JET LI vs JACKIE CHAN: DUELING IMAGES
(Updated )

n late July 2001 the world's two top martial arts stars announced a deal to co-produce and co-star in an action flick to be filmed in late 2002 for a 2003 release. The question naturally arises: what kind of movie could do justice to two such divergent types? Jackie Chan is a highly acrobatic clown who has built his following on a self-effacing counry bumpkin image. Jet Li is a deadly serious warrior who finds it easier to crack a man's neck than a smile.
     Now that both global megastars are releasing big-budget Hollywood films at a breakneck pace for seven-figure salaries, they are the most visible Asians in the American filmgoing consciousness. Whether we Asian Americans like it or not, our image is shaped more by the screen exploits and antics of these two broken-English speaking foreigners than by any dozen Asian American actors. In the filmgoing psyche the sober, chaste and deadly-efficient Chinese cop in Kiss of the Dragon is pitted against the nimble goofball in Rush Hour 2.
     Which Hong Kong star is better for the image of Asian Americans?
A side by side comparison.

Jackie is 5'8"
Jet is 5'6"

Taller is better...hehehe.

Jackie is 48 years old
Jet is 38 years old

Respect thy elders. Older is better...heheh.

Jackie has 101+ movies to his credit
Jet has 39+ movies to his credit

More is better....heheh.

Jackie is a billionaire
Jet is a millionaire

Richer is better....heheh.

Jackie cannot be insured
Jet can be insured

Crazier is better...heheh.

Jackie has children by a wife and a mistress
Jet has children by 2 different wives

Players are better...heheh.
AC Dropout    Friday, June 28, 2002 at 08:13:25 (PDT)
Desslar,

If you go back to the beginning of Jacky's career and the beginning of Tom's career. I think Jacky wins.

Jacky gots his own freakin studio in HK. It released "Who am I" and a few others in the same time period. Ever since coming to Hollywood, he make one movie for the westerner audience and one movie for asian audience.
AC Dropout    Thursday, June 27, 2002 at 15:07:46 (PDT)
Not that it matters, but worldwide box office would seem to favor Tom.

Tom's top 3:
Mission Impossible 2 - $565 million
Mission Impossible - $467 million
Rain Man - $412 million

Jackie's top 2:
Rush Hour 2 - $347 million
Rush Hour - $245 million

Say, maybe they could team up for Mission Impossible 3, and get John Woo to direct again. Pretty cool, huh?
Desslar    Wednesday, June 26, 2002 at 23:18:01 (PDT)
Desslar,

I think on a Global Scale Jackie is more known than Tom.

AC Dropout    Wednesday, June 26, 2002 at 09:52:13 (PDT)
Jackie Chan, hands down.
buttkus    Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 14:09:11 (PDT)
"Tom Cruise is not a global star"

Come on, he gets mobbed by fans all over the globe. I think he's doing quite all right overseas.

Jackie is probably better image-wise, because his characters are more human and accessible, whereas Jet Li is usually a calculating superhuman warrior. However, both of them are getting on in years as action stars go. If only they had gotten their breaks when they were still in their 20s.
Desslar    Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 09:02:45 (PDT)
Lacy, what are you babbling about?
Chow Yun-Fat turned-down the part of "Menmon" (Stephen Brand's character) in the "Scorpion King"

What was he smokin? That part in that block-buster movie would've helped his career considerably!
Thai Guy in Washington D.C.    Saturday, June 22, 2002 at 20:07:58 (PDT)
my favorite is jet li :)
Musa Cakmak musacakmak@operamail.com    Saturday, June 22, 2002 at 14:01:15 (PDT)

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