The Star Wars series films, which have won the total box office of about $7 billion in 40 years, are good memory of many people. Recently, there comes out the eighth film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (or simply Rogue One) that is directed by Gareth Edwards and written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy, starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Jiang Wen, and Forest Whitaker. The story happens between in the third film Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and the fourth film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. There is a sentence in the subtitle of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,i.e., Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, on which is exactly the Rogue One story based. The little truth mentioned about 40 years ago now is revealed that how it is stolen and who are the rebel spies. That is really of mystery for decades.

For most Chinese audiences, the greatest achievement of the film is that the Chinese actors don’t just pass by any more, and they get important roles rather than just are set to cater to the Chinese audiences. Take Angelababy in Independence Day: Resurgence for example, she is meaningless in the whole story structure, but a character completely to please the Chinese market. Besides, the bad acting and implantation of Mengniu make it awkward in general. Many Chinese people take it for granted that Yankees should show basic respect for Chinese actors and box office to get them to do real performance, or Yankees never get Chinese actors in their films. Of course, Chinese people would not be moved when Yankees do their own job just one time, because what they have done before is all bullshit to swindle.

But the prophecy has unfortunately come true that the film is not to please Chinese market and it really doesn’t please Chinese market. After it is put on screen for 5 days, it just received about $40 million, not worth mentioning compared to the global income.

In fact, it is not acclimatized in China. First, the endless sequels make Chinese people boring. Except the senior Star Wars fans, those who don’t know former story don’t intend to enter the movie hall. The reason is simple that in order to understand it, you have to spend much time knowing the whole series and the stories happened 40 years ago. Second, for visual movies, there easily comes visual fatigue. In order to pursue high box office, the film companies make many visual movies, and the boredom cannot be avoided. Third, the audience difference is the main factor. The Star Wars series are the classic incarnation of Americans, not of Chinese. The film people ignore that the Star Wars series from 1970s are very strange for those Chinese audiences born in 1990s and 2000s who are the major audiences in Chinese market now.

In a word, the film people want something to happen, like a watched flower never blooms, but an untended willow grows, which is doomed to fail.

The excellent performance of Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen.

As the first Chinese faces that show in Star Wars series, Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen are chosen for the story, not for Chinese market, which greatly satisfies Chinese audiences. Rogue One does a lot of effort for the character design of Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen, and their roles have their past characteristics. They have special relationship in the film, just like a couple. It is fair to say that they are the most eye-catching actors. But, it is somehow abrupt, just like that on the street the leading actor and actress come across the two guys who are just the right one.

Maybe the screenwriters of the films take the image of the hero Blind monk in Riot Games, Donnie Yen plays the blind warrior in the film. The blind warrior could be the Yip Men in the space, sensitive to the Force but not a Jedi Knight, not talking much, quarterstaff in hand, and shows Chinese Kong Fu in every motion. His fierce fighting skills are brought into full play, the same powerful even when fighting with the robots. He encounters little resistance in the robot army with evasive maneuvers and dead attack.

Jiang Wen is a heavily armed Weapons Specialist in the film. Humor and hippie style, he loves the gun battle. He always fights together with Donnie Yen, just like Donnie Yen’s personal bodyguard. This modeling reminds people of the Chewbacca in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. And Jiang Wen also takes the responsibility of livening things up with the robot K-2.

The film shows the little people images. The protagonists don’t engage in individual combat, and they are not undead persons to kill the enemy a thousand times. It is more reasonable and humanistic. There are too many little people who sacrifice themselves for the noble cause. History doesn’t remember them, and they are just passing the history, but their story could be told. This is more attuned to the spirit of the Star Wars, i.e., to fight for hope, the slim hope, even if they have to lay down their lives.

