Movie: “Skip Race”
Director: Renny Harlin, Cast: Jackie Chan, Johnny Knoxville, Bingbing Fan, Eric Tsang, Eve Torres, Winston Chao
Rating: **1/2
Reviewer: Troy Ribeiro
The film is designed as a road trip action adventure mix and is a casual, hackneyed trash film that offers nothing new.
For those wondering what the title means, debt tracing is the process of determining the whereabouts of a person for a variety of purposes.
And true to its title, director Renny Harlin's latest work is about the journey of by-the-book detective Benny Chan (Jackie Chan), who is on the trail of American con man Connor Watts (Johnny Knoxville) to organize the arrest of a notorious criminal known as the “Matador.”
The non-linear film begins in Hong Kong, where Benny fails to save his best friend and partner Yung (Tsang) from the trap of a mysterious underworld boss, the Matador.
But before he dies, Yung makes Benny promise to take care of his young, motherless daughter Samantha (Bingbing Fan).
Nine years later, Benny is still obsessed with uncovering the criminal's identity and bringing justice to his lost friend.
His investigation soon leads him to believe that the man he is looking for is actually the business magnate Victor Wong (Winston Chao). However, due to a lack of evidence, he cannot pursue the matter any further.
Meanwhile, in Macau, American conman and gambler Connor Watts is being hunted by Russian gangsters.
Watts' path crosses that of Benny and before he is taken to Russia, he witnesses a murder in a hotel.
Soon Watts is accused of murder and Benny is accused of being his accomplice.
Samantha, who works as an undercover agent in the luxury hotel and hopes to find a connection between the owner Wong and her father's death, is taken hostage by the gangsters. And Benny is forced to track down Watts in Russia and bring him back to Hong Kong.
The script is really the sore spot. Ben David Grabinski and Jay Longino's script is full of lackluster twists. The plot is riddled with plot holes and drags along at a leisurely pace. The same goes for the performances of the lead duo.
As he ages, Jackie Chan offers, with much restraint, the same acrobatic stunts and hack skills in action sequences that he did in his younger days. Unfortunately, the madness, the exuberance and the spirit are missing.
His chemistry with Johnny Knoxville is superficial and frivolous. There is no depth to their interactions. Their dialogue and one-liners are generally silly and ludicrous, with no particular edge or comic bite.
The rest of the cast spontaneously contributes to the drama.
The film has some odd cuts, particularly when Watts calls his supposed girlfriend Natalie and asks her father for help. This abrupt cut is just one that stands out.
The over-the-top action sequences, including the massive destruction of the set or the river scene, make you feel like you've seen this scene in many other films.
The only positive aspects of the film are the beautiful landscapes and a singing sequence in Mongolia, beautifully captured by the lens of cinematographer Chan Chiying.
Overall, you should only watch Skiptrace if you are a Jackie Chan fan.
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