Skiptrace (originally Jue Di Tao Wang) is a 2016 action comedy film directed by Renny Harlin and with Jackie Chan, Johnny Knoxville and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing. It is about a Hong Kong cop and a passionate gambler who – each for their own reasons – must work together to bring down the Chinese crime syndicate and its mysterious leader “The Matador”.
It is a film that, quite honestly, I did not want to watch at first, but for reasons unknown, I did, and as I was forced to watch this light-hearted and carefree film, I began to remember why Jackie Chan is one of the most popular names in Hollywood.
My relationship with Skiptrace wasn't very good from the start, as I was skeptical due to the less than stellar advertising campaign in the US and the seemingly arbitrary and abstract title.
With its stunning cinematography, great fight scenes, and hilarious characters, I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed the 106-minute film (although I think it could have been 15-20 minutes shorter and still been just as good).
Benny and Connor
The two stars of the film, Jackie Chan And Johnny Knoxvillefit well together as they are total opposites forced to be temporary teammates. They make the difference between old and new, honor and results. Benny Chan is a Hong Kong detective rooted in honor and doing the right thing, while Connor Watts is a troublemaker who always seems to be followed by a rather large and dangerous human.
Connor is on the run from the Russian mafia, the Chinese crime syndicate and the Hong Kong police. Chan He vows to protect his fallen partner's daughter. It feels like the story brings the two main characters together for no real reason. However, we can enjoy the great back and forth between these two fast-talking men.
Source: Cider Mill Pictures
Johnny Knoxville is a well-known speaker. Even back to his roles in the action films Walking Tall, in which he played alongside Dwayne JohnsonMen in Black II and even his MTV Jackass days. Jackie Chanhas usually played the sidekick with minimal lines, and that's why his portrayal in this film is so much fun. It really feels like Jackie Chan was able to dominate this role and the entire film.
Home, sweet Hong Kong
One of the best things about the film is the use of the Hong Kong landscape and the various Chinese traditions shown throughout the story. The combination of the two really allows you to get a feel for what the director Renny Harlin I wanted to show Hong Kong in all its natural beauty. Landscape, culture and more were shown in Skiptrace.
We see several shots of farm, river and mountain landscapes in this film that are simply beautiful to behold. I believe that Chinese culture and the beauty of their country is a very special source of pride for their countrymen and so it was a concerted effort by the production team to make the Hong Kong landscape almost as important to the film as the characters themselves.
Source: Cider Mill Pictures
A few times in the film we see how our characters (one is used to it, one not so much) come into direct contact with Chinese culture and tradition and this contributes to the success of their story. For example: Chan And Knoxville are chased through the city and are forced to sing before they can get past a group of women. It's the only way to get past, and it's a funny scene because the villains chasing them inevitably have to sing as well to get past the women, forcing one of the crime syndicate's henchmen to break out into a half-lazy, half-exaggerated dance routine that even includes the recently popular dance move “dab.”
Jackie's business card
It may be surprising, but Jackie Chan Fights in this movie. No? No surprise? You already knew that? Oh well.
Jackie Chan Fights in this film, and a lot of fights. Right at the beginning of the film we see Chan on a boathouse of sorts while snooping around the seedy room. He encounters a guard dog and nearly escapes by using the dog's toy ball as a distraction. However, the ball falls into the room where the villains are and slowly bounces down the stairs to their feet. Madness quickly breaks out.
The well-choreographed fight scenes in this film last about 5-10 minutes each, and at the beginning a woman is thrown through a window and hurled lengthways into the sea?? I'm officially in! (We hope she's OK.) Most of the fight scenes last several minutes and move through their respective sets as if Jackie Chan He himself has lived in these warehouses forever and knows every corner that he can use to his advantage.
Source: Cider Mill Pictures
There is a fight scene in particular where we see Jackie Chan fights a very strong and physical female character. Throughout the fight, he keeps telling her that he doesn't feel comfortable hitting a woman, while she lashes out at him in anger, breaking everything he uses to defend himself in half. Eventually, he uses her strength against her and she wraps herself in several layers of plastic, seemingly on her way to suffocating. We see her again later in the film, though this was a bit disturbing. Actually giving a deserving villain an ending in this way would have added a real and necessary dose of toughness to the sometimes “fluffy” film.
Although Jackie Chan's character 'Benny' is a bit more of a rogue cop in this film than we've ever seen him (he bullies and intimidates Knoxville's character without end, which is fun to watch, from Chan) he is still very noble and nice Jackie Chan we know that, and I was happy to see that… I guess.
PSA: Don’t skip Skiptrace!
With the use of cinematography and the focus on Chinese culture, the lovable and always noble aura is used, which Jackie Chanand since the film’s fight scenes captivate and excite the audience, “Skiptrace” is an insider tip.
It is a film that does not take itself too seriously and is determined to capture the light ups and downs of Chan Comparisons Knoxville. What it lacks in story and depth it more than makes up for in fun and action. Rent Skiptrace today and sing before you cross the border!
Have you seen Skiptrace yet? Tell us what you think of the film in the comments!
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