In recent years, Jackie Chan is not prolific, almost one film a year. Sufficient attention from the public was paid to Skiptrace this time, and road shows came one after another, which made the film popular before on the sreen. That the first week with 408 million box office income showed the Jackie Chan influence. Skiptrace is a 2016 Hong Kong-Chinese-American action comedy film directed by Renny Harlin, produced and based on a story by Jackie Chan, starring Fan Bingbing Johnny Knoxville. Hong Kong detective Bennie Chan has been tracking notorious crime boss “Matador” – whom he believes to be businessman Victor Wong – for over a decade after the death of Bennie’s partner Yung. When Yung’s daughter Samantha gets into trouble with Wong’s crime syndicate, Bennie must track down an American conman, Connor Watts, who gambles his way through Chinese Macau casino. However, before Bennie can find him, Connor is kidnapped by a Russian kingpin to Russia to answer for leaving his daughter pregnant. Bennie rescues Connor, and together they set foot on the escape route from Russia to Hong Kong.

Lately, pushed by embarrassing plots and old-style stories, Jackie Chan films only have one style that date back to the 1990s of last century, no matter Which director directs the film, because the director has to make the film in Jackie Chan’s way. The film has only one advantage that there are famous actors. And as the story progresses, more and more unique Jackie Chan styles are observed. There is one fight scene after another which is set as comic acts. Heroic confrontation and adventure for justice and loyalty is nervous and funny. That the police killed the bad, and the police honor is purified, and justice in the world is maintained is the fixed story pattern. The bad guys are characterized not sadistic but a little lovely, as the Jackie Chan films always do.

The wrong getaway routes.

In the film, Connor is kidnapped by a Russian kingpin to Russia, and Bennie goes to Russia to rescue him, and together they go back to Hong Kong on foot. Along the way, many famous Chinese scenic spots and unique native customs are shown to give people a cultural feast. This plot gives the story the chance to launch the following dramatic plot, and it is also the several nonsensical parts.

First, the way from Russia to Hong Kong is really very much distant. It is impossible to finish the journey on foot. The well-known long march of twenty-five thousand kilometers finished by the Red Army took 2 years. The distance from Russia to Hong Kong maybe is 10 times the long march. And how much time will it take to finish the journey?

Second, the communication with the natives of many places is a big problem. How can they communicate with so many people in English in so many places with different development levels? In Hong Kong, Bennie speaks Chinese fluently. But in China mainland, Bennie speaks English all the way. Even in the border between China and Mongolia, the two guys are arrested by the Chinese frontier army, and Bennie seems to forget to speak Chinese anyway.

Third, the film is lack of knowledge of Chinese river systems. In the film, the two guys get free from the Chinese frontier army and sail downward with the current in the clear river. The nearest river from the border is the Yellow River, and it is hundreds of miles away, and it is not a clear river.

Forth, the film is lack of knowledge of Chinese geography. In the film, the two guys come from Inner Mongolia to Guangxi Province by boat. Theoretically, it is possible, but in fact, it is impossible. Theoretically, they can sail downward the Yellow River, and come to Hangzhou along the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, and then they can sail upstream the Changjiang River and into the Xiangjiang River. And they can go to the Lijiang River by way of Linqu canal, where they can arrive in Guangxi. But in fact, the distance may be thousands of miles, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal is blocked.

There is a plot much similar to The Myth.

Waves of Déjà vu can be felt with many plots in the movie. Jackie Chan keeps telling people that he can continue fighting, but the effects are not good enough. But, it may be a great joy to recollect the plot that he used in former movies. He is always respectable, as a dedicated actor.

There a plot much similar to The Myth (2005 film) 10 years ago. You can see the similar moving transmission belt, the similar action, the similar danger at the end of the belt. Look at the picture bellow.

Jackie Chan is old now.

We can see in the film that Jackie Chan movies slower, jump lower and responses duller than before. It makes our hearts ache to see Jackie Chan keeping making so many good films after struggling in the front line in the movie world. He still wants to give us laughter and good action shows, but there is limited space for his age. He can change his action style, unnecessary to make the movie with the danger of life. In retrospect of these years, films like Dragon Blade and Skiptrace that are action styles are not fit such an old man. He is really old now. Jackie Chan has given us so many wonderful works, and he can slow down to help the young actors, or go behind the scenes to do other things, and leave the identity as an actor alone.

