'The Foreigner' - Movie Review

I've been avoiding Jackie Chan's movies for the most part for over a decade. But a friend (whose judgment I'm thinking I ought to be valuing more) strongly recommended this one. It's not a martial arts film, and Chan's not trying to pretend he isn't past 60. But it is an action film, and a very good one.

Ngoc Minh Quan (Chan) runs a Chinese restaurant in London with his partner. But an IRA bombing kills his daughter, his only remaining family. And for possibly the first time ever, Chan did a good job of acting, truly being a man who's broken by the death of his daughter. Not exactly Oscar-worthy, but he brought dramatic weight to the role that I've never seen him manage before. He sets out to find out who did it and kill them. This takes him into the twisty world of IRA politics, but he sets his sights on one man (Pierce Brosnan as "Liam Hennessy," a politician and former IRA member) and relies on some rather alarming skills he acquired during the Vietnam War.

A surprisingly effective action movie, recommended for anyone who likes them a bit dark.