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The Medallion – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong/USA, 2003
Director: Gordon Chan
Writers: Bennett Davlin, Alfred Cheung, Gordon Chan, Paul Wheeler, Bey Logan
Cast: Jackie Chan, Lee Evans, Claire Forlani, Julian Sands, John Rhys-Davies, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Christy Chung, Johann Myers, Alex Bao

Release Date: November 13th, 2023
Approximate running time: 88 Minutes 28 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: PG (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"After high-kicking Hong Kong cop Eddie Yang (Jackie Chan, ‘Rush Hour’) dies in the line of duty, he finds himself reanimated by an ancient mystic talisman, now with superpowers at his disposal! His return stuns his former girlfriend Nicole James (Claire Forlani, ‘Meet Joe Black’) and partner Arthur Watson (Lee Evans, ‘There’s Something About Mary’). The trio must rejoin forces to take on a similarly supernaturally enhanced villain, Snakehead (Julian Sands, ‘Warlock’) and his right- hand man Calvin (Scott Adkins, ‘John Wick 4’)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information given about the transfer, "High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation."

The Medallion comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 36 GB

Feature: 27.3 GB

The source used for this transfer looks great. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong throughout, and compression is solid.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English and a DTS-HD stereo mix in English. Both audio tracks are in excellent shape. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, both of these tracks sound great, and the fight sequences sound robust. Included are removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an alternate ending (2 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), 14 deleted scenes (29 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with producer Bill Borden and editor Don Brocho, reversible cover art, and a limited-edition slipcase.

Summary:

Directed by Gordon Chan, whose other notable films are Royal Tramp, Royal Tramp II, Fight Back to School, Fight Back to School II, Fist of Legend, and Thunderbolt.

The narrative revolves around Eddie Yang, a Hong Kong police officer working with Interpol who is given a second chance when a magical medallion brings him back to life.

By the time Jackie Chan (Police Story) starred in The Medallion, he had finally achieved success in the English-language market after an initial failed attempt in the 1980s. And though the success of films like the Rush Hour trilogy, Shanghai Noon, and Shanghai Knights exposed Jackie Chan to a wider audience, it is his Hong Kong films from the 1980s and 1990s, which set the bar so high, that he is most remembered for.

The thing about Jackie Chan's English-language films that is most noticeable is how they present a version of his style that is more tailored to western audiences than just allowing him to continue on the path he established with his Hong Kong films. A case in point is a film like The Medallion, which feels like a sanitized version of what one has come to expect. Sure, most of the fight scenes are very well-executed moments that most fans will be happy with. And yet, there are many moments during the fight scenes where Jackie Chan has to evaluate his opponents who are not on the same level he is when it comes to fight scenes. Fortunately, when it comes to another Jackie Chan staple of humor, this is one area where The Medallion delivers.

Though Jackie Chan is clearly the star of The Medallion, the rest of the cast is a good mix of Hollywood and Hong Kong actors. The most memorable performance is by Lee Evans (The Fifth Element) in the role of Arthur Watson, an Interpol agent who finds himself as a reluctant partner to Jackie Chan’s character Eddie Yang. Surprisingly, most of the best moments, humor-wise, come from scenarios related to his character. Other notable cast members include Claire Forlani (Mallrats) in the role of Nicole James, an Interpol agent and Eddie Yang’s love interest; Anthony Chau-Sang Wong (The Untold Story) in the role of Snakehead’s right-hand man; and Julian Sands (Warlock) in the role of Snakehead, a villain hellbent on obtaining the magical medallion.

From a production standpoint, there are more areas where The Medallion gets things right than wrong. Sure, the premise is outlandish, but the execution makes the story at hand all the easier to accept. Also, the narrative does a good job balancing exposition and action moments. That said, one area in particular where The Medallion does not hold up well is the CGI effects, which are not convincing. Ultimately, The Medallion is a satisfying mix of humor, action, and fantasy that I can only recommend to diehard Jackie Chan fans, while everyone will be let down by a film that falls short when compared to Jackie Chan’s most celebrated films.

The Medallion gets a first-rate release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary.