Jackie Chan: My Story (1998)

Jackie Chan spent many years as a relatively obscure Hong Kong stuntman and actor; it was only after he took over his own films that he started on the path to superstardom. Realizing that nobody bought him as the next Bruce Lee, Chan shrugged off stoicism in favor of characters and situations that capitalized on his comedic abilities and everyman's charm. Portraying an average guy caught up in extraordinary situations allowed his fans to believe that they, too, could pull off some of Chan's incredible stunts--which, as the painful outtakes that run at the end of most of his films remind us, he largely performs himself.

Unfortunately, Chan might have learned his lesson a little too well: now that he trusts his own instincts above all others, he seems to be loath to let others tell his story for him. On the 75-minute My Story, it's a fatal flaw: rather than providing what fans want--either non-stop action or a truly revealing look at Chan's life would be fulfilling--this documentary feels more like a late-night low-budget infomercial for those who don't really care about Chan. (It even includes the full trailer from Chan's first Hollywood starring effort, Rush Hour.)

The only time Chan truly lets people into his life comes in My Story's final moments, when he talks about what his monomaniacal professional drive has cost him in terms of a personal life and what his life's goals truly are. Even that falls flat in the end, when Jackie, surrounded by children, tells of his one, true dream: "Peace." For a more professional look at Chan's life and career, try the A&E-produced Biography installment on him. --Randy Silver Amazon.com

A dream come true!

This is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. I thought I knew everything about Jackie Chan, but man was I wrong! This documentary is overloaded with info. Jackie's path at becoming the world's top action star wasn't an easy one. If you are a Jackie fan then you have to see this documentary. One thing I found interesting is that Jackie and his stunt team are blacklisted from every insurance company in Asia. There is no way I could go over all the stuff he talks about. There is nothing better than hearing Jackie's stories from Jackie's own mouth.

And in case you don't know about Jackie Chan, then I will just tell you that he put his life on the line for almost every movie he made. And he has made a ton of movies! He is one of the world's top actors, but he always did his own stunts. Included in this documentary are some of his most famous stunts, and also some outtakes, including the one where he gets hit by a helicopter!

Rating-5/5. I would give this a 100/100 if I could.
August 4, 2007

A Great Documentary on a Great Man

If you've even heard of Jackie Chan, you must see this video. No documentary before this has ever given you such a real story on the life of this living legend. April 14, 2006

Not too bad

While I did enjoy watching the film, being an avid Jackie Chan fan I found that the information that I recieved in the film was not anything I did not know before. I was also quite disapointed by the cheaply created opening and cut scenes. The voice over for some of the injury videos was also quite appaling.
If you dont know much about Jackie Chan though it has some very interesting parts about his injuries and most dangerous stunts.
I would have liked him to go more indepth about his family life and history in the Chinese Opera School though.

Bela February 26, 2006

Not too bad

While I did enjoy watching the film, being an avid Jackie Chan fan I found that the information that I recieved in the film was not anything I did not know before. I was also quite disapointed by the cheaply created opening and cut scenes. The voice over for some of the injury videos was also quite appaling.
If you dont know much about Jackie Chan though it has some very interesting parts about his injuries and most dangerous stunts.
I would have liked him to go more indepth about his family life and history in the Chinese Opera School though.

Bela February 26, 2006

Heartwarming

A hartwarming DVD about Jackie's background, life, interests and passions in life. A wonderful companion to his book "I am Jackie Chan" which I think all of his fans should read, too. October 17, 2004

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