The 1998 smash hit Jackie Chan would happily delete from history: “I still don’t like the movie”
Unsatisfied with merely being one of cinema’s most iconic action stars, Jackie Chan continued to broaden his horizons to the extent that he set a world record for wearing the most different hats on a single production, showcasing his versatility beyond acting.
2012’s Chinese Zodiac – also known as CZ12 or Armour of God 3, depending on where in the world it was released, saw him credited as the movie’s writer, director, lead actor, producer, executive producer through his production company, cinematographer, art director, unit production manager, catering coordinator, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, composer, singer of the theme tune, and part of the props department. He probably booked a few Ubers, too.
He was so heavily invested in his output that he even decided to shoulder the burden of feeding the cast and crew. With all that in mind, maybe it’s not all that surprising to discover that the film from his own back catalogue he dislikes the most restricted him to solely being an on-camera performer, albeit an extremely well-paid one.
Although he’d flirted with Hollywood in the past, it wasn’t until Rumble in the Bronx, released in 1996, that he scored a genuine hit at the American box office with his name above the title. It captured the attention of many producers, leading to a lucrative offer reportedly worth $15million to co-star alongside Chris Tucker in Rush Hour. That would be around $31m in 2026.
Chan was already a massive star in his native China and had been for some time, but it was the 1998 buddy comedy that turned him into a worldwide superstar, leading to a hugely lucrative trilogy. From there, the offers to headline films in the United States increased exponentially, with the actor splitting his time between foreign and domestic productions.
However, despite the huge bump Rush Hour gave his international appeal, Chan, strangely, didn’t care for it much at all. In fact, he was happy to admit he was only doing it for the money, with his creative and artistic ambitions hardly being fulfilled by the string of relatively by-the-numbers English-language buddy comedies that followed in its wake.
“I have reasons to do each film, I have something to say. Unlike Rush Hour, there was no reason, you just give me the money and I’m fine,” he said, “I dislike Rush Hour the most, but ironically, it sold really well in the US and Europe”. It’s a take that many find confounding, including one Donald Trump.
However, despite the film’s continued appeal, Chan’s stoic opinion didn’t change over the years, either, with his disdain for the franchise remaining as evident as ever. While it might continue to wrack up new fans as teenagers come of age and delve into the joys of the frivolous cinema of the late ‘90s, the martial artist keeps chopping the praise down to size.
“I didn’t like the movie, I still don’t like the movie,” Chan told the Los Angeles Times recently, “I don’t like the way I speak English, and I don’t know what Chris Tucker is saying”. It’s not without irony, therefore, that one of the most famous quotes that Tucker dishes out is, “Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth!”
Chan didn’t see the funny side of that. The financial windfall would have softened the blow somewhat, but it’s strange that his biggest crossover hit would be the one he disliked above all others.
Trump will be hoping that Chan’s longheld disdain for the hit, quipping franchise doesn’t dent his dream to bring the Rush Hour 4 that nobody asked for, including its lead star, to the table.
