Mr. Nice Guy (1997) Poster

(1997)

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6/10
Amusing and funny Jackie film , this time in Melbourne against nasty drug smugglers
ma-cortes20 May 2012
Melbourne, Australia, TV Journalist Diana (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick) tapes evidence against drug lord Giancarlo (Richard Norton), but on her way away , she is spotted and has to escape . Chinese Jackie (Jackie Chan) is a well known television chef who accidentally gets involved with the news reporter who filmed a drug bust that went awry and is now being chased by gangs who are trying to get the video tape . But when Jackie's visiting sweetheart Miki (Miki Lee) gets abducted for the tape as ransom.

Jackie Chan's vehicle with plenty of over-the-top action , thrills , explosions , ingenious stunts , tongue-in-cheek and amusing music . This exciting movie is packed with adventure , intrigue , unstopped action , overwhelming stunt-work and lots of fights but with humor . Jackie Chan is top-notch as one army man fighting a group of heinous nasties led by Richard Norton and as always he makes his own stunts like is well showed . Awesome , incredible stunts and brief comic touches , as usual . The lighting-paced storyline slows down at times , but frantic action sequences make up for it . Spotlights movie include spectacular brawls in a mall , Jackie in a crane , jumping down a building , on a roof , in a globe , impressive and interminable fights with Chan dangling and downing , a funny door games , a breathtaking final full of destruction with a giant truck and other extraordinary action sequences in overwhelming style . This is a diverting action movie distinguished by nice cinematography of the spectacular sequences , and contains agreeable sense of humor such as previous entry . In the film appears known Outback secondary actors as Rachel Blakely , Barry Otto and Gabrielle Fitzpatrick as an intrepid reporter . Jackie Chan usually forms couple to notorious actors as Sammo Hung here as an unfortunate cyclist and also filmmaker and actresses as Maggie Cheung and Michelle Yeoh . In this outing Jackie contends a notorious Kung-Fu actor , Richard Norton , a fine action star in their own right and with a relatively successful career , that stands out as a masked ninja, in ¨Octagon¨ (1980), and their grueling final combat endures as a classic cinematic fight scene , director Robert Clouse chose Norton to be one of the ensemble heroes in ¨Force Five¨ (1981), an international hit, and the young martial artist's career in movies took off , his reputation for stellar performances emerged largely from high-energy Hong Kong films directed by Sammo Hung Kam-Bo and starring Jackie Chan in the mid-'80s. Muscular charisma made Norton the perfect Anglo bad boy for ¨Winners and sinners¨ (1985) and ¨Millionaires Express¨ . His collaborations with Cynthia Rothrock catapulted him to a high level of fame . Sammo Hung encouraged Norton to play in ¨Superchef¨ the "Guy" nemesis, a well-heeled gangster, with eccentric edginess, Norton embraced the assignment and delivered one of the best , though some excessive, co-starring performances in all of Chan's films.

¨Superchef¨ is a passable action movie distinguished by ferocious sequences , and packs silly sense of humor as well as Jackie's former and subsequent entries . Furthermore , moving and thrilling original musical score fitting to action . Good cinematography by Raymond Lam filmed in Chinatown Mall, Fortitude Valley, Queensland, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia . The picture achieved success in China and around the world . However , Jackie Chan's failed at Box-office in his American debut ,¨Battle creek brawl¨ . Chan usually pays overt homage to two of his greatest influences as Charles Chaplin and Harold Lloyd . Chan is a hard-working actor and director throughout his long and varied career . He went on playing ¨Cannoball¨ , ¨The protector¨ and "Rumble in the Bronx", until getting all American success with ¨Shangai Knights¨ , ¨The tuxedo¨ , ¨Around the world in 80 days¨ and ¨Rush hour¨ trilogy , and the recent ¨Karate kid¨. Of course , his biggest hits were ¨The Police story¨ series that won the Golden Horse Award, a Chinese version of the Oscar , the first was titled ¨Police story(1985)¨ directed by the same Chan , it was a perfect action film for enthusiastic of the genre ; the following was ¨Police story 2(1988)¨also pretty violent and with abundant humor touches. It's followed by ¨Supercop¨ or ¨Police story 3¨ and finally, ¨Police story IV : Crime story . ¨Superchef¨ rating : Acceptable and fun film that has its sensational moments here and there , but also with abundant humor touches mostly provided by its agile star , the super Jackie . It's a satisfying action film for enthusiast of the genre and specially for Jackie fans .
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7/10
Rumble in the Melbourne CBD?
AwesomeWolf3 August 2005
In my review of 'Who Am I?', I mentioned that 'Rumble in the Bronx', 'First Strike', 'Mr Nice Guy', and 'Who Am I?' all followed a similar formula as Jackie tried to capture western audiences. After watching 'Mr Nice Guy' again, I was actually kind of surprised to realize that it was almost a carbon copy of 'Rumble in the Bronx' - a Rumble in Melbourne's Central Business District, anyway.

