neumu [ cinematronic ]




	The Medallion
	Gordon Chan Jackie Chan, Claire Forlani, Lee Evans, Julian Sands, John Rhys-Davies 2003		Still-nimble martial-arts marvel Jackie Chan cranks out another in his latter-day string of English-language action-comedies. Better than some, worse than others, "The Medallion" is a curiosity directed and co-written in frantic, slapdash fashion by some of Chan's cohorts in the Hong Kong film biz, although most of the dialogue is in English, courtesy of Western scribes who worked on the script. The usual acrobatic fight scenes were overseen by veteran Chinese choreographer Sammo Hung, while most of Chan's costars are known British actors: winsome love interest Claire Forlani ("Meet Joe Black"), knockabout comic foil Lee Evans ("Mouse Trap"), imperious viper Julian Sands ("Room With a View") and avuncular John Rhys-Davies ("Lord of the Rings"). The set-up is more mystical than Chan's standard fare. Hong Kong cop Eddie (Chan) teams with Interpol agents (Evans, Forlani) to stop a power-hungry miscreant (Sands) who seeks a magic medallion. When Eddie suffers a fatal accident, the talisman brings him back from the dead and endows him with superhuman abilities, including invulnerability. It's mindless fun that features some Chan rarities: computer effects and a romantic clinch.