Plot: What’s it about?
Sometimes in life, things change within a few seconds and after that, nothing is ever the same again. Such is the case for a humble, young farmboy (Jackie Chan) when he stumbles into a larger and possibly dangerous situation, without even knowing it. As he is minding his own business, he becomes pushed into a situation where he saves a man, who turns out to be a gangland boss. Whether he planned to or not, the farmboy is now in the middle of the crime world and before he knows it, he is climbing the ladder of power. In the blink of an eye, he has gone from a poor man to a wealthy and powerful one, all because of something he didn’t even intend to do in the first place. But what caused this sudden reversal of fortune? Was it just a coincidence, or does it have something to do with true good luck? In either case, he now finds himself in a swirl of money, power, romance, and of course, clashes with the rival mobsters.
If you think you’ve seen this, but don’t remember this title, perhaps you know it as Mr. Canton and Lady Rose. This is a delightful film from Jackie Chan, who brings his usual action skills, but also adds in a healthy dose of comedy and charm. Chan always injects his movies with those elements, but here they shine and are more present than usual. Of course that is due in part to the storyline, which is based on Frank Capra’s A Pocket Full Of Miracles. I know this might sound strange, but if Capra were to make an action movie then I think this would be it. This one is loaded with action and stunts, but also a sense of charm and emotion, which is rare in this genre to be sure. I do not think this is Chan’s best work, but it does have a unique tone that none of his other films display and because of that, it is more than worth a look. This one will appeal to fans of the genre and Chan of course, but I think even non fans will find a lot to like with this one.
As is the case with most of his movies, Jackie Chan is the man that makes Miracles worth a look. He pulls out all the stops in this one, with a deft blend of his trademark action skills and comedic flair. This ensures that there is always something to watch, even when the action has died down for a time. Chan is a true showman as always, tossing in all sorts of martial arts and prop based action, which is fast & furious as usual. And of course, he ends up working a few large scale stunts as well, though perhaps not as breathtaking as usual. Still, Chan turns in his usual charismatic and powerful performance, which is more than enough to turn this movie into a real winner. In addition to starring in this movie, Chan also serves as director and delivers on that end as well. If you want more Chan (and I know you do), then check out such films as Mr. Nice Guy, Rush Hour, Rumble In The Bronx, Project A, and Shanghai Noon. This film also features a fine performance by Anita Mui (Drunken Master II, Rumble In The Bronx), who shines in her role with a nice mix of toughness and glamour.
Video: How does it look?
Miracles is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This film looks fantastic and is a vast improvement over the previous import release, which was decent in its own right. This edition not only offers a new anamorphic widescreen transfer, but is also dual layered and that adds even more to the quality of this image. This transfer sports a natural spectrum of colors (as intended), but I never found them to be washed out in the least and no colors errors can be found here. The contrast is impressive also, a very high level of detail is present and black levels are razor sharp at all times. These import films don’t always get the visual treatment they deserve, but Miracles has been treated very well in this edition.
Audio: How does it sound?
In a terrific gesture, this disc includes the film’s original Cantonese language track, which is in the mono format. I am pleased to have the original language, but this is where this disc fails to surpass the import version. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix on the other disc is dynamic, whereas this mono track is average at best. Still, in terms of mono this is about as clean and crisp as it gets. The vocals sound clear at all times and the sound effects have a distinct texture, but the entire mix seems a little flat in comparison to the import disc. The music sounds very good though, which is a plus. This disc also features a Mandarin mono track and subtitles English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes an isolated musical score, which is nice since this movie has a tremendous one to listen to. Also found is a talent file on Chan and this film’s theatrical trailer as well as other Chan trailers.
