'Ride On' showcases lesser known facts about stunt people and what they do. Photos: Shanghai Pictures
If there is any word that perfectly describes Jackie Chan, it would be dedicated.
Since making his martial arts breakthrough with John Woo’s Hand Of Death in 1976, Chan has wowed audiences with his incredible stunts and kung fu skills in over 150 films.
At 69, the committed actor shows no signs of slowing down.
This is evident in his latest action-comedy film, Ride On, which tells the story of a washed-up stuntman named Luo (Chan) and his trusty horse, Red Hare.
After fading out of the industry due to a failed stunt that left him in a coma, Luo finds a second chance at redemption when a video of him and Red Hare’s confrontation with debt collectors goes viral.
When Luo receives a legal notice that his horse will be seized, he reluctantly seeks the help of his estranged daughter Bao (Liu Haocun) and her lawyer boyfriend Mickey (Kevin Guo).
However, conflict arises when Bao chastises her father for putting Red Hare’s life in danger by making the horse do dangerous stunts for his films.
For this movie, Chan did many risky stunts, including jumping off a 120m-high Ferris wheel and falling off a horse.
According to production notes, the action star postponed his surgery and was on cortisone injections for four consecutive days to relieve his pain.
At the film’s premiere in Beijing, Chan explained that he was just fulfilling his duties as a stuntman.
“I’m used to this because I’ve been doing stunts from before.
“It’s just that because of my age now, many think I’m incapable of it... so I want to do this as proof that I’ve still got what it takes,” he said.
Chan debuted as a stuntman at 17, and his work spans over five decades.
Despite having spent such a long time in the action scene, the Kung Fu Yoga star said he has no plans on leaving and will continue making action films for as long as he’s able.
“In the past, I used to perform stunts for a living. Then, it was for cinema. This time, I’m doing it for myself... to prove that I am capable of doing things no ordinary person my age can do.
“As long as I can move and fight, I will keep releasing a movie each year for all my fans,” he shared, with a smile.
His work ethic and tenacity was praised by many in the production team.
At the film’s press conference held a day before StarLifestyle’s interview, actress Liu was unable to hold back her tears as she spoke about how dedicated her on-screen father was to his art.
Jackie Chan hopes his latest movie, 'Ride On', will teach people to appreciate stuntmen more.
“It’s a great honour to work alongside Jackie. I was very touched by his fighting spirit and seeing the way he portrays the struggles that stuntmen face on set daily.
“I hope that, in the future, once I discover something I’m truly passionate about, I’ll be as determined as Jackie and work hard for it,” the 24-year-old said, before hugging Chan onstage.
Meanwhile, Guo shared that working with the action superstar has inspired him to live enthusiastically.
“Big brother (Chan) has been making films for so long yet he still has a strong sense of love and curiosity for the industry.
“His mindset and hobbies are very simple. On the set of Ride On, he liked sharing stories about his past experiences.
“Despite his age, he still has a pure heart. It’s really admirable. I hope that when I reach his age, I can live as enthusiastically as he does,” the 27-year-old said.
Putting the spotlight on stuntmen
Aside from exploring the human-pet and father-daughter relationship, Ride On – directed by Larry Yang – also sheds light on the struggles stuntmen face behind the scenes.
It pays homage to Chan’s classic stunts from his previous movies too.
“I shed tears when I read the story because it really touched my heart,” the martial artist said at the press conference.
“A lot of people who watch movies aren’t aware of the struggles stunt people face behind the scenes.
“In the past, martial artists would act as stunt doubles for actors. But nowadays, with technology and all, action scenes are done using special effects.
“Even if it was done by a real stuntman, no one knows their name. But I do. That’s why I’m doing this, for them... to share with the world the story of our behind-the-scenes heroes,” he added.
As for how much the industry has changed in the last 60 years, the Dragon Blade star said he’s seeing fewer action stars now as many film investors are prioritising looks and popularity over one’s martial arts skills.
“Investors these days aren’t interested in casting true martial artists. They’re scouting for people who are tall, good-looking and popular enough to generate buzz.
“It’s hard to find kung fu stars like Jet Li and Wu Jing today,” he lamented.
While stuntmen have always been in demand from before, they were treated more like props than stars on film sets.
Striving to give these unsung heroes more recognition, Chan formed the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, a group established in 1976, consisting of talented martial artists and stuntmen from all over the world.
“My stunt team family is still accepting people today. I hope that these people will one day get the appreciation they deserve,” he said.
Ride On is now showing in cinemas nationwide.
