This is another old and rather amusing Jackie Chan movie. This one is set in Spain where Jackie (Thomas) and his best friend David operate a mobile food van and service one of the market places in the country. It is a little unusual to see an Asian population in Spain, particularly when David's dad is in an insane asylum where he is now in a relationship with a woman named Gloria.
At first it seems that things are disconnected. David's Dad's relationship with Gloria, a pickpocket, and a rather hopeless detective hired to find a girl whose only photo is when she was 12. However as the movie progresses things quickly fall into place. At first it appears that people are after the pickpocket simply because she is a pickpocket, however it becomes evident that she is actually the heiress to a fortune, a fortune whom the brother does not want going over to her because it brings shame to the family name (not that shame is a huge European quality).
It is interesting how the concepts of shame and the actions of a guest play strongly in Asian movies, but it is something that is important to their culture that does not interplay strongly within our culture. We have a guilt based culture where if we treat people wrongly we will feel guilt, but then guilt is always tailored to our existential view of reality. To the Asian shame is something that one seeks to avoid, and thus will act so as not to bring shame onto their name, or that of their family. Family is another important aspect as we in the western world are an individualistic lot. We bring guilt upon ourselves, but not onto our family, however the strong family ties in the Asian world mean that they will act with their family's honour in mind.
This does not necessarily mean that the Asians are better than us, but it is a culture that I have a deep respect for because it acts in a way that is far more honourable than the actions of those of us in the west.
But onto the movie, not that there is much more to write on this film, or whether there are any really deep themes in here. There aren't. This is a typical (and enjoyable) Jackie Chan film with sight gags and the standard martial arts. Sammo Hung, who directed the film, also plays a major role as the bumbling detective. The bumbler is a character that Sammo seems to always play, and I must say that an Asian with a perm does look rather odd, but then Sammo Hung once again always does seem to play those odd characters.
At first it seems that things are disconnected. David's Dad's relationship with Gloria, a pickpocket, and a rather hopeless detective hired to find a girl whose only photo is when she was 12. However as the movie progresses things quickly fall into place. At first it appears that people are after the pickpocket simply because she is a pickpocket, however it becomes evident that she is actually the heiress to a fortune, a fortune whom the brother does not want going over to her because it brings shame to the family name (not that shame is a huge European quality).
It is interesting how the concepts of shame and the actions of a guest play strongly in Asian movies, but it is something that is important to their culture that does not interplay strongly within our culture. We have a guilt based culture where if we treat people wrongly we will feel guilt, but then guilt is always tailored to our existential view of reality. To the Asian shame is something that one seeks to avoid, and thus will act so as not to bring shame onto their name, or that of their family. Family is another important aspect as we in the western world are an individualistic lot. We bring guilt upon ourselves, but not onto our family, however the strong family ties in the Asian world mean that they will act with their family's honour in mind.
This does not necessarily mean that the Asians are better than us, but it is a culture that I have a deep respect for because it acts in a way that is far more honourable than the actions of those of us in the west.
But onto the movie, not that there is much more to write on this film, or whether there are any really deep themes in here. There aren't. This is a typical (and enjoyable) Jackie Chan film with sight gags and the standard martial arts. Sammo Hung, who directed the film, also plays a major role as the bumbling detective. The bumbler is a character that Sammo seems to always play, and I must say that an Asian with a perm does look rather odd, but then Sammo Hung once again always does seem to play those odd characters.