Review of the Panda Plan film: Jackie Chan meets CGI animals in a dark action comedy

1/5 stars

Jackie Chan’s latest family-oriented action caper, panda plan, concludes with a title card stating that “no animals were harmed in the making of this film” before clarifying that “all animal characters are visual effects.”

The formal acknowledgment that the film’s animal star is a fake is entirely unnecessary for anyone who has just suffered the indignity of witnessing this miserable excuse for family entertainment, and inadvertently confirms that the only endangered species on screen is the decidedly creaky leading man is.

When he turns 70, Chan enters a chapter in his career in which his public appearance overshadows every attempt at performance. So much so that in Panda plan The actor actually plays himself and is supported by characters on more than one occasion because they are fans of Jackie Chan.

Along the way, Chan makes half-hearted attempts at humility, admitting to an opponent that he might not be quite the fighter he appears to be on screen or inserting a joke about his big nose.

But ultimately Panda plan portrays Chan as an affable, heroic figure who repeatedly risks his life to protect a helpless symbol of Chinese sovereignty.