Trailer for ‘Shinjuku Incident’

The full trailer for Jackie Chan’s latest movie, SHINJUKU INCIDENT, is now available at the film’s official site. While there, you’ll also find a synopsis, cast and crew info, pics, and desktop wallpaper downloads. What still hasn’t been added as of this writing is a making-of featurette.

Many of us knew this was going to be a crime drama where Chan performs very limited fighting action. What I find surprising about this footage is how much action is still in the movie.

The film looks like one of Chan’s smartest and edgiest since NEW POLICE STORY, which is highly welcome given the many lightweight roles we have had to endure since. It’s probably no coincidence that Chan is again paired up with Daniel Wu who has risen above many of his peers to become one of Hong Kong’s leading dramatic actors.

The film sports so many quality actors that it’s going to be hard for it to fail, even if the trailer had not looked as good as it does. Naoto Takenaka is a three-time Japanese Academy Award winner. Then you have mainland Chinese talents Xu Jinglei (THE WARLORDS) and Fan Bingbing (FLASH POINT), great character actors like Lam Suet (EXILED) and Paul Chun (FIST OF LEGEND), and action veterans Chin Kar-lok (ONE NITE IN MONGKOK), Ken Lo (FATAL CONTACT) and Yasuaki Kurata (SO CLOSE).

Once a Shaw Brothers actor known for leading roles in quality martial arts films like THE SENTIMENTAL SWORDSMAN and SHAOLIN PRINCE, director Derek Yee has evolved into a very talented filmmaker. In recent years Yee has been finding success as a director of crime dramas, specifically ONE NITE IN MONGKOK (2004) and PROTÉGÉ (2007), both starring Daniel Wu. THE SHINJUKU INCIDENT is his latest.

THE SHINJUKU INCIDENT is heading to theaters in select Asian territories on April 2nd. One place the film will not be appearing is mainland China where censors have taken exception to the gangster elements and the anti-heroic role that Jackie Chan plays.

Yee refused to budge on making cuts which is something I have tremendous respect for. Mainland China represents a huge yet creatively stifling market that Hong Kong filmmakers in recent years have regrettably been forced to cater to in order to stay in business. With the release THE SHINJUKU INCIDENT there is yet hope that Hong Kong filmmakers unwilling to sell out on their vision can continue to find enough support for their work elsewhere to carry on.

UPDATE: Replaced original Hong Kong trailer with newer Japanese trailer.

Tags: Chin Kar-lok, Daniel Wu, Fan Bingbing, Jackie Chan, Ken Lo, Shinjuku Incident (2009), upcoming, Videos, Yasuaki Kurata