Though his recent action-heavy output hasn’t really been blowing anybody’s hair back, Jackie Chan is undeniably a legend of action cinema, and there are quite a few reasons why his next release, Chinese Zodiac, should be greatly anticipated by fans of his classic work. Perhaps most importantly, this one should get your attention because Chan has spent the better part of the last decade putting the project – which he wrote, directed, and stars in – together, and he’s considering it his retirement from action movies. But, perhaps most obviously, Chinese Zodiac should be anticipated by adrenaline junkies because its the third and final time Chan is going to play his thief character, Asian Hawk, who he made famous in classic Chan joints Armour of God and Operation Condor.
That’s not the end of this hard sell either. The latest trailer for the film reveals yet another reason action fans should put Chinese Zodiac on their radar. We already got one look at this film back in May, but that trailer was more concerned with detailing the beats of the plot (Asian Hawk needs to steal some statues, yada yada) and showcasing Chan’s trademarked fight scenes (which seem to still be pretty on point for a 58-year-old, but a bit more reliant on special effects than stunt work).
This trailer is a bit different. It’s more of a teaser, and it focuses almost exclusively on Chan gearing up in the 31-wheel roller suit that was invented by French weirdo Jean-Yves Blondeau. We got a small glimpse of the suit at the end of the first trailer, but this new ad really showcases how ridiculous and dangerous this creation is, how perfectly it fits with Chan’s action sensibilities, and how the scenes where he’s wearing it might just be the thesis statement his entire career has been building toward making. The roller suit is the sort of thing that would make Buster Keaton’s head spin.
Get a tease of it now, and take in everything it has to offer when Chinese Zodiac hits Chinese IMAX theaters on December 20th (no U.S. release is yet confirmed, so you’re going to have to travel). [Twitch Film]