Giancarlo (Richard Norton), Melbourne's top drug lord is angry because Diana (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick) has a tape that incriminates him. Jackie (Jackie Chan), a TV chef and arse-kicker extraordinaire comes into possession of the tape, making Giancarlo angry enough to kidnap Jackie's girlfriend Miki (Miki Lee). This makes Jackie angry. The end.

Wow. It seems like I've written out the whole plot and embellished upon it rather than summarized it. I'm just kidding - or am I? 'Mr Nice Guy' might be a contender for the thinnest plot in the universe prize, and the so called "supporting actors" don't even seem to be trying to act. Almost everything that happens in 'Rumble in the Bronx' is recycled for this. Unfortunately, the hovercraft was replaced by heavy machinery. Nothing can be an adequate substitute for Rumble's hovercraft.

Jackie kicking arse is the only reason for anyone to watch 'Mr Nice Guy'. It doesn't feature anything new or innovative, but any keen fan of Jackie should notice various 'Protector', 'Police Story' or 'Rumble in the Bronx' moments. It is a fun and exciting action film though, and that's what Jackie is all about.

And now for something completely different: Yet again, 'Mr Nice Guy' features Jackie playing a character called Jackie. I'm convinced that Jackie quit acting for several years, and took up a life as a cop, spy, chef, etc. All the while he had a film crew filming his adventures in order to create easy action movies. It's the only logical explanation - the writers can't be that lazy, right?

'Mr Nice Guy' reeks of being direct to video, but that doesn't stop it from being a fun action movie. Fans of Jackie Chan or Sammo Hung should give this a look - 7/10
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6/10
Thin on plot but fat with exciting stunts.
The Gryphon13 February 2005
Thin on plot and fat with exciting stunts, Jackie Chan's "Mr. Nice Guy" is more like a speedy carnival ride than a movie. Chan plays a television chef who gets mixed up with a female reporter with an incriminating videotape that drug lords are after. Along the way Jackie Chan has his prerequisite close calls and death defying stunts mixed with his affable humor. All the stunts are good ones and there's a set-piece that requires Chan to escape his enemy in an unfinished building where all the blue doors are already installed that is my favorite. It's quite a farce having people opening and closing doors in pursuit and escape and never knowing who or what's behind the next door. One extended scene is a guilty pleasure for me and involves Chan commandeering a large earth moving vehicle and wreaking havoc with it. When I say large, I mean LARGE. The tires alone must be 12 feet tall in and of themselves. It's pretty cool to see the devastation this vehicle incurs. A fun film. Had the plot itself been a bit more thickened my rating would've been higher.
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7/10
worth seeing
davadam16 March 1999
This movie is a strange combination: quite possibly the thinnest plot and worst acting of any Jackie Chan movie... and some of the best and funniest fight scenes, as well.

