Rumble in the Bronx

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Rumble in the Bronx
Rumble-in-the-Bronx-poster.jpg
Rumble in the Bronx Hong Kong theatrical poster
Directed byStanley Tong
Written byEdward Tang
Fibe Ma
Produced byBarbie Tung
Roberta Chow
Raymond Chow
Leonard Ho
Starring
CinematographyJingle Ma
Edited byPeter Cheung
Music byJ. Peter Robinson (US version)
Nathan Wang (HK version)
Production
company
Paragon Films Ltd.
Distributed byGolden Harvest
Release dates
  • 21 January 1995 (1995-01-21)
(Hong Kong)
  • 23 February 1996 (1996-02-23)
(US)[1]
  • 16 May 1996 (1996-05-16)
(Australia)
  • 4 July 1997 (1997-07-04)
(United Kingdom)
Running time
106 minutes (HK version)
90 minutes (US version)
CountryHong Kong
LanguagesCantonese[2]
English[3]
BudgetUS$7.5 million[4]
Box officeUS$76 million

Rumble in the Bronx (Chinese title: 紅番區)[5] is a 1995 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film starring Jackie Chan, Anita Mui and Françoise Yip. It was directed by Stanley Tong, with action choreographed by Chan and Tong. Released in Hong Kong in 1995, Rumble in the Bronx had a successful worldwide theatrical run, and brought Chan into the North American mainstream. The film is set in the Bronx area of New York City, but was filmed in and around Vancouver, Canada.[6] The film grossed US$76 million worldwide (approximately $140 million adjusted for inflation), against a $7.5 million budget, marking it as one of the most profitable films at that time of release.

Plot[]

Ma Hon Keung (马汉强, Mǎ Hànqiáng) (played by Jackie Chan), a Hong Kong cop comes to New York to attend the wedding of his Uncle Bill (Bill Tung). When he arrives, he meets Danny (Morgan Lam), a disabled Chinese-American boy who is Bill's neighbor. Uncle Bill owns the Wa-Ha Supermarket in The Bronx, an area with a high level of crime. Unbeknownst to Keung, Bill's market is a victim of frequent shoplifting and a protection racket, and he is desperate to sell it. Bill meets a potential buyer, Elaine (Anita Mui), who is reluctant to buy it for Bill's price. Nonetheless, Bill invites Elaine to his wedding. At the wedding, Keung helps negotiate a deal that convinces Elaine to buy the market Elaine actually buys the supermarket before coming to the wedding, and Keung is simply offering his help in transitioning just before Bill and his wife leave for their honeymoon.

One day, members of a local biker gang led by Tony (Marc Akerstream) attempt to shoplift many goods from the Wa-Ha market, but Keung thwarts and beats them. Later that night, Keung thwarts some gangsters from abducting a woman (Francoise Yip). But when Keung "rescues" her, she attacks him, revealing a ploy to lure him into a spot where Tony's gang attacks him again for revenge (this time with Tony present). The gang corners Keung into a dead-end alleyway, then severely injures him with glass bottles. Afterwards, Keung almost makes it back to his Uncle's apartment, but not before fainting in front of Nancy, who is Tony's girlfriend and the woman who lured Keung earlier. It is revealed that Nancy is Danny's neglectful older sister. She fixes Keung's wounds upon realizing that he and Danny are friends. Danny informs Keung about Nancy's help the next morning, but Keung still doesn't know that Nancy was the one who lured him.

Later, Keung goes to the market to inform Elaine that he lost the contract (during the alleyway brawl with the gang). Elaine tells Keung about her desire to back out of the deal upon realizing how often the market is a victim of theft and a protection racket. Later, Tony and his gang come back to the store, demanding "compensation" for Keung hurting them earlier. Elaine gives in to their demand, and they rob and vandalize the store. Keung confronts them outside, and tells the gang that he's the boss of the store and that he has called the police on them. The gang disperses upon the police's arrival.[N 1] Later, Tony and his gang attempt to chase down Keung for revenge, which leads to Keung making a daring escape by jumping from the roof of a parking garage to a fire escape on a building across the street.

