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The Myth
Jackie Chan and gravity-defying Hindus 
Studio: JCE Entertainment Ltd. Format: Movie Released: 5/11/2005 Written by: Face 
Jackie Chan meets Zhang Yimou. It's a strange mishmash of the genres: the high-spirited comedy, and the overly contrived romance. The Myth blends features of an historical wu xia epic with typical Chan action-dram-edy, but it never actually comes close to working. It's a shame really, given the potentially exhilerating subject matter - the adventures of gallant archaeologist Jack and valiant and proud General Meng-yi - but writer/director Stanely Tong permeates the film with the dramatic realism of a fairy tale.
The movie begins during the Qin dynasty, with Chan as the exceedingly indomitable General Meng-yi. Immediately, an opposing regime attacks their army in hopes of capturing the Princess, Ok-soo. After fighting off hurtling fireballs, opposing soldiers, and a session of tug-of-war with a horse-drawn charriot, Chan awakens centuries later. He is now an audacious archaeologist, named Jack, who lives in a ridiculously lavish flat, equipped with a removeable roof and his own golf green. Jack's nights are haunted by dreams of romantic encounters with Ok-soo, the Emporer's stunning consort. However, after his best friend, William (Tony Leung Ka-Fai), proposes a quest to obtain a newly discovered gravity-defying element, they begin on an adventure that will lead them to the most inexplicable resolution you could ever not imagine. Much of the film jostles around as Chan bounces back and forth between his fluctuating counterparts; the structure of the movie ends up being more of a constant interruption than anything else. Romantic encounters are cut short by transitions to present-day Hindu temples and superfluous action sequences. Jack and William roam around in search of a mythical gem, rumored to have been sent by Qin to India, as well as Qin's ancient mausoleum, said to contain the secrets to immortality. Their undertaking ends up turning into an illegitimate raid on a forbidden Hindu temple containing historical artifacts. While this goes against Jack's ethical standards, he seems to be more focused on his starry-eyed romance to notice. As they attempt to make it out of the temple, Jack ends up finding an ancient sword, bizarrely in perfect condition, and narrowly escapes from a horde of angry Hindu monks. Tong punctuates these schemes with cloak-and-dagger flashbacks to Gen. Meng-yi and Ok-soo as their stilted love continuously builds. Acting as her servant, Meng-yi protects the princess as they trek towards the Empire, adventuring dangerously into the countryside.  It is somewhere around this point when the focus of the film is lost within its round-about motifs. Both storylines are so disconnected from each other that it would have been better if they just focused on one or the other; Tong's from-pillar-to-post structure is tiresome and uninspiring. Chan is also dramatically inept as Gen. Meng-yi and surprisingly brainless for an archaeologist; considering Jack's presumed intelligence, it is odd it took him so long to figure out William was actually deceiving him into helping the bad guy, Mr. Ku (Sun Zhou), obtain immortality.
For a Jackie Chan production, The Myth is also surprisingly violent, and even bloody at times; particularly, in the ending set piece, which drags on for what seems an eternity. It takes place within a cavern containing an ancient monument among a legion of imperial guards suspended in animation; friends and foes fly around aimlessly. Tong fails to capitalize on the resolution for its intended effect. To me, it seemed like something out of a science-fiction novel; it was entirely inappropriate and disconcerting. It's a shame. Jackie Chan has stated recently that he wants to try to get away from his usual film roles, and attempt a career as a serious dramatic actor. The Myth is a dreadfully painful tumble in the wrong direction. Martial arts... flying... immortality... princesses... romance... what in God's name were they thinking? * (Horrible) Posted: Saturday, October 21, 2006
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