PANDA PLAN – Review

Ever since 1995’s RUMBLE IN THE BRONX lit up our screens, I’ve been a huge fan of Jackie Chan. Not only for his subsequent work on this side of the Pacific but scrounging through every available resource to watch his previous Hong Kong action flicks. To date, I’ve seen over 80 of his 146 credited roles. Nobody has ever combined physical and character comedy as delightfully as he has. His work is even more remarkable considering that he’s choreographed and performed most of his own stunts for about 45 years!

Jackie turned 70 this past April, so his level of physical artistry is obviously starting to decline. But his new kid-friendly comedy, PANDA PLAN, delivers all the slapstick energy of his usual productions. Perhaps even too much for grownups. But kids should be delighted.

Jackie plays a version of himself, thrilled by the offer to “adopt” a baby panda at a huge island theme park (mercifully, not Jurassic). But simultaneously, a wealthy sheikh hired a big gang of heavily-armed mercenaries to kidnap the furry little celebrity (the bear cub, not Jackie) for his own unexplained reasons. When they crash the ceremony for what should be an easy heist that wouldn’t require using the weapons they brandished, Jackie and a few others make it far more difficult than expected. The panda-grab is further compromised by how star-struck many of the baddies are to find Jackie there. His adoring fan base seemingly spans the spectrum from wide-eyed kiddies to hardened mercs.

Typically, Jackie frenetically copes with being forced to do in real life the fighting he’s only done on movie sets. His early training was in the gymnastics of Chinese Opera, not the realm of competitive martial arts. So, the bad guys chase the defenders and cub all over the massive place with plenty of fights and flights. It’s mostly played for laughs, with little blood and a low casualty rate.

My tepid rating is a compromise between the high degree of enjoyment it will bestow upon the little ones – especially considering the adorable CGI critter of the title that gets plenty of screen time. Panda merch should start flying off the shelves much faster than any actual panda has ever moved. For adult fans, the silliness level may seem excessive; less in balance with the story being told than has generally been the case. Also, those of us who’ve always savored the outtakes of stunts gone awry that became a Jackie trademark need not wait for them. They just roll credits alongside an up-tempo music video featuring the costars. Keep that in mind for deciding whether to send the kids to the multiplex, or adjust expectations for sitting there with them.

PANDA PLAN, in English and Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles, opens Friday, Oct. 18, in select theaters.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars