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The inspired pairing of Jackie Chan and British comedian Lee Evans (
Funny Bones) gives
The Medallion some extra oomph. Hong Kong agent Eddie Yang (Chan) flies to Ireland to track down a very bad guy named Snakehead (Julian Sands,
Warlock, exuding his dependable oily menace) who has kidnapped a young boy with the power of life and death. When Eddie dies protecting the boy, the boy resurrects him with a magical medallion--and when Eddie comes back, he's got supernatural powers, much to the befuddlement of his former partner, Arthur (Evans). Along for the ride is Eddie's old flame, Nicole (Claire Forlani,
i>Mystery Men<), wearing tight outfits and delivering high-kicks. Chan has lost the astonishing elasticity of his youth, but he's still spry enough to pull some dazzling moves, and Evans is just amazingly funny. Between the two,
The Medallion is far more entertaining than you might expect.
--Bret Fetzer
Synopsis
Jackie Chan is back in action with THE MEDALLION, yet another fast-paced martial arts action-comedy. Chan plays Eddie Yang, a Hong Kong cop who is working with Interpol officer Arthur Watson (Lee Evans) in order to protect a gifted young child. Aware that the child holds a centuries-old medallion that could give him limitless powers, Snakehead (Julian Sands) and his band of criminals kidnap the child and head for Dublin. It isn't long before Eddie arrives in Ireland where he is teamed up with beautiful Interpol officer Nicole James (Claire Forlani), who also happens to be a former flame. Together Eddie, Nicole, and the bumbling Watson manage to track down the child, but after an accident in which Eddie appears to have died, it's up to the gifted boy to put the trusty medallion to work and resuscitate him.
While Chan appears to have lost a bit of a bounce from his early days, he still pulls off moves that would leave most actors flatfooted. This time around, director Gordon Chan uses special effects alongside superstar choreographer Sammo Hung's action sequences, giving the audience a double dose of adrenaline. As is the case with most Chan films, hilarious outtakes and bloopers accompany the film's closing credits.