Skiptrace is the newest Jackie Chan buddy comedy that misses the mark too much to be any good
I am a huge Jackie Chan fan. I really liked him in Rush Hour 1 and 2, and he was pretty good in Shanghai Knights. He was also really good in Around the World in 80 Days as Passepartout. So naturally when I heard of Skiptrace I couldn’t wait to see it. I was lucky to get a review copy and here is my thoughts on this film.
You can read the plot for Skiptrace here:
For years, by-the-book Hong Kong detective Benny Chan (Jackie Chan) has tried to avenge his partner’s murder at the hands of a drug lord. When Benny learns that freewheeling American gambler Connor Watts (Johnny Knoxville) has the evidence he needs, he teams with Connor to get justice. Now all Benny and Connor have to do is survive the fight of their lives — and each other!
Skiptrace is a pretty bad movie. The pairing of Johnny Knoxville and Jackie Chan I had hoped would work, but for whatever reason it just doesn’t. They don’t work well together in this film at all. Maybe it is because their comedy styles are too different to mesh well here. The plot is also really dull and boring. The fight sequences were alright, and honestly were the best part about this movie. There is a little bit of mystery and intrigue going on, but not enough to keep me entertained much. The ending does save the film a bit, and the there a few twists that were kind of cool. Overall it is an alright film but not the best work of either of these actors.
Skiptrace gets 4/10. It was certainly not terrible, but it took a good while to get any good. For a film I wanted to really like it is a shame I just couldn’t. There are a few good special effects and the film brings a couple surprises but nothing that amazing. The film ends kind of oddly but that makes sense for a peculiar comedy like this. Some people will love this film but they will be few and far between.
Skiptrace arrives on Blu-Ray and Digital HD October 25th. The price will be $24.99 and $19.99 respectively. You can follow Skiptrace on Facebook and Instagram.
Watch the DVD release trailer below: