Synopsis: Action superstar Jackie Chan leads this tour-de-force as Steelhead, a Chinese laborer who comes to Japan hoping for a better life. Unable to find honest work and bullied into the shadows with his fellow Chinese illegal immigrants, he soon finds himself ascending as the boss of a black market mob. After providing a deadly service to a powerful Yakuza crime boss, Steelhead’s rise to mafia power spirals rapidly out of control as he’s given reign over the dangerous and lucrative Shinjuku district. Get set to root for the underdog as Jackie Chan battles Asia’s most ruthless underworld gangs in this action-packed crime drama.

SHINJUKU INCIDENT features action choreography by Hong Kong’s top stuntman and martial arts choreographer Chin Ka-lok (Full Throttle, All’s Well Ends Well ’97). It was written by Chun Tin-nam (Warlords, Crime Story) and Kevin Yee (Protégé, One Night in Mongkok). It was produced by Willie Chan (The Medallion, Shanghai Knights) and Solon So (The Spy Next Door, The Forbidden Kingdom) and executive produced by Jackie Chan (The Medallion, Shanghai Knights) and Albert Yeung (The Myth, The Medallion). The film’s co-stars include Naoto Takenaka (Shall We Dance?, Tokyo) and Xu Jinglei (Warlords, Brothers). It received theatrical distribution in the U.S. by Barking Cow Distribution and Columbia Pictures. It has a run time of approximately 120 minutes and has been rated R for graphic violence, brief sexuality and drug use.

Review: Jackie Chan is definately one of our favorite action stars here at the Legion.  We enjoy all of his work to date, even the international releases.  What makes the Shinjuku Incident special is that its not at all in his typical mold.  Jackie departs from the cheeky and lovable martial arts genius and takes a darker turn to drama.

I honestly wouldn't have picked Jackie for this role, but it really works for him.  He conveys a very serious and dark side in this film that shows off his acting ability.  He really is versitile.  I see the trailers for the new Karate Kid film and I see a lot of seriousness in his portrayl of Mr. Miagi, and after seeing Shinjuku I can believe it.  Jackie battles his way through the asian underworld in search of his girlfriend.  The movie itself is a little in the mold, but Jackie is so jarring that he makes it all worth while!

DVD Bonus Material: Select Scenes Commentary with Jackie Chan and Say Hello to the Bad Guy: Up Close with Jackie Chan 

Interest Range: Jackie Chan, Martial Arts, Action/Adventure