At the age of 63, the endearing martial arts legend Jackie Chan boasts a colourful career full of comedy/action films but very few dramatic roles, at least in English, even though he has always begged for them. In The Foreigner he shows what Hollywood has been missing out on. In this political thriller, he plays a retired Vietnam War Special Forces veteran named Ngoc Minh Quan whose daughter is the victim of a terrifying terrorist bombing by a group that fancies itself as the new IRA.

Here, after failing to bribe Scotland Yard, Chan’s character approaches ex-IRA member and current Irish Deputy Minister Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan) for information, believing that through him he can get the names of the assailants. When Hennessy doesn’t come through, Chan’s character stalks him. Fearing that his secrets will be forced out into the open, Hennessy sends his men after the former army man, only to drive him into the woods in sequences highly reminiscent of Rambo in First Blood (1982).

The characterisation of Chan’s role not only seems to be inspired by Rambo but by Liam Neeson’s character in Taken as well. Of course, Chan has the action chops to handle this, even at this age, as is evident from the fact that he still does many of his own stunts. That he takes on a more serious action film is a nice change of pace from his usually preposterous comedic action fare, and worth the watch alone as far as his fans go. Of course, it is a little melancholic to see Chan having aged, even if this is some of the best fight choreography he’s taken part in some time.

Jackie Chan delivers his most affecting performance in a Western film but The Foreigner suffers from issues in pacing, narrative, and overall tone

But where Chan truly surprises — at least those viewers who haven’t seen him shine in dramatic Chinese roles — is in his moving performance. Though the Hong Kong star has very few lines to say, the grief his character feels as a father at witnessing the horrible death of his daughter is intensely palpable. As he carries out his mission, his thirst for revenge is written in the mournful sadness in his eyes. So comfortable is director Martin Campbell in Chan’s skills as an actor that he allows the camera to linger on him for long periods as he wordlessly displays the pain of loss.

Unfortunately, The Foreigner isn’t quite as comfortable with Chan taking the lead as you’d think from the film’s title or trailers. I reckon Chan is in the film for only one-third of it at best, and disappears for long periods to the point where you may forget he exists.

Unfortunately, The Foreigner isn’t quite as comfortable with Chan taking the lead as you’d think from the film’s title or trailers. I reckon Chan is in the film for only one-third of it at best, and disappears for long periods to the point where you may forget he exists. This is because The Foreigner suffers from issues in pacing, narrative, and overall tone: one half is a revenge film while the other is a deliberately paced political drama, and the two don’t mesh as well as they should. And while the former James Bond star is excellent in his role as a politician whose gambit goes out of hand, it’s still not enough to save the sometimes convoluted nature of the script, and shake the jarring feeling when the film shifts gears.

When The Foreigner examines the consequences of terrorism through the eyes of those who suffer directly, it does so effectively; but when it studies the psychology of terrorism, it feels like it could have done with more space. In the end, it is certainly a watchable film but not completely on target by any means.

Rated R for violence, language and some sexual content

Published in Dawn, ICON, October 22nd, 2017