Later, a member of Tony's gang named Angelo (Garvin Cross) gets involved in an illegal diamond deal gone bad and steals the diamonds for himself. A mobster leader with the alias "White Tiger" (Kris Lord) is after the diamonds. Keung and Danny witness some of the carnage, then run inside for safety, leaving Danny's wheelchair in the apartment hallway. Unable to hide from the mobsters and cops, Angelo stuffs the diamonds in Danny's wheelchair cushion. The police arrive, arresting some of the syndicate members along with Angelo. However, the police eventually let them all go due to a lack of evidence. Meanwhile, at Danny and Nancy's apartment, Nancy eavesdrops on a conversation between Keung and Danny, where she listens to Danny talk about the emotional difficulty of being disabled. Upon hearing this, she comes out into the living room and tearfully apologizes to Keung and Danny. Keung now realizes that Nancy was the woman who lured him into the gang ambush the other day, but decides to let it go. Meanwhile, Elaine tries to sell the market to another couple, using the same lies and tactics that Uncle Bill used to convince her. Keung witnesses this, and gives her his half of the market sale back, asking that she only pay him back once she makes money.

Later that evening, Keung goes out, but not before the mobsters (who are posing as FBI agents) question him about the diamonds. They give Keung a number to call if he finds anything. Keung visits Nancy at a nightclub, where she works a lingerie dancer and model. When the gangsters see Keung and Nancy together, they give chase, but fail after Nancy knocks over the gangsters' motorcycles.[N 2] Keung advises her to stay away from Tony's gang and to look after Danny. A romantic relationship develops between them. After failing to confront Keung, the bikers trash Elaine's supermarket again. During the commotion, White Tiger's men kidnap two of Tony's men to interrogate them about Angelo's whereabouts. Angelo's friends are unaware of his involvement and whereabouts. The mobsters execute one of the gangsters in a tree-shredder. Meanwhile, Keung and Nancy go to the bikers' headquarters after the latest supermarket attack, and Keung defeats them in another brawl. Keung berates and insults the gang for their criminal lifestyle and urges them to change for the better. Immediately after, one of the gangsters comes back to the hideout, with the executed gangster's remains, which he reveals was a warning to return the goods that Angelo stole. Keung agrees to help Tony and his gang find Angelo.

Keung contacts the syndicate (which he thought was the FBI) after they find Angelo. Angelo reveals that he hid the diamonds in Danny's wheelchair. The mobsters take Tony, Angelo, and Nancy hostage while the rest force Keung to look for the diamonds at Danny and Nancy's apartment. Keung eventually subdues the mobsters after they find the diamonds. When White Tiger calls one of the gangsters, Keung takes the cell phone and reveals that he has his diamonds and his thugs held hostage. White Tiger tells him that he'll arrange an exchange and warns him not to contact the police. Keung makes Danny wait at school for his own safety. After the other mobsters fail to return, one of them forces Tony to tell him of Keung's whereabouts. Tony declares that Keung is the owner of the Wa-Ha supermarket. Keung goes to Elaine for advice, but later, the syndicate's thugs destroy the supermarket with a tow truck as a warning to Keung.

Keung calls the police for help. They give Keung recording equipment and instruct him to just show the gangsters one diamond, and to try to get the gang to talk about the murder and robbery. However, during their meeting, Keung reveals that he knows of the name "White Tiger", causing the syndicate men realize that Keung is working with the police. They take Keung to a secluded place to have him executed. But before they can execute him, Keung overpowers them and escapes. Later, the police come and chase the gangsters away. White Tiger's men commandeer a hovercraft into the Hudson River, with Keung and the New York Police Department in hot pursuit. The hovercraft ends up running through the streets, causing much damage to property, including cop cars. The hovercraft seems unstoppable. Keung ends the chase by stealing a large sword from a museum, clamping it on a Lamborghini Countach and driving to the hovercraft, shredding the rubber skirt and crashing the vehicle. Keung forces them to reveal White Tiger's location, then drives the repaired hovercraft to a golf course where White Tiger is playing. He runs over White Tiger and his men, leaving the syndicate leader naked on the ground.

