Customer Reviews

I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For many Americans, Jackie Chan made his screen debut in the late 1990s with such hits as *Rumble in the Bronx* or *Rush Hour*. But a privileged few have been enjoying his movies for more than two decades, from the cheap, non-stop-kung-fu flicks he first starred in to his more recent and more expensive cop movies and period pieces.

*I Am Jackie Chan* is the story of the making of these movies and of the man who made them possible: a first-hand, first-person account of Jackie Chan's eventful life, from his training at a Peking Opera school, where we discover the overweight bully who was to become "big brother" Samo Hung, to his second and hugely successful attempt to conquer the American public.

The book unravels the rather bumpy ride to stardom of this atypical martial artist who always preferred being beaten up by the bad guys to the other way around, who repeatedly risked his life to perform the most incredible stunts ever filmed (Jackie stop! We don't want to lose you!) and whose happy-go-lucky persona finally eclipsed that of Bruce Lee himself.

I really loved this success-story, set in a world whose death warrant was signed in 1997 when the Communists took control of Hong Kong. Jackie has seen it all, from the Shaw Brothers to Golden Harvest; from the greatest of all Hong Kong directors, King Hu, to that smug, overbearing, cigar-smoking individual with a penchant for "bathroom humor and clumsy slapstick"- Lo Wei; from the evil Triads to the elitist clique of the movie stuntmen, who lived in the present because their future didn't even have a wire to hang on to.

If for you the names of Cheng Pei Pei, Michelle Yeoh (pre-Tomorrow Never Dies) and Yuen Woo Ping (pre-Matrix) have more magic to them than the equivalent Hollywood names, then you will enjoy this unique, exotic auto-biography, which really begs for a screen version in the vein of *Dragon: The Story of Bruce Lee*.

A good companion to this volume is the 75-minute video documentary entitled *Jackie Chan: My Own Story*, which shows rare footage from his films, bloopers and interviews with Jackie Chan, his closest associates and the American stars who count themselves his fans. At the end of this documentary, Chan says that he has fulfilled his three dreams of personal success, but that he now has a fourth one: world peace. I think we definitely ought to give him that. He deserves it.

A fascinating insight into the mind and career of the world's biggest movie star. With exhaustive (and exhausting!) descriptions of Jackie's brutal Peking opera training and early days as a stuntman and actor, almost everything you want to know about Jackie is here.

Not that there aren't omissions - his illegitimate son Jaycee, now trying to make a name for himself as an actor, is never mentioned. Jackie is also quick to take credit (he claims 'Half a Loaf of Kung Fu' and 'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow' were the first kung fu comedies, which they weren't) and slow to give it out (he describes his opera brothers' film 'The Prodigal Son,' arguably the best kung fu movie ever made, as "solid"). But Jackie's charisma and determination shine through on every page, and you can't help but admire the guy. A must read for Jackie fans and aficionados of Hong Kong cinema.

I am a huge Jackie Chan fan. I love all of his movies and thought that this book would be great to read. I was shocked at all that Jackie had been through in his life. Just reading this book made me feel for him, and since I have read this I am trying to see every movie that he has made. This book tells his life story and all of the stuff about his movies that you could not read anywhere else. It has a list of all of the movies that he has made, his top ten stunts, his top ten fights, and the injuries that he has received. I recomend this to anyone who likes Jackie Chan, or to anyone looking for a good book.

I am a Jackie Chan-crazy Korean fan from my childhood. I have grown up with his movies, & he has always been my hero. Every New Year's Day was the day to meet my best friend in a theater. I even started sutdying martial arts seeing his movies.

Frankly, I didn't like the fact that he wants making movies in US. JC is JC because he makes Jackie Chan movies in 'ASIA', American moviemakers don't know what he costs, what he needs for his movie. We fell for him when he hurts for his movie, & we loved him &his movies. Ironically, JC is loved because he always put himself into 'real' danger.(maybe I'm a little bit sadistic) Of course, he also gives us big laughs, After all, most of US action movies aren't funnier than JC's. Even 'Rush Hour'(US-touched-movie) isn't Jackie Chan Movie, I think. (not as exiting as his HK movie) JC must be JC. He has to make his own movie.

