Jackie Chan fears that CGI stunts are desensitising viewers to the danger of action movies.
The 71-year-old actor and martial artist has expressed misgivings about the computer wizardry involved in modern stunt work, as he feels it gives audiences a false impression of the risks involved in shooting such sequences.
In an interview with luxury publication Haute Living, Chan explained: “In the old days, the only [choice we had] was to be there and jump, that’s it.”
“Today, with computers, actors can do anything, but there’s always a sense of reality that you feel is missing.”
The Rush Hour star added: “It’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, actors become more and more capable of doing impossible stunts with the help of technology, and yet, on the other hand, the concept of danger and limit gets blurred and the audience is numb [to it].
“But I’m not encouraging anybody to risk their lives to do the stunts like I did. It truly is too dangerous.”
Having performed his own stunts throughout his career of more than 60 years, Chan has no intention of slowing down. “Of course, I always do my own stunts. It’s who I am,” he said.
“That’s not changing until the day I retire, which is never! And to be honest, when you’ve done it for 64 years straight, there’s no physical preparation anymore. Everything is in your heart and soul, it is muscle memory.”
While Chan is a legendary figure in the action genre, he has also expressed a strong desire to branch out into other genres, hoping to showcase his versatility beyond the action world.
The Karate Kid: Legends actor said: “I want to do something outside of action. I want to be an actor who can handle different roles. I personally am very open to change. I want to do some new stuff, rather than staying in the action world. That’s just not me, I’m always trying to break boundaries.”
“Every filmmaker and actor, they want their own movies to be special and at the same time commercially successful. It’s the same for me as well.”
Reflecting on his career, Chan pointed out that commercial appeal has always been part of his approach, particularly when it comes to stunt choreography.
“Most of the movies I made were commercial films, so it wasn’t that much of a conflict. I would constantly brainstorm how to design an action sequence to make it more appealing to the audience,” he said.
Chan adopts the philosophy of never being comfortable, both in life and his cinema work.
“You can’t make everyone satisfied and happy, so the only thing you can do is be true and honest to yourself,” he explained.
“Cinema is an art of regret. You always feel like you could do more, do better. But for me, as long I push myself to the limit, I can move on without regret.”
Karate Kids: Legends opens in Singapore cinemas on Jun 6 and also stars Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang and Joshua Jackson.
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