Skiptrace (2016)
8/10
Jue di tao wang: I enjoyed it despite it's best efforts
11 January 2019
Okay bear with me on this one, this is one of those films that I enjoyed yet I fully understand an argument against me doing so.

You see Netflix decided to make another buddy duo with Jackie Chan, he's done great work with Chris Tucker, Owen Wilson and even Lee Evans before so it made sense. There is just something about him that screams buddy movie, so here they pair him with Johnny Knoxville which has been met with a very mixed reception. Do they have chemistry? I personally thought so.

It tells a rather generic action movie story (As they tend to do) with lashings of comedy to keep it interesting and in my view both of these leads excel in that department. They both have great natural comedic timing despite not really coming from that background, Chan from martial arts and Knoxville from.......stunts?

An old school buddy movie with over the top sequences, the odd couple dynamic and Chan's trademark comedy stunts/fight scenes I was enthralled but the films flaws are overwhelming.

Many jokes miss their mark, some moments seem awkward, the fights are considerably tamer than we're used to (Chan's age no doubt a factor), and the whole thing has a really PG vibe to it. Truth be told the movie has a lot more flaws than I'm letting on but it's qualities outweigh them and I found it an enjoyable, fun, throwback movie.

I understand the criticism, but I really enjoyed it and would love a sequel.

The Good:

Leads do a great job

Eve Torres is ageing like a fine wine

Some funny moments

Awesome buddy movie dynamic

The Bad:

Littered with flaws in pretty much every area of the film

PG cuteness hurts the film
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