But after reading this book I understand him now. He's 45 years old now, & can't last forever. But he would be able to last much more as an action hero in US with US hi-techs. I want to see him in theater as JACKIE CHAN(the carzy, body-falling, bone-breaking, 'just' him) much longer. Now I read this book, I can see much more about him, share the things with him. You see, 'Everything changes'.

This book is really a fun, warm, worth-reading book. How JC became the biggest star in Asia(even now in Staes), how he went through his childhood, rough days, loves, & his BROTHERS. He didn't describe him as a perfect guy, he also tells us his miserable things, & it makes him much more beatifull. Real life success story, from nobody to Asia's most loved guy to a superstar even in US! I recommend this book.

This autobiography reads as easily as a letter from a friend. It focuses more on the person behind the image than on the movie star, it's entertaining, the characters and incidents are brought to life, and the pace is even throughout. From the harshness of his childhood training, through all the phases of his career to his international stardom, Mr. Chan maintains a sense of humor, which is why we like him. His persistent spirit matches his physical abilities, and he couldn't be anything but a hero.

Jackie Chan's book predominantly tells the story of his childhood growing up in Hong Kong, but this does nothing to take away from the end result of having read it; a greater respect for this stuntman, actor, etc. who has changed the face of Asian cinema.

For those who wonder what he could have to say besides listing his injuries, consider these examples: his impressions of working with Bruce Lee; run-ins with the Asian mafia; his insights into differences between Hong Kong and Hollywood film making; and the startling relationship he has with the star of 'Martial Law' that provides a surprise ending.

Far from a 'the making of my movies' book, Jackie Chan offers a person-to-person narrative that sounds like a long, friendly chat with your neighbour.

I wasn't even a Jackie Chan fan. I haven't even seen any of his "good" movies yet . . . but I'm so impressed with the book, its content, messages, writing style . . . but most of all, with the man himself . . . who really deserves all the success he's had and more. I'm proud of him and glad that he's a superstar.

It's one of the best and most enjoyable books I've read.

I wish I could give this book ten stars.

I'm not even a big Jackie Chan fan. I've seen a few of his new movies and enjoy them. I've been into reading biographies and since my husband is a big fan of Jackie Chan, I thought I'd give it a try. Well, it is one of the best books I've read.

My favorite aspect of the book is Jackie's relationship with Samo Hung. In the beginning, they have a bully/victim relationship. Then slowly, they gain mutual respect for each other...which eventually leads to friendship and a great working relationship. I think it's very inspiring because it shows how the people we "hate" today might be our best friends one day.

I was really surprised how their relationship turned out. I didn't expect them to become friends, I thought Jackie Chan was just venting about this annoying guy from his childhood and that the character would be dropped as soon as he left the opera school. Then when it seemed like the bully was actually staying in the book and getting a career of his own, I asked my husband if he had ever head of him. My husband said "Yeah, that's the guy from Martial Law." I was shocked!

I'm not the type to read "Hollywood bios," (or Hong Kong ones) but after seeing Rush Hour and a dozen other Jackie movies, I couldn't resist giving the book a whirl. What a surprise to find such a well-written and thought-provoking story! I literally couldn't put it down. I spent all day sneaking around reading it at work, then stayed up until 3 a.m. to finish it.

As a student of traditional kung-fu (thanks to Jackie's influence), I've met practitioners who trained under the same abusive system as Jackie did. Although infused with humor throughout, the book really made me appreciate the suffering--most of it imposed by others--that goes into making a top kung-fu artist. I'm so glad that Jackie's life has followed the old adage "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger." He survived numerous hardships, poverty, and lots of really badly directed movies to emerge as the confident and successful star we know today. Jackie, thanks for giving Americans a much-needed HERO--not only in movies, but in real life!

Although it was Jackie's story, I really applaud the fabulous job that Jeff Yang did on the writing end of things. Great work!

I'm so glad I read this book not both for getting to know more about Jackie Chan and for slices of life he shared with Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao and other memers of the Yuen family at Chinese Opera Academy. As much as you like Jackie from watchin his movies, you'll like him many times more after reading about his background. The book is sheer inspiration for surmounting whatever obstacles may be in one's path and living one's dreams. It is not only a story about one man's life, but a testament of the human spirit.