The Foreigner (2017)

The Foreigner (2017)

7/10

Starring

Jackie Chan

Pierce Brosnan

Directed by Martin Campbell

Different is good, and Jackie Chan is suited for the change. This is a movie with no comic relief—just direct combat, a deep political tone, terrorism, and our hero on a revenge mission. We’re used to the softer Jackie Chan, the one who performs good deeds in his movies. In this film, we don’t see him cleaning up dirt, saving a baby, or being the all-around good guy. Instead, he’s the anti-hero, hell-bent on bringing down a terrorist group and everyone involved in the death of his only living relative: his daughter. I will say the lack of comedy in the movie took me a while to get used to. I watched the movie and keep expecting him, to break off on a comic fight scene or a comic scene, but the movie is a serious one.

This movie is an adaptation of Stephen Leather’s 1992 novel The Chinaman. It’s a British-Chinese co-production starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan in roles that break their usual typecasting. The story begins with Ngoc Minh Quan (Jackie Chan), a retired Vietnam War special forces operator who now runs a Chinese restaurant in London. His daughter, Fan, is killed in a department store bombing just moments after he drops her off to buy a dress. The bombing is claimed by an Irish group calling themselves the "Authentic UDI."

Frustrated by how the case is being handled, Quan tries bribing the man in charge to get the names of those responsible for his daughter’s death. When the bribery doesn’t work, he sees on TV that the British government is working with Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan), a former IRA member turned Irish government official. Quan confronts Liam, demanding the names of the people involved.

When Liam refuses to cooperate and Quan becomes convinced that Liam is connected to the bombing, he decides to extract the names by any means necessary. This involves Quan blowing up properties tied to Liam, threatening his men and family, blackmailing him, and stalking him. With every action, Quan remains laser-focused, repeatedly demanding the names of the criminals.

The movie is exciting and engaging, even if you can sense some clichés and already know Jackie Chan’s capabilities. It delivers the thrills you’d expect, and every moment is worth watching.

I do not know if this movie is available for stream on the digital platforms, but I have seen it twice since its release, and crave owning it, so I can rewatch it anytime I want.