Comic-Con 2012: Jackie Chan Gives the Lowdown On ‘CZ12’
You would be hard-pressed to think of a martial arts star more famous than Jackie Chan. His movies are the stuff of kung fu legend. Technology might change, but his style and his penchant for always doing his own stunts have never gone out of style. But with his latest film, CZ12, it is the end of an era. This will be Chan’s last big action film. Film Equals was at Comic-Con to hear all about it.
Chan is quick to point out that this will not be his last film, only the last one in which he plays a starring role and performs all of the breathtaking moves that have made him a household name. The film is set mostly in Paris and Chan plays a thief (but a good guy, he assured the audience) who is after four priceless works of Chinese art that were stolen from his country centuries earlier.
The trailer promises a movie that is action-packed, yet never loses the sense of humor that Chan always brings to his films. As he demonstrated with a microphone, a complicated nun-chuck manuever can quickly turn into a moment of comedy with just a well-placed move. Watching this dynamic man, one gets the sense that he is in complete control of his body at all times, whether he’s drop-kicking an opponent or making a “I just got kicked in a tender area” face.
It’s no secret that CGI, green screens and modern movie-making technologies have almost entirely replaced the sort of stunts that Chan executes so flawlessly. Rather than lament this progress, Chan is all for it. Calling himself “stupid,” he seems glad that the next generation of action stars don’t have to risk injury in order to thrill audiences.
If you are a fan of Chan…and really, who isn’t?…make sure you don’t miss this movie.
CZ12 kicks its way into theatres on December 12th, 2012.