Fortunately the movie moves along briskly and there's never much time between humor and fight scenes for you to dwell on just how bad the acting was in the preceeding scene.
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7/10
Nonstop action - and what action!
gridoon13 February 2004
The thinnest plot imaginable (1: Bad guys think Jackie has an incriminating tape, 2: Bad guys go after him), but it doesn't matter; the movie serves up one virtuoso action sequence after another, and some priceless comic dialogue as well ("Oh my God, you want the tape too? If you find it PLEASE take it"). Jackie was 43 when this was filmed, but he sure hadn't lost a bit of his physical dexterity. This film is much better in every way than his American "breakthrough" hit, "Rumble In The Bronx", and Richard Norton makes an enjoyable villain. (***)
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7/10
The Perfect Combination of Action and Humor
claudio_carvalho20 November 2015
In Melbourne, the Chinese Chef Jackie (Jackie Chan) has a successful show on television. The drug lord Giancarlo (Richard Norton) and his gang are dealing cocaine with The Demons gang, but they fight against each other. During the shooting, the snoopy reporter Diana (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick) and her partner are accidentally exposed and they flee with a VHS tape with the footage of the negotiation. On the street, she stumbles with Jackie and he helps her fighting against the gangsters. When they are escaping in his car, her tape accidentally mixes with other videotapes that Jackie has in a box on the backseat of his car. Jackie goes to his apartment and meets his girlfriend Miki (Miki Lee) while his nephews "borrow" the tape to watch. Meanwhile Giancarlo's gangsters are looking for the tape and abduct Miki. Jackie's friend Romeo (Vince Poletto), who is a police detective, chases the gangsters with other policemen while Jackie teams up with Diana and his friend Lakisha (Karen McLymont) to release Miki from Giancarlo.

"Yat goh ho yan", a.k.a. "Mr. Nice Guy", is a highly entertaining film with Jackie Chan in the lead role. The screenplay is the perfect combination of action and humor, with magnificent choreography. The final sequence with the huge mining vehicle is hilarious. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Mr. Nice Guy - Bom de Briga" ("Mr. Nice Guy – Good in Fight")
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6/10
Fairly entertaining if you don't go in expecting too much
donbendell26 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
"Chan stars as a TV chef who gets caught up in the middle of a gang war when he accidentally switches videotapes with a reporter.

I think you have to take this film with a grain of salt. It was Chan's first English-language film in over ten years and, according to rumors, it was more of a test for New Line to see if Chan could handle speaking in English for an entire film. As such, not much attention was paid to the story (it's more of a rehash of Rumble in the Bronx than anything else), and most of the action pieces in the film are recycled from previous Chan movies (the mall fight from Police Story, the construction brawl from Police Story 2, etc.).

All that being said, the film is fairly entertaining if you don't go in expecting too much. The action (as could be expected under Hung's direction) is done well and some of the jokes are actually pretty funny (Hung is hilarious in a cameo as a beat-up bike messenger). There are a few sticky points, though. Once again (as in Operation Condor) Chan has three ditzy female sidekicks dragging on him (and the story) for much of the film, and Richard Norton (a good fighter you might know from the China O'Brien films or another Chan movie City Hunter) is absolutely wasted in his role as the villain; we don't even get to see a decent fight between him and Chan (apparently, Chan hurt himself and could not film a big fight sequence).

Mr. Nice Guy, like many Chan films, also suffers from what I like to call a "Warner Bros. ending," named after those Bugs Bunny cartoons where the creators don't know how to finish the cartoon, so they just have Bugs break into a song-and-dance, crack a lame joke or other such nonsense. The ending here seems to be really tacked on and weak. The story is literally wrapped up in about two minutes. I won't ruin it for you, but I think once you see it, you'll be scratching your head, thinking "That's it?" Yup. That's all folks."
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A movie ain't good when the only good bits are the action and stunt scenes
Greatwhitewhale23 October 2003
Warning: Spoilers
(CONTAINS SPOILERS EXCEPT LAST PARAGRAPH)

I love Jackie Chan, I really do, but you can't just make a movie with great fight scenes, stunts and explosions and everything else about the movie is poor!

What was the point of him being a TV chef? What was the point of Jackie's fellow chef talking about Jackie's background in the dinner scene? That Redhead that got Jackie into this whole thing, did she have a point in the rest of the film? Did she need to be in her underwear in that scene? What was the point......OK you get my point.

It's just that it needed to be smarter and not brainless. That bad guy wasn't tough enough. Needed a better ending (Jackie doesn't even kiss his "girlfriend" and it just cut straight to the outtakes!)

