Who Am I? (1998)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Who Am I? (1998) – B. Chan & J. Chan

Late Nineties and Jackie is already in his 40s (and on the verge of his US breakthrough with Rush Hour, also released in 1998).  The film starts slow and confusingly – is Jackie a CIA agent engaged in Black Ops? He’s with an outfit that has kidnapped some scientists who are making a new chemical weapon of some kind. But wait, now his team has been betrayed by their leader, Jackie has fallen out of a plane and landed on his head and has amnesia.  He’s adopted by a tribe in Namibia and seemingly spends some months or years there (with the new name “WhoAmI”).  There isn’t much action in this first third but then Jackie is found by the CIA and brought to South Africa where he soon discovers that he is also wanted by the police (at least this is what we guessed).  Finally, there are car chases and then when the action moves to Rotterdam, a lot of excellent hand-to-hand kung fu fighting old school style with Jackie’s trademarked comedy.  Perhaps the film is lacking in big stunts or setpieces but it's refreshing in its return to basics.  Who cares about plot in a film like this anyway!