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HK stars returning to their roots
After attaining popularity in Hong Kong, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Chow Yun-fat and John Woo all made the leap to Hollywood.
Chan has been prolific in the United States but he still films movies in Hong Kong. Chow is slated to appear in the upcoming Ann Hui film 鈥淢y Aunt鈥檚 Postmodern Life鈥� and plans to collaborate with famed Chinese director Zhang Yimou in an adaptation of a Chinese play. Woo is due to begin filming 鈥淏attle of Red Cliff,鈥� a joint Sino-U.S. production about an ancient Chinese battle. Li鈥檚 upcoming movie 鈥淔earless鈥� tells the story of Chinese kung fu master Huo Yuanjia. Chan says he is well-paid but artistically unfulfilled in Hollywood. 鈥淚 make a lot of money in the United States, but I can鈥檛 make films I like,鈥� he said during a recent interview. Chan says Hollywood movies are so costly that they seldom take creative risks, and that鈥檚 why his U.S. films are so similar in genre. Chan鈥檚 Hollywood works haven鈥檛 veered from the formula of interracial action comedy, a genre he鈥檚 excelled in with Chris Tucker in the 鈥淩ush Hour鈥� series and with Owen Wilson in the 2000 鈥淪hanghai Noon鈥� and 鈥淪hanghai Knights鈥� in 2003. But his Hong Kong productions are more diverse. He plays a tragic hero in 鈥淣ew Police Story鈥� in 2004. Chan鈥檚 new film, 鈥淭he Myth,鈥� tracks the journey of a man who seeks his lost love from a previous life. The same trend is seen in other Hong Kong talents who moved on to Hollywood. Chow has reprised the role of gun-toting hero repeatedly, in U.S. movies like 鈥淭he Replacement Killers鈥� in 1998 and 鈥淭he Corruptor鈥� in 1999. But before he left for Hollywood his body of work included romance and comedy. Chan says Hong Kong actors鈥� roles are inherently limited because of their poor English. 鈥淭oday when our actors go to the United States, what movies can they make? Can they appear in 鈥楾itanic?鈥� Can they do 鈥楰ramer vs. Kramer?鈥� No. No actor could do it,鈥� Chan said. Veteran Hong Kong director Tsui Hark says Chinese actors simply aren鈥檛 convincing in Western roles. 鈥淭hey can鈥檛 be viewed as Americans,鈥� he said. But Tsui thinks Hong Kong鈥檚 entertainers have already surpassed expectations in Hollywood. 鈥淏e it Chow Yun-fat, Jet Li or Jackie Chan, the proportion of dialogue and drama in their movies is heavy. They use their dialogue to show their acting skills a lot,鈥� Tsui said. Indeed, the Hong Kong actors have broken new cinematic ground, especially when it comes to interracial collaboration. In addition to the Chan-Tucker and Chan-Wilson comedy duos, Jet Li and late pop singer Aaliyah star in 鈥淩omeo Must Die鈥� in 2000, a modern telling of 鈥淩omeo and Juliet.鈥� He also appears in 鈥淐radle 2 the Grave鈥� in 2003 with hip-hop star DMX. Chow鈥檚 roles haven鈥檛 all been one-dimensional. In 鈥淎nna and the King鈥� in 1999, he played an authoritative Thai king who grew fond of his children鈥檚 private tutor, played by Jodie Foster. Chow is majestic as king in a performance that matches, if not outshines, Foster. Chow鈥檚 biggest U.S. hit by far is a kung fu movie in 2000 directed by Taiwan鈥檚 Ang Lee. 鈥淐rouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon鈥� netted four Oscars and became the most popular foreign film in U.S. history. While Hollywood鈥檚 Hong Kong stars are signing up for projects back home, they aren鈥檛 abandoning their U.S. careers altogether. Chan has maintained his profile in America with a steady stream of U.S. movies. Woo鈥檚 production company Lion Rock Productions is based in Los Angeles. Chow will start work on the third installment of 鈥淧irates of the Caribbean鈥� later this year.
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