Few stars have worked harder to give audiences pleasure over a long haul than Jackie Chan.
But lately, his screen appearances have been those of the elder statesman still trotted out to nominally preside over expensive but flavorless official diplomatic functions you doubt even he relishes.
The newest case in point reunites him with director Stanley Tong, a sporadic collaborator since “Supercop” nearly three decades ago.That movie was inspired escapism.
“Vanguard” is just the clock-punching variety, big, flashy and generic in all save its silliest excesses.
Like several other recent mainland China megaproductions, this action spectacular seems hellbent on containing every possible marketable genre element, with no concern for whether they cohere or cancel one another out.Delayed from a planned January home-turf launch as one of the first Covid release casualties, it proved a notable box-office disappointment upon finally opening Sept.
30.
Gravitas Ventures’ release to 1,500-plus U.S.
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