Notes[]

  1. ^ For the US edit, New Line Cinema removed this entire scene. Instead, their edit goes straight from Keung leaving his uncle's apartment to the chase scene.[7]
  2. ^ This specific scene was cut from the Hong Kong version, but included in New Line Cinema's version.

Cast[]

  • Jackie Chan as Ma Hon Keung (T: 馬漢強, S: 马汉强, P: Mǎ Hànqiáng)
  • Anita Mui as Elaine
  • Françoise Yip as Nancy
  • Bill Tung as Uncle Bill Ma (T: 馬 驃, S: 马 骠, J: maa5 piu3, P: Mǎ Piào)
  • Marc Akerstream as Tony, leader of the gang
  • Garvin Cross as Angelo
  • Morgan Lam as Danny
  • Kris Lord as White Tiger, the syndicate boss
  • Carrie Cain Sparks as Whitney Ma
  • Elliot Ngok (Yueh Hua) as Walter Wah, the Realtor (T: 華, S: 华) (credited as Elly Leung)
  • Eddy Ko as Prospective market buyer
  • Emil Chau as Ice cream salesman
  • Alex To as Ice cream customer
  • Jordan Lennox as Jordan, a syndicate member with glasses
  • John Sampson as a syndicate member with a mustache who Keung knocks in the water in the boathouse
  • Richard Faraci as a syndicate member with a ponytail who Keung subdues in Danny's apartment
  • Gabriel Ostevic as Gabriel, a syndicate member who Keung subdues in Danny's apartment
  • Terry Howsen as a syndicate member in a black suit
  • Mark Fielding as a syndicate member run over by the hovercraft at the golf course
  • Owen Walstrom as a syndicate member flying into a tree at the golf course
  • Allen Sit as one of Tony's gang members with a mustache and ponytail, who speaks Cantonese in the supermarket and is the first one who Keung physically confronts
  • Alf Humphreys as a Police Officer

Production[]

Jackie Chan's right foot lands at a bad angle after jumping onto the hoverboat, causing a serious injury that would not heal for the remainder of filming. The shot still made it into the finished movie.

In his autobiography, I am Jackie Chan: My life in Action, Jackie Chan talked about the initial difficulty of filming a movie in Vancouver that is set in New York. The production team initially had to put up fake graffiti during the day and take it all down during the evening, while simultaneously making sure that no mountains made it into the background. However, Chan decided that it was best that the production team focus on the action only without worrying too much about scenery. Viewers[who?] have noted[where?] mountains in the background, which are not present in the NYC landscape, as well as the NYC helicopter which displays a Canadian civil registration (C-GZPM - A Bell JetRanger).

The original spoken dialogue consisted of all of the actors speaking their native language most of the time. In the completely undubbed soundtrack, available on the Warner Japanese R2 DVD release, Jackie Chan actually speaks his native Cantonese while Françoise Yip and Morgan Lam (the actors playing Nancy and Danny) speak English. All of the original dialogue was intended to be dubbed over in the international and Hong Kong film markets, and New Line cinema overdubbed and slightly changed the original English dialogue.

During filming, Chan injured his right leg while performing a stunt. He spent much of the remaining shooting time with one leg in a cast. When it came to the film's climax, the crew colored a sock to resemble the shoe on his good foot, which Chan wore over his cast. His foot still had not completely healed when he went on to shoot his next film, Thunderbolt (filmed the same year, 1994, but released earlier in the U.S.).[8]

The lead actress and several stunt doubles were also injured during the shooting of a motorcycle stunt, with several people suffering broken limbs and ankles.

The film had a production budget of US$7.5 million.[4]

Release[]

New Line Cinema acquired the film for international distribution and commissioned a new music score and English dub (with participation from Jackie Chan). A scene of Keung's airplane flying into John F. Kennedy International Airport was added to the opening credits. Three scenes were added exclusively for the international version: a shot of the syndicate's car pulling up to the diamond deal, Keung and Nancy escaping from the nightclub after the bikers spot them together, and White Tiger taking a golf shot before a subordinate approaches him with his phone. None of these scenes were in the original Hong Kong release. In comparison to the Hong Kong version, 17 minutes of cuts were made, and the new English dub changed some of the context of the characters' conversations. Keung being a cop and having a girlfriend in Hong Kong is never mentioned. Keung's father being shot by a robber years ago is also not mentioned. In the New Line Cinema edit, Elaine buys the grocery store upon her first meeting with Uncle Bill, but in the Hong Kong version, she decides to buy the market at Bill's wedding.