In fact, before receiving the Award, Jackie Chan is already the symbol of Chinese culture in the world. His name reminds people of China, and people think of his name when they think of China. No one is like Jackie Chan after the Bruce Lee time.

When 22, Jackie Chan first went to American. He did nothing but studied English for almost 9months. After that, he began to play in the movie. The Hollywood didn’t recognize Jackie Chan’s action style at the beginning. The Hollywood liked super-hero or tough guy better, such as Clint Eastwood who could kill someone with one shot or knock someone down with one punch, of which they think to be manlier. But Jackie Chan’s action is fundamentally different. Jackie Chan punches but immediately takes the fist back and gulps. The audiences would think he was not the hero, and didn’t accept the acting style. Besides, the culture shock also made things worse. The American heroes are very Americentrism, and they can fly, and they can save the world, and they can save the human being from extinction. But Chinese heroes save their families, villages, or countries at most circumstances. Jackie Chan played very hard only to see his show being cut, which made him rather depressed.

But Jackie Chan did not give up. He struggled to make film in accordance with his temperament and blood by trial and error. The film career is the process of leading him to the nowadays style. He is not genius but try to do things good every day. He matches the plots, actors and different surroundings. Because different actions change little, the real human actions have come to the end, but computer graphics have much development space, of course. But Jackie Chan is smart enough to make the action happen in different places, such as on the sofa, the desk, the bed, and so on, to catch peoples’ eyes. Unlike other actors who play monotonously, he plays rhythmically, just like music. Imperceptibly, the audiences get excited with the rhythm, and they never feel boring. He gathers good scripts, good directors, good martial art consultant, good environment, time, and money to make good films. So many small details make the Jackie Chan style. He teaches people to make film through the lenses. He remains the same in and out of the movie, but he and his film changes with the age.

 From the start when Jackie Chan played film in America, the American would not listen to Chinese people as they did not recognize their actions and thoughts. The Hollywood films were for the American and English-speaking area market, not for China. But now, the American will care what Chinese people like, what film name attracts Chinese people, what will influence the Chinese box office. Jackie Chan is so proud that China and Chinese movie become strong, and the Chinese market becomes the biggest box office around the world, and the time when people won’t listen to the Chinese people remains the past. Now, Jackie Chan becomes a sharp film people. He will get the right of final editing to determine the film to remain his style.

People say Jackie Chan deserves the Oscar Honorary Award, because he almost risks his life for it. “I am very proud to be a Chinese,” said Jackie Chan in the Oscar awarding ceremony. Years later, when talking about Chinese film people, people will say that there was a Bruce Lee in China, and there was a Jackie Chan in China.

As one of the world’s four largest casino cities, i.e., Monaco di Montecarlo, American Las Vegas, Macau and Atlantic City, Macau is a Chinese autonomous territory on the western side of the Pearl River Delta in East Asia. Macau was administered by the Portuguese Empire and its inheritor states from the mid-16th century until late 1999, when it constituted the last remaining European colony in Asia. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 1550s. In 1557, Macau was rented to Portugal from Ming China as a trading port. The Portuguese Empire administered the city under Chinese authority and sovereignty until 1887, when Macau, through a mutual agreement between the two countries, became a colony. Macau sovereignty over Macau was transferred to China on 20 December 1999, as Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

Unlike Hong Kong, Macau is not so remarkable in the world. Of course, Macau is of less population, less economic gross, smaller area of the territory, smaller role in international affairs, and finally, less political significance. And there are few movies that are set in Macau, compared to Hong Kong. Some famous Hollywood blockbusters, Like Transformers: Age of Extinction, Battleship, Pacific Rim, are all set in Hong Kong. But now, Macau has the opportunity to turn over to show up in Now You See Me 2. Now You See Me 2 is a 2016 American heist thriller film directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Ed Solomon. The film stars an ensemble cast that includes Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Daniel Radcliffe, Lizzy Caplan, Jay Chou, Sanaa Lathan, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. It is sequel to the 2013 film Now You See Me and follows the Four Horsemen who resurface and are forcibly recruited by a tech genius to pull off an almost impossible heist.

