Rumble in the Bronx
Rumble in the Bronx | |
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Directed by | Stanley Tong |
Written by |
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Produced by | Barbie Tung |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Jingle Ma |
Edited by | Peter Cheung |
Music by |
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Production company | Paragon Films Ltd. |
Distributed by | Golden Harvest New Line Cinema |
Release dates |
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Running time |
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Country | Hong Kong |
Languages |
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Budget | US$7.5−13 million[3][4] |
Box office | US$76 million |
Rumble in the Bronx | |
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Hanyu Pinyin | hóng fān qū |
Yue: Cantonese | |
Jyutping | hung4 faan1 keoi1 |
Rumble in the Bronx (Chinese: 紅番區) 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]
Plot
Ma Hon Keung, a
When a gang member named Angelo gets involved in an illegal diamond deal gone bad and steals the diamonds, the small-time gangsters become the victims of a larger and more effective crime syndicate led by a man named White Tiger. While running away with the diamonds, Angelo hides them in a cushion which is unknowingly used by Keung for Danny's wheelchair. Keung befriends Nancy and while visiting her at the seedy club she works at, advises her to stay away from crime. When the gangsters see this, they chase Keung and Nancy. After failing to confront Keung, the bikers trash Elaine's supermarket, during which two of Angelo's men are captured by White Tiger's men, who turn up at the supermarket in search of Angelo. Angelo's colleagues are unaware of his diamond heist and one is executed in a tree-shredder; his remains given back to the other gangsters as a warning to return the multimillion-dollar goods. Keung and Nancy go to the bikers' headquarters after the latest supermarket attack, and Keung defeats them in another brawl.
Keung agrees to help the biker leader Tony, where he convinces the street gangsters to reform and brings the big-time criminals to justice. The syndicate and Keung discover the diamonds in Danny's wheelchair. The handover is botched after Nancy and Tony are held hostage by the syndicate and the diamonds are lost after they use a tow truck to destroy Elaine's supermarket. White Tiger's men hijack a hovercraft and are pursued by Keung and the
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
- Richard Faraci as a syndicate member with a ponytail who Keung subdues in Danny's apartment
- Gabriel Ostevic as Gabriel, a syndicate member with a mustache who Keung knocks in the water in the boathouse
- 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
- Ailen 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
- Rainbow Ching as Mrs Cheung, worker in supermarket mistaken by Keung as Bill's wife-to-be
Production
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. In his review, Roger Ebert notes that there are mountains in the background, which are not present in the NYC landscape.[7] There is also an 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 broke his right ankle while performing a stunt. He spent much of the remaining shooting time with one foot 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 film had a production budget of US$7.5−13 million.[3][4]
Release
The film was the first Chinese film to be simultaneously released in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.[9]
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.[10] In China, within ten days of release, the film grossed CN¥100 million (US$15 million) from 10 million tickets sold at CN¥10 each.[11][12] It set a record in Guangzhou, with CN¥3 million grossed in the city.[13] It became the highest-grossing imported film in China up until then,[14] grossing CN¥110 million (US$16.11 million).[12] It was the year's eighth highest-grossing film in Taiwan, earning NT$53,787,720.[15] In Japan, the film earned ¥635 million at the box office.[16] In South Korea, it was the highest-grossing film of the year, selling 941,433 tickets and earning US$5.08 million.[17]
Market | Year | Gross revenue (est.) | Ticket sales (est.) |
Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Local currency | US dollars
| ||||
Hong Kong | 1995 | HK$56,911,136 | $7,356,820 | 1,200,000 | [10][18] |
China | 1995 | CN¥110 million | $16,110,000 | 11,000,000 | [12][11] |
Taiwan | 1995 | NT$53,787,720 | $2,060,705 | 295,892 | [15][19] |
Japan | 1995 | ¥635,000,000 | $6,751,000 | 510,000 | [16][20] |
South Korea | 1995 | Unknown | $5,080,000 | 941,433 | [17] |
North America
|
1996 | US$32,392,047 | $32,392,047 | 7,361,000 | [1][21] |
Germany | 1996 | €1,816,000 | $2,306,000 | 349,325 | [22][23] |
Italy | 1996 | €270,000 | $343,000 | 58,773 | [5][23] |
Switzerland | 1996 | €173,000 | $220,000 | 20,571 | |
Sweden | 1996 | €132,000 | $168,000 | 18,556 | |
Belgium | 1996 | €69,000 | $88,000 | 13,505 | |
Denmark | 1996 | €19,000 | $24,000 | 3,162 | |
Czech Republic | 1996 | €1,100 | $1,397 | 1,222 | |
Spain | 1996 | €318,000 | $361,000 | 96,309 | |
1997 | €9,330 | $10,580 | 2,744 | ||
United Kingdom | 1997 | £801,290 | $1,312,000 | 130,583 | better source needed][5]
|
Hungary | 1997 | €76,000 | $86,000 | 54,116 | [5] |
Romania | 1997 | €20,000 | $86,000 | 40,709 | |
1998 | €36,000 | $40,000 | 40,535 | ||
1999 | €8 | $9 | 11 | ||
France | 1998 | €1,086,000 | $1,232,000 | 204,894 | [25] |
Total | US$76,028,558 | 22,343,340 | |||
Inflation adjusted (2021) | US$154,476,114 | [26] |
The film was Chan's mainstream breakthrough in North America. When the film made its North American premiere at the
It became Chan's biggest ever hit up until then,[29] with a worldwide box office gross of US$76 million[30] (equivalent to over $154 million adjusted for inflation in 2021).[26] It was the most profitable film of 1996, with its US box office alone earning over 6 times its $13 million budget.[4]
Critical response
When released in North America, Rumble in the Bronx received generally positive reviews, with most critics happy that a Jackie Chan film was finally getting a wide theatrical release in North America.[31][32][33] On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an 80% approval rating based on reviews from 55 critics, with an average rating of 6.5/10.[34] Most critics praised the action, stunts, and Chan's charm, but found the plot and acting to be lacking.