The new soundtrack replaced Chan's song over the closing credits with the song "Kung Fu" by the band Ash, the lyrics of which mention Jackie Chan, as well as other Asian figures and characters ubiquitous in the west.

Reception[]

Box office[]

In Hong Kong, Rumble in the Bronx broke the box office record, earning HK$56,911,136, making it the highest-grossing film in Hong Kong up until then.[9] In China, the film grossed CN¥95 million, making it the highest-grossing imported film in China up until then; it was later overtaken by the Chinese release of True Lies (1994) the same year, with Rumble in the Bronx being the second highest-grossing film of 1995 in China.[10] It was the year's eighth highest-grossing film in Taiwan, earning NT$53,787,720.[11] In Japan, the film grossed ¥635 million.[12] In South Korea, it was the highest-grossing film of the year, selling 941,433 tickets and earning US$5.08 million.[13]

The film was Chan's mainstream breakthrough in North America. Opening on 1,736 North American screens, it was number one at the box office in its opening weekend, grossing US$9,858,380 ($5,678 per screen). It became one of the year's top 20 highest-grossing R-rated films, finishing its North American run with $32,392,047[14] (equivalent to $66,982,600 adjusted for inflation in 2018).[15] The film had sold 7,325,824 tickets in the United States and Canada.[5]

In the United Kingdom, the film sold 130,583 tickets[5] and grossed £801,290.[16] In France and Germany, the film sold 493,756 tickets.[17] In other European countries, the film sold 460,254 tickets.[5]

It became Chan's biggest ever hit up until then,[18] with a worldwide box office gross of US$76 million[19] (equivalent to approximately $141 million adjusted for inflation). It was one of the most profitable films of 1996, grossing over ten times its $7.5 million budget.[4]

Critical reception[]

When released in North America, Rumble in the Bronx received generally positive reviews, as most critics were happy that a Jackie Chan film was finally getting a wide theatrical release in North America.[20][21][22] The film currently has an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[23] Most critics agreed that the plot and acting were lacking, but the action, stunts, and Chan's charm made up for it.

Roger Ebert gave the film a positive review, rating it 3 out of 4 stars.[24] His review for the Chicago Sun-Times stated:

"Any attempt to defend this movie on rational grounds is futile. Don't tell me about the plot and the dialogue. Don't dwell on the acting. The whole point is Jackie Chan – and, like Astaire and Rogers, he does what he does better than anybody. There is a physical confidence, a grace, an elegance to the way he moves. There is humor to the choreography of the fights (which are never too gruesome). He's having fun. If we allow ourselves to get in the right frame of mind, so are we.[24]

The film was featured in a 2015 video essay by Every Frame A Painting, calling attention to the fact that the movie was shot in Vancouver despite being set in the Bronx, where no mountain ranges are visible.[25]

Awards and nominations[]

For the "Ben Knows" comedy TV spot

  • 1996 MTV Movie Awards

Home video[]

The majority of DVD versions of the film contain the heavily edited US New Line Cinema cut, with the relevant dubs created for each market. However, other versions exist, which are closer to the original theatrical release.

Warner[]

  • A DVD was produced by Warner Brothers HK for Hong Kong and South Korea. This contains the New Line Cinema version with additional abridged Cantonese and Mandarin soundtracks. It has an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, but includes no English subtitles.
  • Warner Home Video also released a DVD in Japan of the Hong Kong version. This version contains the Hong Kong cut of the film. The dialogue is completely undubbed in a mono 2.0. However, its aspect ratio is cropped to 1.85:1 and contains no English subtitles.
  • In Hong Kong, a VCD containing the Hong Kong version in Cantonese, with newly generated English and Chinese subtitles was also released. It's 2.35:1.
  • A Blu-ray was released in the United States on 6 October 2015.

