Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

"Who Am I?" came out back in 1998, but I did not hear about it when it first came out. I happened to catch it on television recently, and I decided to give it a try. The movie stars Jackie Chan, who also wrote and directed the storyline. Jackie Chan has risen to the point where he pretty much controls all aspects of the movies that he is involved in now. Which is usually a good thing, because it ends up playing to his strengths. By having this happen, the viewing audience is better able to enjoy action scenes where the main actor already knows his own limits. But, each time Chan comes out with a new movie, is seems that he tests his own limits.


I decided to give this film a chance in all honesty, because I was bored. I have seen just about all of Jackie Chan's films, and even paid to see a few of them in the theaters. I like the way that he does his own stunts, and how he is always putting something new and untried into his films. By knowing that he is doing his own stunts, and that there is not too much movie-magic involved, the audience is then more able to get into the story. Things we take for granted, like walking on the edge of the roof of a building, or crashing a car, become more realistic when we actually know that Chan is doing it for real. I have grown to love these films that he is in because of this and the action that always tends to ensue.


For those who do not know who he is, Jackie Chan is a Chinese martial arts master who has taken his art to the big screen. He is very talented in his art, and it shows in all of his movies. Early in his career though, he was dubbed over with another English speaker because he had not quite mastered the language. In the 90's however, he started using his own voice and it has added a lot to the characters that he plays. Also is makes it more believable when you know it is his voice and not some dub over the real thing.


This movie is one where he decided he would push all the limits that he had established in his prior movies. In that aspect, I mean that he made the action scenes more intense, and the fighting scenes more involved. The story begins when a secret agent (Jackie Chan) gains amnesia when he falls from a helicopter during a mission at the beginning of the film. He forgets everything about himself, including where he is from and even who he is. Suddenly he is being pursued by various people from many different agencies whom he has no idea why they are following him. Chan does a good job of this, and it actually adds a little something extra to each of the action scenes, because he is out only for himself. Jackie only survives that first mission, because he was thrown from the helicopter before it crashed and killed all the other members of his team.


Within this sub-plot is another one that involves one of his superiors actually working both sides of an operation. Pretending that he is still working for the CIA, he infiltrates a criminal organization. This is known to the audience, but not to Chan in the film. This leads to some tension between the two characters as Chan starts to figure out that he may not be who he appears to be. The criminal organization learns that Jackie survived the helicopter disaster, and they become intent on killing him. His only ally is a girl reporter who claims to be only there to help him survive and get the story. There is more to her character than she lets on though, and Jackie is able to find that out from the beginning. Through the movie, Jackie must defend himself against everyone he comes up against because he knows not who to trust or whom his enemies might be.


This is by far the best Jackie Chan movie that I have ever seen. The reasoning for my deduction there, are the action sequences and the fighting scenes that he choreographs in the movie. There are 3 main fighting scenes, and I must say that any one of them would be worth seeing the movie for, but put together all 3 of them make one action packed film. The 3rd fighting scene which comes at the end of the film is probably the best individual fighting scene that I have ever seen in a movie. Chan goes up against two of the main enforcers of the criminal organization, and he must defend himself or die trying.


This movie in fact, had a scene where I actually watched it with my mouth hanging open. Midway through the movie there is a car chase scene, that gives us a twist where Jackie must navigate a car through a tight ally-way. I will not give away what happens here, because it is worth seeing the movie just to experience this scene. This one coupled with a scene towards the end on the side of a glass building makes this one of those movies that is at the top of my list for best action movies. The fight scenes are all well done, and the action looks seamless and flawless in its execution.


If you are into action movies, or into Jackie Chan movies, then this is a movie that I highly recommend for you to see. There really is not much good dialogue in the film though, and my girlfriend had a hard time sitting through it at all. I think that it is worth giving a try though, because of all of the combinations of scenes I explained earlier. I do plan on purchasing this film to put in my collection when I get the chance, and I suggest you do the same.












Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8