I would only recommend this to Jackie Chan fans. But for everyone else, you really shouldn't bother.
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5/10
Great action with a sketchy storyline! 5/10
leonblackwood10 December 2015
Review: This is a more serious Jackie Chan movie which sees him playing a TV Chef, who gets caught up with a bunch of thugs and drug dealers, when he tries to save a journalist who has recorded a drug deal. When they escape from the thugs, the journalist realises that she hasn't got the tape and that she has a recording of one of Jackies shows but the thugs are adamant about getting the tape back which will expose there operation. An innocent Jackie, helps to save the journalist to fight of the baddies whilst struggling to stay alive because of this tape, which he really doesn't know were it is. When his girlfriend comes to stay with him, she is kidnapped by the baddies so Jackie will give them the tape, so with the help of the police, he tries to get his girlfriend back by using his Kung Fu skills against both parties of the drug deal. When the police finally get information about the tapes whereabouts, Jackie manages to save his girlfriend and he takes down the drug dealers for good. Like many Chan movies, the action scenes were brilliant and the stunts were very well choreographed but the whole tape concept wasn't that great. I was impressed with Chans cooking skills and the epic bulldozer scene at the end was quite good but the film seemed pretty average. The acting from the Australian cast was a bit sketchy and the huge baddies in the box suits were useless but it's a watchable movie which, gladly, didn't have any of those silly comedic action scenes. Average!

Round-Up: Sammo Hung, 63, who made an appearance in the movie as a cyclist, also directed this action packed movie and I must admit, he did do quite a good job. Most of his previous films, like Wheels on Meals and Dragons Forever, have a comedic feel to them but he gave this movie a serious side which made the film watchable. Its not in the same league as the more authentic movies from Chan but the action was great, along with Chans professionalism on screen.

Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $13million

I recommend this movie to people who are into their crime/action/martial arts/comedies starring Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Richard Norton. 5/10
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7/10
Fun
rutt13-120 June 2001
You have to have kind of a high threshold for silliness (and bad acting) to enjoy this one. The plot's almost nonexistent, but it's got some good (little) fight scenes and stunts....A little disappointing, though, that Jackie doesn't get to fight lead villain Richard Norton, quite a good fighter (see "City Hunter.") The ending's pretty funny though. Probably the most "Turn off your brain, and enjoy" Jackie film since "Rumble in the Bronx," it delivers fun, plain and simple.
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4/10
Comedy and Action on point but story sucks
leonshikto29 December 2019
The movie was fun to watch but it did not make any sense and had a lot of plot holes. Most of the characters felt like placeholders. Overall if anyone wants to see some cool fight scenes this works.

According to my rating strategy : Story : 0.5/2 (Okay), Task Fulfillment : 0.5/1, Wow factor : 0/1, Directing, Cinematography and Soundtrack : 1/2 (Good), Cast : 1/2 (Only for Jackie), Viewer : 1/2 (Not a waste of time)
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8/10
Action galore!!!
LebowskiT100016 January 2003
This film is certainly not an Academy Award Winner, but it most definitely is just a plain old good action film with tons of senseless fighting. The fighting is incredible in this film and the stunts are quite impressive, the choreography and the stunts are what make this film good, don't expect a great story or any great acting.

The story isn't nearly as bad as I expected it to be, it's actually quite interesting and takes a little bit of step aside from Jackie Chan's typical cop character. This time he's simply a TV chef that gets mixed up in things against his will. It sounds pretty stupid, but it's not all that bad.

The acting and even more so, the dialogue are two things that I'm not even going to begin to defend. The acting is pretty bad at times and the dialogue is god-awful! Sadly, a lot of the bad dialogue could easily have been avoided, I don't know what the writers/director was thinking.

Virtually all of the cast members were new faces to me, with of course, the exception of Jackie Chan. Jackie does a good job with his role, exactly what you would expect from one of his films. I feel I have to mention Gabrielle Fitzpatrick, what a beautiful actress!!! And she's actually a pretty good actress, I'll definitely be keeping an eye open for her future work.

