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Starring
:
Jackie
Chan
Michelle
Ferre
Mirai
Yamamoto
Ron
Smoorenburg
David
Leong
Action
:
Sing
Ga Ban
Producer
:
Barbie
Tung
Director
:
Benny
Chan Jackie
Chan
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WHO
AM I? (1998)
A.K.A.
- Jackie Chan's Who Am I?
Reviewed
by Phil Mills
Jackie
plays a member of an elite commando unit that are sent on a
secret mission deep in the heart of South Africa. When
his platoon comes under attack, he is thrown from a helicopter
and assumed dead. Unbeknownst to his colleagues though,
he survives the fall with serious head injuries but is treated
by a friendly native tribe. Unfortunately, his recovery
is not as complete as he would have liked and Jackie finds
himself with no recollection of who is he (hence the title).
His only option is to return to civilisation and start his
search for his true identity which will perhaps bring his
memories flooding back. However, he soon discovers that
he is not the only man who is interested in his background as
he is questioned by police and attacked by unknown assailants
at every corner. Will he ever discover who he is or will
he wind up a John Doe in the morgue?
In
recent times, particularly with 'Rumble
in the Bronx' and 'First
Strike', Jackie Chan seems to have shifted the focus of
his films away from outstanding fight sequences in favour of
the insane stuntwork. This move has certainly assisted
in making him a household name around the world but true fans
have missed the days in which Chan would go toe-to-toe with a
suitable opponent. 'Who Am I?' is sadly not the film to break
this trend (although it does see a fond return to the
all-action finale) but luckily it does still retain an
exceptional likeability thanks to Chan's sheer physical
endurance and eye for creating inventive action sequences.
Alongside this, Benny Chan seems extremely capable of
harnessing a fun adventure film and manages to make a rather
ludicrous storyline seem acceptable as he keeps the pace
fast-moving and concentrates firmly on Chan's strong points.
If there is one downside, it is most likely applicable to some
of the western actors who often come across as incredibly
"B-Movie" in comparison to Chan and his Asian
co-stars.
Despite
a distinctly international feel to the production, 'Who Am I?'
is certainly a solid outing from Chan which fans will
appreciate. Obviously it is still not the long lost 'Drunken
Master 2' successor that we are all searching for (in
vain) but it does feature some top action and typical
Chan-isms that make it extremely entertaining.
Rating:
 
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