Declaring that he is both "too old" and "really, really tired," 58-year-old actor Jackie Chan told reporters at Cannes that his new action film, Chinese Zodiac, will be his last ... Of course, Chan has made these sorts of pronouncements before in recent years, but this time he says he really means it ... stopping with all the kicking will allow audiences to see "the real Jackie Chan," the real Jackie Chan said, adding, "I want to be an Asian Robert De Niro"—a sentiment he expressed in the sense of his wanting to find more diverse roles, and in that, 10 years from now, Asia will be wondering aloud why the hell Jackie Chan agreed to be in this.Jackie is selling himself short. De Niro ought to try to be the Tribeca Jackie Chan.
I love Jackie and hope he continues to be involved in the film industry for decades to come. His dramatic roles though have been of ... shall we say ... dubious quality. Not to say he hasn't had his moments, but it's like he's afraid to smile unless people thinks it means he's about to slip back into kung-fu mode.
This is actually the first I've heard of Chinese Zodiac, so instead of launching into tribute mode, I'm going to see what that's all about. This might be a good time to re-watch Drunken Master 2, Police Story, Dragons Forever, or Armour of God though ...