In Now You See Me 2, the Horsemen gather together, and they try to expose the unjust acts of a tech tycoon, but fail. And the supporter behind them, Dylan Rhodes, is in the depths of crisis. Behind all this is the science wizard, Walter Mabry. Walter forces the Horsemen to do the impossible job of theft task. The Horsemen have no choice but to perform an unprecedented magic show to prove themselves and expose the mastermind behind.

The Chinese Jay Chou parts show disorder.

When the Horsemen passing security check, Lula says that all ordered system tend toward disorder. Of course, what Lula says has nothing to do with second law of thermodynamics. But the word disorder is the best to describe all the Chinese elements in the film. Disorder!

Jay Chou plays as the boss of Iong’s Magic Shop, Li. When the Horsemen enter the shop, Li and his grandma show up. In my personal experience of American films, the least conspicuous characters and things determine the development of the plot and the ending of the story. So, I paid much attention to Li and his grandma about what they would do to influence the film. Right now, the Horsemen are in trouble, and they go into the shop for help. In the shop full of old offbeat antiques and strange things, an old woman with a wrinkled face and the young oriental face make the atmosphere very mystic, and this make us think that they will get help. And the Horsemen give a list of tools to order, but no pictures show that the tools and made and used. IN a word, Jay Chou in the film just passes by. As well as starring in the film, Jay Chou also composed and sung the ending theme “Now You See Me”.

When the Horsemen first show up in Macau in the Chinese restaurant, falling from the pipe and down to the container, the restaurant people immediately get them out, yelling in Cantonese. First, in common knowledge, something or someone unexpected suddenly appears, people around at least give a surprise look, or a sudden peace. But, in the film, the restaurant people seem to wait for them to get them out without hesitation. Second, the film deliberately shows the Chinese hostility. The Chinese people yell at the Horsemen, get them out impertinently, and push them forward. And the hat of the leader of the Horsemen is even taken, though he manages to get it back. In fact, China is the most friendly and safest country for the white people. The film wants to show the Horsemen’s dilemma that a man who loses position and influence may be subjected to much indignity. But it is unnecessary to make people misunderstand China and Chinese people in film which is a widely spread media.

And, the language disorder. First, when the Horsemen show up in the Chinese restaurant, the restaurant people yell at them in Cantonese. Second, when the Horsemen show up in the magic shop, Li and his grandma speak Chinese Mandarin. Third, when the Horsemen pass the security check, the guards speak Cantonese. Forth, the Horsemen, Li and his grandma all speak English in the end. It really is a language hodgepodge.

Finally, the film people give us the wave of flattery to Chinese market. The indescribable appearance of Chinese scene makes people feel that the film only wants to make money in China. Less appealing to Chinese audiences and more cool magic will make the film better.

The real home of magic in China is Zhaozhuang Town, Baofeng County, Henan Province.

The Iong’s Magic Shop, which is managed by Jay Chou in the film, really exists in Macau with dozens of years’ history. In the film, the director makes the shop more complicated to convey the history precipitation of Macau magic, and adds a sense of mystery.

But, the real home of magic in China is Zhaozhuang Town, Baofeng County, Henan Province. The source of Zhaozhuang magic is distant and the stream long, with a history of thousands of years. It dated back to the Chunqiu Period (770~476, B.C.), got great development in Tang and Song Dynasty (618~1129, A.D.), and widely spread in Ming and Qing Dynasty (1368~1912, A.D.), and gets prosperous nowadays. From 1579 A.D. to the present, Baofeng Magic Convention is held every year, on April 8th of the Chinese lunar calendar, lasting almost 400 years. There are 1400 performing art groups of 55,000 people that create an income of more than $57,783,500 every year. So, if the film people have done enough homework, they will make the Horsemen to travel thousands of miles from Hong Kong to Baofeng County to make custom tools, which will greatly further flatter the Chinese audiences.