Sap ji sang ciu [Chinese Zodiac aka Armour of God 3] (2012)

(In French, On TV, March 2020) Hey, why didn’t anyone tell me about this film? Just as I was thinking I had seen every classic Jackie Chan and resigned myself to his retirement, here’s a late-period Chan that’s clearly aligned with his classic era of goofy martial arts adventure. Chan is his usual deceptively amiable self, and while he’s not quite as fast or daredevil as in his earlier years, he’s still a joy to watch in action. While the result isn’t quite a complete tonal fit for the mantle of “Armour of God 3,” it’s clearly set in that tradition, with the plot being a big ball of nonsense meant to propel us from one action sequence to another. It works, though: We don’t ask too many questions, we get to enjoy Chan in France (what is it with Chinese movies set in France?), and admire the tradecraft of the numerous high points. I do have a few issues: there’s a feeling, for instance, that the best sequence of the film is not kept for last, which creates an unbalanced climax. The film also introduces some martial artists two-thirds of the way in through disconnected sequences, once against betraying an imperfect structure. Still, Chan fans will find what they’re looking for: imaginative set pieces (rolling down a hill at high speed, or being stuck in a hedge maze), silly-fun fighting sequences, a bit of historical detective work, and an entertaining atmosphere. There are even a few pleasant surprises along the way, such as Oliver Platt randomly showing up in a tertiary role, or short appearances by a Canadian stamp and some maple syrup. Chinese Zodiac, directed by Chan himself, is clearly meant to be a career capstone of a sort, the last of his purely leading roles: The end credits not only contain the usual revealing outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage (including how they filmed the skydiving sequences) but it also offers a retrospective of Chan’s career-in-action highlights. Later appearances since 2012 have seen him in more sedate supporting roles. Still, this isn’t a bad send-off for an action legend: one last kick at the can to show what he could still do in his late fifties.