I Am Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan

Average Rating 9/10 (1 Review)

Jackie Chan is a martial arts superstar. The star of some 40 movies, for decades his adrenaline-charged moves have won fans; in 1995, with the release of Rumble in the Bronx, the mainstream caught on - and now he ranks alongside Bruce Lee.

Despite widespread media exposure (from chat shows to men's magazines and a host of Internet websites), Jackie has never told his own story in his own words.

He relates his story from an almost Dickensian childhood (his parents nearly sold him to the doctor who delivered him!) apprenticed to a Chinese opera master, to his glory days today following his "discovery" as a stuntman by the director John Woo.

Review by Vex (011201) Rating (9/10)

Review by Vex
Rating 9/10
I first heard about Jackie Chan back in the early/mid eighties, and managed to catch a couple of his films on dodgy video copies, despite this lack of quality I was very impressed with his action style and his abilities.

I wasn't until recently that I've managed to watch a lot of his films, and thanks to DVD and Hong Kong Legends. I now have a large collection of Jackie Chan films.

I've never read an autobiography before; I guess I've never been that interested in a 'personality' to really find out more about them. However I'm very glad to have decided to read this one.

Jackie's life has been pretty amazing, from growing up in Hong Kong and attending the Chinese Opera School and his many attempts to break into both the Hong Kong and American film industries.

The majority of the book focuses on Jackie's early life, his parents leaving him at the Opera School, his gruelling training and the beatings and torture from both his 'Master' and his 'Brothers'. In many ways it's difficult to condone the 'training' that these children had to go through, but at the same time without this punishing training, the likes of Jackie Chan and Samo Hung wouldn't exist.

The book moves on to cover his attempts to make a name for himself in Hong Kong cinema, starting out as a stuntman and eventually moving into lead roles (Snake in the Eagle's Shadow being his first major success). Having broken into the Hong Kong market, he made several failed attempts at the US film market (Battle Creek Brawl and Cannonball Run I & II (Playing a 'Japanese' character!)).

I think this book will appeal to both fans and non fans alike, it's very well written, in a friendly personal style, with a lot of humour, and plenty of little insights into Jackie's life.

The appendices include a list of all the major accidents and injures that have occurred, top ten stunts, top ten fights, and a comprehensive filmography. A truly excellent book!
Vex (1st December 2001)