The TV Addict 

One of the many things direly wrong with last weekend’s horrible THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPREROR was the fact that it was yet another example of Hollywood’s inept mishandling of Asian movie stars. Watching Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh trod their way through the film just kept on breaking my heart, because they can do so much better, and - more importantly - deserve so much better.

Instead they, and many other successful Asian action stars (Jackie Chan, especially) are usually reduced to being embarrassing sidekicks (either to other characters, the narrative, or to special effects) or their martial art skills are exploited for the exotic novelty their five minutes of on-screen fighting present to North American audiences (”Oh, look, how neat. It’s martial arts!”).

Jackie Chan seems to be a moderate exception in that even though he is forced into goofy sidekick roles, he’s occasionally enjoyed more freedom in displaying his talents. I remember seeing SHANGHAI KNIGHTS and being impressed that Chan’s martial arts work in the film represented the closest he - or any other martial arts star - has come to reproducing his Asian work in an American film.

That’s the exception to the rule though, and Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh have certainly not been so lucky, as anyone familiar with their own work (or even better, their shared work) back in Asia knows. If you need proof of the “Hollywood Effect” on Asian action stars’, just take a look at Jet Li’s film output in and outside of America after he broke through with LETHAL WEAPON 4. American films: ROMEO MUST DIE, THE ONE, CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE, WAR, THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. Outside North America films: KISS OF THE DRAGON, HERO, UNLEASHED, and FEARLESS. Notice something?

For an enjoyer of true martial arts film, this year has been perhaps the nail in the coffin for those suffering through the “Hollywood Effect”. First we got THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, which even though it was well meaning and had some decent action, still took a film that starred both Jackie Chan and Jet Li (we’ve waited years for this!) and made them play narrative second fiddle to a teenage white kid. If that was a conceptual abuse of Asian action stars, then THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR was an abuse in execution, grossly under using and misusing both of its star actors, especially Li who was digitized for most of the film and just snarling and pointing at stuff (in other words, he barely fought at all).

So, I don’t know. I think I’m done with Asian action stars in American films, unless Hollywood either lets these fantastic action stars’ talents be properly taken advantage of or simply lets them go and leaves them to focus on making good films again back in Asia.