Thakral/Chinastar[]

It appears that a joint-distribution deal was made, with Thakral releasing the film in China, and Chinastar releasing it in Hong Kong. This version contains no credits, not even the film title, but is otherwise the Hong Kong version. There are no English subtitles and the ratio is roughly 2.10:1.

Speedy[]

Malaysian distributor Speedy released a VCD. As well as local censorship (for profanity - also featuring a substituted shots of Angelo insulting Keung), it has a slightly different Cantonese/English soundtrack (some characters are dubbed in Cantonese); there are English, Chinese and Malay subtitles languages. It is cropped to approximately 1:85:1 and distorted to 1:56:1.

Funny[]

The film had three separate DVD releases by Taiwanese distributor Funny. Two of these DVDs feature the Taiwanese Mandarin-dubbed version with embedded subtitles. One of these contains a Dolby 5.1 soundtrack only, whilst the other contains both Dolby and DTS soundtracks. The third release is a double-sided disc, featuring the Taiwanese Mandarin dub on one side and the English-dubbed New Line Cinema version on the other. Despite containing a dubbed soundtrack, these DVDs are the only releases to contain English subtitles for a Chinese version. All three are presented in 2.35:1.

4 Film Favorites[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Rumble in The Bronx". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Rumble in the Bronx (1995) - IMDb".
  3. ^ "Rumble in the Bronx". BBFC. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  4. ^ a b c The Stats: an overview of the film, television, video and DVD industries in the UK 1990-2003 (PDF). BFI National Library. 2006. p. 129. ISBN 1-84457-017-7.
  5. ^ a b c d "Film #184: Hong Faan Kui". Lumiere. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  6. ^ "JACKIE BE NIMBLE IN 'BRONX' ASIAN STAR 'RUMBLES' IN & GETS FIGHTING CHAN-CE TO CRACK U.S. MARKET". The New York Daily News. Retrieved 20 September 2010.[dead link]
  7. ^ "Rumble in the Bronx: Plot". IMDb. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  8. ^ Jackie Chan. "Jackie's Aches and Pains: It Only Hurts When I'm Not Laughing". Random House. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  9. ^ "Golden Harvest". AboutHK.Com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  10. ^ Zhang Rui (19 February 2016). "Top grossing Chinese films all through years". China.org.cn. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  11. ^ "1993 Taiwan Box Office". National Chengchi University. Archived from the original on 21 April 2001. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  12. ^ "【ジャッキーチェン興行成績】 第12回：日本での興行収入". KungFu Tube (in Japanese). 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  13. ^ "【ジャッキーチェン興行成績】 第10回：韓国での興行収入". KungFu Tube (in Japanese). 5 September 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  14. ^ "Rumble in the Bronx (1996)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  15. ^ "Jackie Chan Movie Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  16. ^ "Rumble In The Bronx". 25th Frame. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  17. ^ "Hong faan kui (Rumble in the Bronx) (1996)". JP's Box-Office. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  18. ^ Klady, Leonard (19 February 1996). "B.O. with a vengeance: $9.1 billion worldwide". Variety. p. 1.
  19. ^ "ジャッキーチェン映画の製作費と全世界興行成績まとめ". KungFu Tube (in Japanese). 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  20. ^ Turan, Kenneth (23 February 1996). "Rumble' Gives Stunt King a Fighting Chance to Crack the U.S. Market". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 4 January 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  21. ^ Holden, Stephen (23 February 1996). "FILM REVIEW;Jackie Chan vs. a Gang". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  22. ^ Wilmington, Michael (23 February 1996). "Jackie Chan Enthralls With Daredevil Stunts In 'Rumble In The Bronx'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  23. ^ "Rumble in the Bronx (Hung fan kui) Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  24. ^ a b "Rumble In The Bronx :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. 23 February 1996. Archived from the original on 4 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  25. ^ Every Frame a Painting (13 September 2015), Vancouver Never Plays Itself, archived from the original on 11 December 2021, retrieved 14 November 2016

External links[]

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