Where have you gone, Jet?

The One was recently aired on TV and as much as I am a fan of Jet Li, it brought back memories of my reaction when I paid actual dollars to see this movie in the theaters. He said yes to head-lining this movie? This was followed by War, again with Jason Statham and Jet, an even more of a major disappointment. This was the best they could do with two bona-fide action stars after all these years? Let’s not even mention the nightmare which was the Mummy 3. Why Jet? Why do you let Hollywood cheapen your viability as a martial artist?

The first time I ever saw Jet Li was at the Pagoda, the old movie theater located on East Broadway in New York’s Chinatown. My family had a tradition of checking out the double feature at either the Pagoda or Sun Sing (the other movie theater on East Broadway underneath the Manhattan Bridge) on Sundays. Double features meant a martial arts movie followed by a romantic/comedy one or vice versa depending on what time you got to the theater.

I remember there was a buzz surrounding Shaolin Temple. A new young martial artist was making his debut. Apparently he was a wuxia champion in China and supposedly had eye-popping skills that no one had seen in America yet, so my uncle led me to believe. I was a believer when I came out of the movie theater. Jet was the most fluid martial artist I had ever seen. He just seemed to float in the air. I sat in wonder. No wires, nothing but his legs propelling him into air to execute dazzling scissor kicks. I wanted to be Jet.

The youth, the vitality, the skills, the “it” factor was all there in Shaolin Temple. Of course, the trick of not being a one-hit wonder is to find another role to mesmerize the audience. It took nearly 8 years for Jet to find that role and a director who knew just what to do with his incredible talent. The fates aligned with Tsui Hark casting Jet Li as Wong Fei Hung in Once Upon a Time in China and propelling both of them into Hong Kong cinematic history.

And now I cringe when I see Jet taking on roles such as the one in the Mummy 3. A role like that does nothing but make you look silly. At least with Kiss of the Dragon, there was some real bone crunching hits (It is the only Hollywood production I don’t mind watching starring Jet). It is the same way I feel about Jackie Chan when he stars in movies like the recent, The Spy Next Door. Sure it is hard not to like Jackie and his efforts to entertain us, but in comparison Rush Hour seems like a masterpiece. By the time of his death, Bruce Lee did not have many movies to his name, but in every movie that he made, the purity of his martial arts resounded in every frame. I just cannot believe Bruce would ever say yes to the projects both Li and Chan have made here in the States.

The Expendables, directed by Stallone, is coming out in the summer. Li is co-starring with Stallone, Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundren, Steve Austin, just to name a few. From the looks of the trailer, there are plenty of explosions and obligatory one-liners. Will Jet be able stand out amongst the testosterone giants? Will I spend my money to see if he does? I haven’t paid to see a movie directed by Stallone since Rocky so I think I’ll wait and hear what my colleagues at 30ninjas have to say about the film before I shell out the money, preserving my memory of the un-Americanized, old-style Jet.

Related posts on 30ninjas.com:

• Revisit the Shaolin Temple
• The Expendables 8-bit Video Game
• Jackie Chan the Flying Duck
• Warlords Review: Jet Li Can Act! Kick-Ass!
• TMNT Has Open Martial Arts Casting Call
• Kung Fu Master David Carradine Dead at 72