Run"...which also included outtake footage, during the end credits). Well, this viewer is here to tell you that despite his reported announcements, Jackie seemingly appears to have no sign of stopping in his tracks and packing it in, as far as offering his fans, the death-defying, action-packed thrills and chills they've come to expect, as evident in his latest cross-country actioner (...yes, he directed this one, too)...a rollicking excursion in comedy, intrigue, mystery and high adventure, called "CZ12: Chinese Zodiac"...
...originally stolen during one of China's most infamous opium wars, during the mid 1800's, and later, subsequently lost and scattered to parts unknown, a major present-day acquisitions company (...led by Stateside character actor Oliver Platt) hires adventurer and treasure hunter, JC, to search for and retrieve a number of large bronze animal heads, each of which individually represent one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. Having acquisitioned some of the valuable treasured pieces, which have garnished millions of euros for the company, at auction, the company promises JC, ten times the quoted search bonus, if he can find and retrieve the remaining bronze heads...
...under the guise of a magazine reporter, JC seeks out a historics professor, who has...through archival pictures...replicated all of the bronze heads for study, and after covertly & digitally replicating the heads himself, JC proceeds to Paris, France, to seek out Coco (Xingtong Yao), a beautiful young philanthropist and art collector, who suspectedly might know the whereabouts of two of the bronze animal heads. Given a tour of the collector's home, JC covertly 'cases the joint', in preparation for a nighttime 'acquisition' caper. During the evening's daring caper, JC finds the two bronze heads, as well as a number of other priceless art pieces, which have escaped his grasp, in the past; a flaw in the caper results in JC getting caught in the act, though after escaping with the pieces, and perchance inadvertently running into Coco, again, JC 'comes clean', and deceptively reveals himself to be a courier for a secret organization, dedicated to recovering the lost and stolen artifacts of China, much as herself...
...with clues then leading our intrepid team to a remote castle, replent with more renowned treasures, owned by a gal, Katherine (Laura Weissbecker), who joins their cross-country sleuth (...she's looking for her great-great-grandfather's remains), and who's descendant had once captained a ship, 'The Indestructible', which was reputed to have been carrying more of the bronze heads, JC's team journeys to a remote, albeit reportedly uncharted and uninhabited island, where 'The Indestructible' was reportedly grounded,there. Upon stumbling upon the remains of the ancient ship...long since grounded, and choke by jungle growth...JC...expressing an underlining elation...and his traveling associates are taken aback at not only finding more of the bronze heads, but also the dusty & tattered corpse of Katherine's great-great-grandfather...as well as a very large cache of gold. However, much more of this rich adventure lies afoot, as island pirates intervene on the golden discovery...and JC's true motives for this treasure sleuth, come to light...as well as a diabolical double-cross, which ultimately culminates in the discovery and threatened destruction of the Dragon, the last of the bronze heads...the acquisition company's true underlining motivations, in substituting replica treasures at auction, instead of the actual treasures...as well as a dynamic hand-to-hand battle between two highly skilled kung fu treasure hunters...
...if all of this sounds way too familiar...yes, folks, a certain famed, leather-clad Stateside globe-trotting archaeologist and adventurer...named after his dog...most assuredly comes to mind. And yet, considering the honored tradition, compelling intrigue and jaw-dropping dynamics of this particular adventure, "Chinese Zodiac" genuinely packs a much more powerful punch, than say...uh, that of Indiana Jones's latest trek, through the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, some years ago. Given all that, it does seem a bit shameful, however, that devoted fans of Jackie Chan's films are left a bit disrespectfully in the dust, with regards to this film; any true Jackie Chan devotee would clearly see "Chinese Zodiac" as the third chapter in Jackie's 'Armour of God' series (...following 1987's "Armour of God", and 1991's "Armour of God II: Operation Condor"), with him clearly playing his wise-cracking, recklessly adventurous, candy lozenge-popping, kung fu-skilled treasure hunter for hire, Asian Hawk (...'JC', huh?? Yeah, he wasn't fooling me one bit...). However, that bit of dissing is more than forgivable, given Jackie's dynamically awesome presence and acrobatic skill, in these proceedings...himself, perhaps moving just a smidgen bit slower, than in the past, but no less 'wow'-instilling...
...once again, reportedly, "Chinese Zodiac"...a delightfully fast-paced, rollicking, non-sensical, no-holds-barred-action popcorn movie, to be sure...is Jackie Chan's farewell gift to his fans, with regards to this film being his last starring action movie (...as evident by his overlaying heartfelt dialog of thanks, during the end-credit, outtake footage); if it truly is his last...well, all due credit to Jackie, for calling it quits, while he is still relatively on top. And if it truly isn't...that is, if one day, Jackie gets that invariable and irresistible itch, which he just can't satisfy, without strapping on the stunt harness, and brandishing up his kung fu moves, than all power to him. This ardent and devoted fan will most assuredly be there, in the theater audience, when he does...
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