In which Jackie Chan takes down a hovercraft trashing the streets of NYC with an antique samurai sword while driving a doorless Lamborghini Countach (with a broken ankle)!
For many Americans, Rumble In The Bronx was their first taste of Chan’s explosive style of fighting when it came to his choreography and his stunts, with Chan performing most of them (and suffering some horrible injuries!).
From nighttime motorcycle races on top of car-choked streets to epic (and hilarious) fights in a shady goon warehouse filled with pinball machines, skis, and pool tables, Rumble In The Bronx is a widescreen treat with plenty of opportunities for Chan and his stunt crew to show off their graceful skills with incredible stunts and fast-timed fights.
And show off they absolutely do. To this day, I still think about the first time I saw Chan “trap” a goon in his jacket - while still wearing it - and then repeatedly elbow him in the face while lecturing him and making him apologize for shoplifting. It’s classic Chan.
You see, Chan had tried for years to get his films to be released theatrically in America, but it was here - with the release of Rumble In The Bronx (specifically at Cannes) - where Chan’s graceful choreography and his knack for mining ordinary objects (like shopping carts) into weapons for stunts and humor gold was made available on the big screen.
And it was New Line Cinema who quickly picked up the Golden Harvest release for international appeal and, thanks to their acquisition, helped make Chan an international star.
It should be noted here that Chan did it his way. For a long time, he had turned down offers from America to be included in a big budget Hollywood film. Producers and directors were well aware of his skills with some already labeling him as the biggest action star in the world. The Wesley Snipes role in Demolition Man? He turned it down. And wisely, too. Chan knew himself all too well. It was his way or he wasn’t ever going to make it big in America.
And that’s why Rumble In The Bronx is so damn special. It’s 110% Chan. 
Forget about the plot; ignore the acting; concentrate on the choreography and the fun that Chan is clearly having as he brings his Buster Keaton-like charm to the role of Ma Hon Keung, who has arrived from Hong Kong to help out his Uncle Bill (Bill Tung) with his supermarket while on his honeymoon, after marrying a very funny Carrie Cain Sparks (as Whitney). But a local gang - raising hell in the bronx - might have something to say about the sale of Uncle Bill’s supermarket to Elaine (Anita Mui, who kills in her role), especially when Chan steps in to stop their heinous activity one too many times and befriends Danny (Morgan Lam), a Chinese-American paraplegic with a very comfortable and priceless seat cushion.
The chop socky action film, directed by Stanley Tung (who had for a long time been in Chan’s corner), was filmed in Vancouver and had a lot riding on its success for the two friends. Tung and Chan wanted to make a Hong Kong-styled action comedy and forget about appealing to Americans. Chan had learned previously that doing something specifically for America - I’m looking at you The Protector - doesn’t really fit for him. The best thing to do was make the best film possible and hope that an American audience got the chance to see it.
Boy, did they.
Eventually released in America in 1996, the film - which so-stars Francoise Yip and Marc Akerstream - was a huge success, raking up over $32 million when its original run was finished. It’s awesome, filling our eyes with amazing stunts (Chan jumping from one building to a ledge with a treacherous fall to the alley below is only one highlight), some really awful acting from Canadian “thugs”, and a hovercraft finale which - thanks to New Line’s edits to not make Keung a Hong Kong cop - makes little sense, but kicks a whole lot of ass.
Rumble In The Bronx continues to be one of Chan’s best films. Unfortunately, it’s been stuck on a pretty dismal blu-ray release from New Line Cinema since its bare-boned blu-ray debut in 2015 and needs severe rescuing.
Home Video Distributor: Warner Bros.
Available on Blu-ray - October 6, 2015
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Region-free playback
No Fear. No Stuntman. No Equal. To millions of action fans around the world he’s a living legend. If you’ve never seen him before, you’ve never seen action. He’s Jackie Chan (RUSH HOUR) and for years he has done something no other action star would dare dream. He’s performed all of his own stunts.
Video
Okay, so the 1080P transfer to Blu-ray might have a strong bitrate for its 90-minute runtime, but there aren’t many strengths to the images which is a shame. The goon’s hideout is a great place for a punched-up HD treatment, but here it’s flat, flat, flat. Throughout the feature, there is little depth to the image and the colors look faded. It’s very sad that no one has paid attention to this release and given it a proper makeover, which it sorely needs.
Audio
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is probably all that you need for this release. It’s not amazing, but it gets the job done.
Supplements:
While short on extras, the commentary is just a plethora of film history talking about everything from Whale to the actors to Pre-Code history and much more. It more than compliments the film well.
Commentary:
- None here.
Special Features:
There are a lot of incredible stories about the making of this movie. From the injuries to the acquisition from New Line and the rock star reception at Cannes, there’s a lot to read and hear about concerning Rumble in the Bronx. None of that is here, though. You get a Theatrical Trailer.
- Theatrical Trailer
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 87 mins
Director: Stanley Tong
Writer: Edward Tang; Fibe Ma
Cast: Jackie Chan; Anita Mui; Françoise Yip
Genre: Comedy | Action
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "You don't need diamonds in the bathroom."
Theatrical Distributor: Golden Harvest
Official Site:
Release Date: February 23, 1996
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 6, 2015
Synopsis: A young man visiting and helping his uncle in New York City finds himself forced to fight a street gang and the mob with his martial art skills.