If you are a fan of Martial Art films, or just like Jackie Chan, then watch this movie. Just watch this film thinking you are going to have a fun time watching Jackie kick some bad-guy butt! I hope you enjoy the film, thanks for reading,

-Chris
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7/10
Jackie Chan still defines the "action guy" image.
emm2 January 1999
C'mon, all of you! Throw some more votes into the pot if you've seen enough out of everything! Jackie Chan's recent movies including MR. NICE GUY show their prescnce in the Hollywood mainstream thanks to a special ingredient: originality. Take your pick at RUMBLE IN THE BRONX and thereafter! Impressive and fast stunt choreography from TV chef Chan is astounding and well done, something that highly trained professionals have died for. Voices aren't dubbed this time around, but Chan's accent takes some learning. The touch of comedy is another welcome feature, making this one specially entertaining. Fat bicyclist steals the show for fighting back, and the end outtakes are a nice bonus. There are a couple of gripes, though. MR. NICE GUY tends to run the same route as R.I.T.B. from start to finish (like the giant truck finale), and it could have been less on stupidity, but as I said before, the comedy was welcome. More movies like this would (almost) put James Bond 007 in the retirement home! Another must-see for action buffs! Another must-have for the fan of Chan!
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5/10
Big disappointment
winner5530 October 2006
Big disappointment from the Chan man. Although the real fault here lies with director Sammo Hung. This film brought Hung and Chan back together after years of a rumored quarrel between them; they collaborated again on the much superior "Medallion".

A couple reviewers here remarked that there was too much plot in the movie, which weakened the pace. I suggest they re-watch the film, just for clarification - the reason why there seems to be too much plot is because a very simple plot has been needlessly obscured and muddled - if the film were properly paced, we would have time for a much stronger - and accessible - plot than we find here, which would make the better surviving chases - since some chases would need to go - more realistic and hence more meaningful.

In fact the film is really only one chase scene after another - on feet, in cars, across rooftops, etc., etc. There's never any time spent developing these characters enough to make us interested in them. And chase scenes are not fight scenes: true, they do offer plenty of raw material for some undeniably exciting stunts; but the sense of conflict that should be providing the suspense for the film is almost wholly lacking, since the protagonist - Chan - never resolves to confront the gangsters before they find him first.

Hard to understand how Chan (at the peak of his popularity) and Hung (about to go to America for the "Martial Law" TV show) could generate such a mess as this. It seems they both became so obsessed with stunt-chasing, they forgot what it was the characters need to chase about - the story.
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Review from a Jackie Chan fanatic
anithyng_gose16 September 2002
Warning: Spoilers
Most fans, new and old will enjoy the action scenes and comedy of this film. While the majority of Jackie's movies are weak in plot, (no big surprise), this one falls a bit below average.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOLLOW ***

The main plot of the film is Jackie and company being hunted down by a gang called "Demons" for a video that accidentally falls into Jackie's possession, and then into the hands of his friend's child.

The video was of a drug-deal gone bad, taped by the cameraman of Diana (the redhead). After being smacked to the ground in about the 12th chapter (out of 20), this main character of the film is never seen or heard from again! Let me repeat, SHE TOTALLY VANISHES FROM THE MOVIE! What is that???

Jackie goes on to totally demolish the mansion of Giancarlo (rival of the Demons) who seemed less of Jackie's enemy than the Demons until the end of the film ...and that's IT!

I realize that a good 20 minutes was chopped out of the US version, but really, what little plot the film has just falls out of the bottom in the end ...as if the average viewer wouldn't notice!

