Panda Problem is now out there to observe on VOD and Blu-Ray.
Jackie Chan is among the world’s best filmmakers, film stars, and stunt performers. And because of all the entertaining, thrilling, and electrifying issues he’s completed onscreen over time, there are nonetheless flashes of greatness to be present in a lesser Chan work just like the halfhearted household action-comedy Panda Plan. But the remaining is simply reminders of previous glories: As I watched him foil the kidnapping of a uncommon panda, my thoughts drifted to extra pleasurable experiences with Chan. Panda Plan invitations these comparisons: Chan performs a model of himself, bumbling enemies steadily say issues like “this is rather like your motion pictures” to him, and there’s even a tepid, meta reflection on his wide-ranging profession. Alas, Panda Plan by no means comes near assembly the excessive bar set by Drunken Master and Police Story. It can’t even rise above being barely amusing briefly bursts. A distracting CGI panda additional undercuts the physicality lent to the movie by the dedicated 70-year-old Chan (who reportedly misplaced consciousness in a single headlock scene).
It all kicks off with a self-aware scene Chan takes on a small military of armed goons – even earlier than we hear a director yell “lower” the lackluster results and plentiful squibs clue us in that that is an deliberately dangerous motion sequence. Consulting his schedule between takes, nothing catches the star’s consideration – till he’s provided the possibility to undertake a panda. We’re then whisked away to a distant zoo that appears like a reduction Jurassic Park set, minus any allure or texture.
A rushed montage establishes the overall format of the place, but it surely additionally performs like a slick, empty commercial. Chan digs into some Dairy Queen ice cream, meets the caring zoo assistant Su Xiaozhu (Shi Ce), and seems to be having the time of his life. Of course, there can be no time to unwind with a candy deal with or mess around along with his new panda pal: A gaggle of cartoonish mercenaries quickly arrive as a way to steal the panda and ship it to their vaguely sketched stereotype of a Middle Eastern benefactor.
The panda results are the stuff of nightmares; they make the cat from the much more atrocious Argylle seem like a CGI masterpiece. All the lovable sounds that it makes can’t conceal the seams of performances organized round a cuddly co-star who isn’t truly there. There are apparent logical and moral hurdles to throwing round an actual dwell panda cub on set, however any type of sensible creation could be preferable to this. Watching Chan wrestle to play off the impact is painful and, contemplating how Panda Plan’s total premise hinges on how cute the animal is meant to be, it makes it arduous to get in any respect emotionally invested within the expertise. It’s as cheap-looking as it’s creepy, and you may’t actually blame director Luan Zhang for taking any alternative – like when the cub will get caught in a field – to maintain it out of sight.
As for the motion, Chan’s gusto deserves some credit score. He’s actually going for it and doing all that he can to offer this in any other case lifeless movie some power. He’s not as spry as he as soon as was, however he’s nonetheless an extremely expressive actor – his face alone sells Panda Plan’s ample slapstick. But he’s combating a dropping battle towards the best way the motion scenes are staged and shot. Where Chan’s finest movies enable for wide-angle pictures with minimal edits, this one retains reducing away from the motion for lackluster gags and shenanigans that took me utterly out of the scene. No matter what number of occasions the mohawked mercenary ringleader retains popping as much as glower and infrequently struggle, Panda Plan by no means turns into an thrilling motion movie.
By the time we get to the supposed climax the place Chan has to tackle the person behind this complete mess, Panda Plan utterly falls aside. Not solely is that this remaining battle anticlimactic, which is really saying one thing contemplating every thing that comes earlier than it, but it surely results in one final weird twist. The mawkish reveal of the panda heist’s true motivation turns the already shaky story right into a parody of itself – one thing meant to be taken critically with out Panda Plan doing something to remotely earn it. Chan, by way of virtually sheer drive of will, makes elements of the movie virtually watchable, however not even he can save this ending. It’s the cherry on prime of the insufferable sundae – I used to be left feeling like I’d have somewhat watched the pretend film from the opening scene. Better but, I might’ve watched one of many many higher motion pictures Chan has made earlier than. Panda Plan, for all of the methods it’s enamored with its star’s previous achievements, is caught of their shadow.
