Janelle Li
The Spy Next Door was released in cinemas just a month ago, and Jackie Chan churns out another offering in time for Chinese New Year and Valentines’ Day. He plays the role of the Foot Soldier and sole survivor of the Liang army in action-comedy Little Big Soldier. Set in some hundred years B.C., before the emperor of the Qin Dynasty unified the country into one China, the plot revolves around the fictional encounter between Jackie’s character and the General (played by Wang Lee Hom) of the Wei troops who ambushed and triumphed over Liang.
Their fate began when the Soldier, whose greatest wish is to lead a peaceful life on his own farm, captured the injured General so he may exchange his captive for a great reward, including 5 mou [an Chinese unit to define area, where 1 mou ≈ 667m2] of land. The duo bickered and argued along the way back to Liang, while collaborating at crucial times to escape from tight situations, including a ferociously hungry bear and a native tribe intending to enslave them.
The Foot Soldier (Jackie Chan, right) holds the General (Wang Lee Hom) captive in hopes of exchanging him for a great reward from King of Liang.
As with all movies with Jackie Chan’s name, there were lots of fighting scenes with cheeky humour smack in the middle of kicks and punches, especially the several exchanges between Soldier and General. It definitely lived up to expectations of its genre, and you’ll walk out of the cinema mimicking the Soldier’s pet phrase, “挺好的 (Not bad)” or hum the song that belts out the route to his home from the Mountain of Liang.
The Foot Soldier (Jackie Chan) and the General (Wang Lee Hom) often exchange blows throughout their journey.
The Foot Soldier (Jackie Chan) and the General (Wang Lee Hom) often exchange blows throughout their journey.
Lee Hom’s realistic portrayal of the General came as a pleasant surprise, as his well-established image of a talented, gentlemanly musician conflicts with the general perception of, well, a General. The 33-year-old brought out the proud air and high-and-mighty aura required of the role through his stern facial expressions and glares.
Wang Lee Hom as General of Wei army
Wang Lee Hom as General of Wei army
Besides the Taiwanese heartthrob, another eye-candy to look out for would be Steve Seung-jun Yoo, former Korean pop idol and new addition to Jackie Chan’s entertainment management company, who makes his big screen debut as Wen, the Prince of Wei, and showing off some well-toned abs and biceps.
Steve Yoo as Wen, the Prince of Wei
Steve Yoo as Wen, the Prince of Wei
However, it’s advisable to leave your logic and reasoning outside the theatre before stepping in. The best way to enjoy this 95-min chain of events is to treat each scene as separate entities, or you may be yawning and checking your watch by the time General caught Soldier’s virus of singing to the mountains. A range of random characters appearing out of nowhere, such as the forest natives and the scout from Liang who never seems to understand the situation, doesn’t help reduce the confusion either.
The Foot Soldier (Jackie Chan, right) and the scout from country of Liang (left)
Remember to stay back for a while until the credits end to catch the hilarious behind-the-scenes footage and take a peek into the NGs and instances of Jackie fumbling his lines.
Release Details:
Title: 大兵小将 Little Big Soldier
Opens: Feb 14 at Cathay cineplexes and other local cinemas
Duration: 95 mins
Language: Mandarin (with English subtitles)
Rating: PG
Genre: Action Comedy
Director: Ding Sheng
Cast: Jackie Chan, Wang Lee Hom, Steve Seung-jun Yoo