Great action scenes and Jackie as a famous chef was memorable. But if you are a serious collector and only want Jackie's best films, this one may be strictly rental-only.
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7/10
More super stunts!
kenandraf21 March 2001
This was a movie that was created solely to feature more of Jackie Chan's incredible stunts and martial arts.Very nice Melbourne scenery and as usual,a great effort from Chan.The martial arts was definitely toned down and the target audience of this movie was the U.S. which like more of the comedy fighting/stunts from Chan as of now as they are slowly adjusting to admiring an Asian and one who is not a U.S. citizen at that.Chan understands how to compromise and that to be big in the west,he must not take himself too seriously so as not to intimidate the very racially sensitive U.S. market.He plans to win the U.S. over by displaying his charming/clowning side of himself first,then later on,feature more seriousness in his characters and in his fighting sequences.This movie was a compromise between the Hong Kong style screenplay/directing techniques and the watered down U.S. version of Chan that seemed to connect with the U.S. audience very well.This was definitely an experimental movie to find out if a low budget movie,with Hong Kong direction/screenplay,western style scenery(closer,cheaper Australia),low budget western type actors(Australians),very simple plot and story,combined with spectacular Chan stunts and the watered down version of Chan's Kung-Fu will sell very well.If it does,they would probably make more movies with this formula.The results later on they would find out is that they could not get away with too little as they had hoped.It would be bad for Chan's credibility in the long run,relegating him into a cheap B movie action star.Chan has money and he is right now chasing his dream of being an Asian iconic legend in the ranks of Wayne,Stallone.Eastwood,Scwarzenegger and Lee.He knows credibility comes with movies with more substance than this movie.Thus the better production movies that followed this one later on.Still,this movie is worth the watch due to the truly spectacular feats Chan does time and again showing no signs of middle age at all......
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7/10
Fun Enough Jackie Chan Film, That's Nothing Special, But It's Quite Enjoyable And Well Worth The Watch!
callanvass25 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is a fun enough Jackie Chan film, that's nothing special, but it's quite enjoyable and well worth the watch!. All the characters were great, and some of the stunts were incredible, plus Jackie Chan is simply amazing in this!. Jackie has done a lot better, however this is still quite fun to watch, as it's got plenty of action to keep one entertained, and Jackie and Gabrielle Fitzpatrick had good chemistry together, plus The finale was very cool!. Sammo Hung has a very funny cameo, and the fight scenes were great, plus Richard Norton is awesome as the main villain!. All the characters are very likable, and as usual Jackie brings some great comic relief, plus Richard Norton really seemed to be enjoying himself here. The opening was very cool, and Jackie did his usual amazing stunts, plus it was entertaining throughout!. This is a fun enough Jackie Chan film, that's nothing special, but it's quite enjoyable, and well worth the watch!. The Direction is good. Sammo Hung does a good job here, with great camera work, great angles, and keeping the film at a fast pace!. Th Acting is great!. Jackie Chan is AMAZING as always, and is amazing here, he is extremely likable, was hilarious, was actually very intense in scenes, kicked that ass, had great chemistry with Gabrielle Fitzpatrick and just did an amazing job!. (Jackie Rules!!). Richard Norton is great as the main villain, he was perfectly over the top and was a lot of fun to watch, i loved him!.Gabrielle Fitzpatrick is stunningly gorgeous!, and is fantastic here, she seemed to be enjoying herself, had great chemistry with Jacie, and was very sexy!. Miki Lee does okay here, but it somewhat bland, and only had so so chemistry with Jackie. Karen McLymont does fine with what she had to do, and had a lot of spunk, i liked her lots. Rest of the cast do okay. Overall well worth the watch!. *** out of 5
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7/10
Jackie Chan Does it again.
Leviat13 August 1998
What's truly great about Jackie Chan is that even in a movie that has no other redeeming qualities he can make you want to see the movie again and again. The movie itself is not that great, the acting is bad and the plot is extremely pathetic, but Jackie shows off how likable he is again. Between great stunt sequences and great humourous scenes, Jackie keeps you interested. Here's to more Jackie Chan Movies!
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2/10
Wow
TheStiffmeister17 July 2009
I know films like this should be taken with a pinch of salt, people will always say things like "it's just a bit off fun" or "it's not to be taken seriously". Normally, I would go along with these opinions but I'm afraid I'm just not able to with 'Mr. Nice Guy'. The acting in this film is so bad, it is almost funny. The problem is that the acting is so awkward, it makes watching it so awkward. There are moment where you would like to rise from your seat, enter the TV and do it for them. The action and FX are almost annoying: everything seems to be in slow motion, which is silly because it allows the viewer more time to see windows breaking before they are touched, or fireworks being set off for explosions. I'm sorry, I'm not usually such a cynic but having watched many bad films in my time- I think it is safe to say this is the worst. If you like Chan, then keep to the Rush Hours.
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7/10
Funny Kung Fu Action
mjw230513 October 2007
Jackie Chan is Mr. Nice Guy, a TV Chef who helps a beautiful young woman when she is chased by a gang of thugs. What he quickly learns is that she is a Journalist who has just uncovered a drug ring, and she has a video tape that could bring it down; and this tape accidentally gets switched with one of his own.

