The Foreigner shows off Jackie Chan’s wise character

A strong action thriller sure to be a fun and different film

“The Foreigner” came out of nowhere to be one of the stronger action movies of the fall.

Starring Jackie Chan, the “The Foreigner” is about an elderly Asian man and his struggle to avenge the death of his daughter. The stakes are even higher when we learn that his wife and other children were also killed in an attack years before. The principle attack that kills his daughter is sudden and said to be politically-driven terrorism.
Quan (Chan) is determined to find the killer, even if the British government stands in his way. Although the film has a straightforward plot, the characters, style, and pace make it stand out.

The acting in “The Foreigners” is compelling. This film is very serious, which is not very typical of a Jackie Chan film. Chan is commonly seen using comedy to get away from some sort of threat. He uses martial arts and delayed reactions to pull off impossible escapes while the audience laughs.

This film is the complete opposite of anything that his character type is used to, but he pulls it off effortlessly. All the emotions he shows towards his family history are authentic, and his motivation to bring justice is convincing. He is obviously not as agile and quick as he used to be, but the style he uses and the cleverness fits the character type perfectly.

The style of “The Foreigner” is not what a traditional Hollywood action film looks like. What is different and unique to this movie is that there was influence from China as well as America. The film states that it is distributed by STX Entertainment, a fairly new distribution company; you probably wouldn’t recognize a single film they have released.

During the opening credits, there are multiple other companies identified that are clearly not from America, setting this apart from most films. From the beginning, you know this film will feel different than, say, a Warner Brothers picture.

The pace in this movie is really solid. Throughout the story, Chan uses his scientific intelligence to set off his own explosions as a way to slowly hunt down the guys who set off the original one. These blasts start as complete surprises in the beginning of the film.

Each time you become more aware of them. The action scenes keep the movie clicking at a high speed. At moments where the movie loses pace, and then boom, he sets off another, as if it makes sure the audience doesn’t doze off for too long. The film gave ample clues and hints but didn’t give everything away until the end. It never got too complicated, but wasn’t obvious like some films.

“The Foreigner” is a very straightforward action genre film, but it is also a lot more. Chan adds class and pure skill to the ensemble of acting, making the film authentic and mature. The pacing is swift and agile, making you stay at the edge of your seats waiting for the next bomb to go off.

Even more interesting, the film feels different than movies you are familiar with at the box office. Go to “The Foreigner” if you want a movie experience that is fun and different.