as with his other stateside releases , jackie chan 's latest chopsocky vehicle , mr . nice guy , is contrived , blockheaded , and lacking in narrative logic .
but also like those other films , it is a highly enjoyable ride .
once again , chan 's screenwriters ( here edward tang and fibe ma ) have taken the easy way out and named their star 's character simply jackie , with no last name .
this jackie is a world - class chef who co - hosts a popular cooking show on australian television .
of course , jackie also happens to be a talented martial artist , and these skills come in handy when he becomes involved in an ambitious reporter 's ( gabrielle fitzpatrick ) expose of a drug dealing ring .
other plot details , involving a videotape and a biker gang , are irrelevant ; in fact , as is the case with most chan films , the plot itself is just about irrelevant .
the sole purpose of mr .
nice guy 's existence are chan 's comic fight scenes , and those here do not disappoint .
director samo hung ( who has a cameo role ) , a longtime collaborator of chan 's , does not waste any time putting chan in action , diving head - on into a wild chase / fight / shootout after a brief cooking show prologue .
other impressive set pieces follow
, most notably a chase in a mall , which directly leads to some frenzied , if cliched ( can you say fruit cart ? ) , business involving a runaway carriage ; and an extended late - film sequence at a construction site , in which a hilarious pursuit through a maze of blue doors culminates in some exciting fights involving boards , cement mixers , and a deadly buzzsaw .
none of the action sequences in mr .
nice guy are as spectacular as supercop 's thrilling helicopter - train finale or rumble in the bronx 's daring leap between two buildings ; nor is anything as inventive as the ladder fight or air tunnel climax in first strike and operation condor , respectively .
but the action delivers , even if the energy peters out before the film 's end ( the finale , as spectacular as it is , is a letdown for fans of chan 's athletic prowess ) .
filmed almost entirely in english ( even so , the voices of some english - speaking actors are laughably dubbed ) , mr .
nice guy hints at jackie chan 's latest transition to hollywood productions ( he made ill - fated attempts with 1980 's the big brawl and 1985 's the protector ) ; next in the pipeline is rush hour , a stateside production co - starring chris tucker .
hopefully that film will be a mere diversion in tinseltown , and chan will continue with exuberant hong kong productions such as mr .
nice guy , for
his unique charm and reckless abandon are sure to be diluted by american hands , much like they have been before .
a highly enjoyable ride some exciting fights other impressive set pieces follow the action delivers hilarious his unique charm and reckless abandon