Roger Ebert gave the film a positive review, rating it 3 out of 4 stars.[35] 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.[35]
Nate Jones in
In a 1995 review for the Hong Kong Film Critics Society, Stephen Teo panned the film as "at best, an average Jackie Chan picture." He noted that despite the final hovercraft set piece, the action "is offset by the comedy underpinnings of the thin plot."[37]
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.[38]
Awards and nominations
- 1996 Hong Kong Film Awards
- Winner: Best Action Choreography (Jackie Chan, Stanley Tong)
- Nomination: Best Actor (Jackie Chan)
- Nomination: Best Actress (Anita Mui)
- Nomination: Best Film Editing (Peter Cheung)
- Nomination: Best New Performer (Françoise Yip)
- Nomination: Best Picture (Barbie Tang)
- Nomination: Best Supporting Actress (Françoise Yip)
- 1997 Key Art Awards
- Winner: Best of Show – Audiovisual
For the "Ben Knows" comedy TV spot
- Winner: Best of Show – Audiovisual
- 1996 MTV Movie Awards
- Nomination: Best Fight (Jackie Chan)
Television
In the United Kingdom, the film was watched by 1.1 million viewers on
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 VCDcontaining 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
- Another DVD was released as part of the 4 Film Favorites: Martial Arts collection. The release is exactly like the New Line Cinema version. The film is also attached to The Corruptor, Showdown in Little Tokyo, and Bloodsport.
See also
- Jackie Chan filmography
- List of Hong Kong films
References
- ^ a b c "Rumble in the Bronx (1996)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- BBFC. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ^ a b "Rumble in the Bronx (1996) - Financial Information". The Numbers.
Production Budget: $7,500,000
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lumiere. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
- ^ "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]
- ^ Ebert, Roger (23 February 1996). "Rumble in the Bronx". Chicago Sun-Times – via RogerEbert.com.
- ^ Jackie Chan. "Jackie's Aches and Pains: It Only Hurts When I'm Not Laughing". Random House. Retrieved 19 December 2012.[page needed]
- ^ "Chinese lines up for Lies". Screen International. 21 April 1995. p. 25.
- ^ a b "Golden Harvest". AboutHK.Com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-7-5429-2813-9.
《红番区》10块钱一张票,10天票房超过一亿。
["Rumble in the Bronx" cost ¥10 per ticket, and the box office exceeded ¥100 million in 10 days.] - ^ a b c "Beijing Review". Beijing Review. Vol. 52. 2009. p. 23. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
But in 1995, Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan's Rumble in the Bronx lit up movie screens during the Spring Festival, taking in 110 million yuan ($16.11 million).
- ISBN 978-981-4350-09-9.
- ^ Zhang Rui (19 February 2016). "Top grossing Chinese films all through years". China Internet Information Center. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- ^ a b "1995 Taiwan Box Office". National Chengchi University. Archived from the original on 19 February 2001. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ a b "【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.
- ^ a b "【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.
- ^ "UIS Statistics". UNESCO Institute for Statistics. UNESCO. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ "53,787,720 TWD to USD". fxtop. March 1995. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ "Statistics of Film Industry in Japan". Eiren. Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (MPPAJ). Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Hong faan kui (Rumble in the Bronx) - United States". JP's Box-Office (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ "Die erfolgreichsten Filme in Deutschland 1996" [The most successful films in Germany 1996]. Inside Kino (in German). Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ ISSN 1725-4515. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Rumble in the Bronx". 25th Frame. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
- ^ "Hong faan kui (Rumble in the Bronx)". JP's Box-Office. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- ^ a b "Hong faan kui (Rumble in the Bronx) - Receipts". JP's Box Office (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hong faan kui (Rumble in the Bronx) - Germany". JP's Box-Office (in French). Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ Klady, Leonard (19 February 1996). "B.O. with a vengeance: $9.1 billion worldwide". Variety. p. 1.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Turan, Kenneth (23 February 1996). "Rumble' Gives Stunt King a Fighting Chance to Crack the U.S. Market". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 4 January 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (23 February 1996). "FILM REVIEW;Jackie Chan vs. a Gang". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ Wilmington, Michael (23 February 1996). "Jackie Chan Enthralls With Daredevil Stunts In 'Rumble in the Bronx'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ "Rumble in the Bronx". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ a b Ebert, Roger (23 February 1996). "Rumble in the Bronx: Review". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Teo, Stephen (1995). "Rumble in the Bronx(紅番區)". 1995 Hong Kong Film Review. Hong Kong Film Critics Society. Archived from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ Every Frame a Painting (13 September 2015), Vancouver Never Plays Itself, archived from the original on 11 December 2021, retrieved 14 November 2016
- ^ "Statistical Yearbook 09" (PDF). UK Film Council. 2009. p. 95. Retrieved 21 April 2022 – via British Film Institute.
- ^ "Statistical Yearbook 10" (PDF). UK Film Council. 2010. p. 91. Retrieved 21 April 2022 – via British Film Institute.
- ^ "BFI Statistical Yearbook 2012" (PDF). British Film Institute (BFI). 2012. p. 125. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
External links
- Rumble in the Bronx at IMDb
- Rumble in the Bronx at AllMovie