This is the first Jackie Chan movie to be shot entirely in English, and its a fast paced all action, Kung-Fu fighting, comedy roller-coaster that simply great fun to watch. Chan is typically awesome at his art of fighting and in his usual style he takes on the bad guys and kicks butt throughout the movie.

7/10 Great fun and packed with great martial arts, done the Jackie Chan way.
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5/10
The rise and fall of Jackie Chan
Markmainwaring11 March 2006
For many years Jackie Chan had been a hero to me. Then came Rumble in the Bronx and he was a hero to everyone. Rumble in the Bronx was a great film I thought. Not Jackies best but great at what it was. It turned out that was to be his last really great film.

A few movies later this came out. Jackies first all English speaking film. As long as you don't count The Protector and Big Brawl.

I have to say I wasn't looking forward too seeing this anyway. The story didn't sound too impressive from the start. And it isn't. Its very convoluted. A TV chef who seems to have super hero capabilities? The acting is really bad (look out for some famous Astralian soap stars though). But its the action that really fails. Anytime some good action is about to take place the image turns into this blurry slow motion technique that makes it hard to see whats going on.

Okay some great moments along the way. And a brilliant cameo from Sammo Hung. But is it really worth it?
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10/10
This film changed my life.
kayathemonkey25 February 2016
As a young kid with no hopes all dream i was lost is the big wide world. However one day, mother bought a VHS of a film.. The film, Mr Nice Guy. Now I'm not over exaggerating when i say this film changed my life. I went from "Hey can i ask Sophie on a date" To "So when you gonna be on me bed?" This inner confidence has brought me so much joy to so much success. From the fantastic character development to the eye watering heartfelt scenes. All this wrapped together with action that will leave you horny and confused.

So Thank you Jackie, For ever.

Love Kaya
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7/10
Decent action
pbartbar25 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Good action throughout the movie. What got me was at the end with the cheap plywood set that was being destroyed. Stuff blowing up where there was nothing that could blow up. It cheapened the movie. But then I guess with Jackie Chan in the movie that's supposed to make up for it.
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4/10
Not bad, but try to avoid the re-edited US version
Libretio30 January 2000
MR. NICE GUY (Yi Ge Hao Ren)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Anamorphic)

Sound format: Dolby Digital

This reviewer hasn't seen New Line's re-edited 88 minute version of Sammo Hung's good-natured action movie, so I can't comment on its merits (or lack thereof), though reports suggest it's the usual cut 'n' paste abomination. Which is surprising, really, because the original film - a feebly plotted thriller with comic asides, in which a high-kicking TV chef (Jackie Chan) is hounded by a villainous drug baron (Richard Houghton) who's searching for an incriminating videotape - couldn't be simpler. Plot and characterisations are purely incidental to the main business of hurling Chan head first into a series of explosive situations that require lavish displays of physical skill and dexterity. The film's technical construction is simply beyond reproach: Despite his over-reliance on irritating slow-motion inserts, Hung weaves a dynamic visual tapestry, due mainly to the breathtaking skills of cinematographer Raymond Lam and editor Peter Cheung, and he invests the threadbare narrative with an energy that will leave most viewers wide-eyed with disbelief. Stunts and fights develop organically, utilising a variety of props and settings, the highlight being a battle royale on top of a runaway horse and carriage hurtling through the streets of Melbourne, taking full advantage of the wide anamorphic frame (if you can't see this one in widescreen, don't bother). It's nice, too, to see some good western actors in a HK film (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick distinguishes herself as a gutsy journalist whose dodgy videotape provides an excuse for all the ensuing mayhem), though this probably has more to do with Golden Harvest's contractual obligations to the American distributors than anything else.

And yet, despite the film's sheer cinematic gusto, MR. NICE GUY is a disappointment. It could be argued that many fans are only interested in the death-defying set-pieces, but Chan no longer seems able to reconcile his penchant for incredible stuntwork with the narrative complexities that typified so many of his earlier productions. Nevertheless, if you can forgive the casual, unfunny brutality which mars the otherwise upbeat tone - women are knocked about and abused with alarming regularity throughout the film - there's still much to enjoy in this glossy effort, even if it fails to engage the audience on anything more than a purely superficial level.

(Cantonese, Mandarin and English dialogue)
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