This movie is based on Stephen Leather's novel THE CHINAMAN. That's how the other characters see Jackie Chan's character: as an old Chinaman whose daughter had been killed by an explosion in a dress store, from a bomb planted by a wing of the IRA, breaking 19 years of peace. Jackie's search for the people who killed his daughter lead him to Pierce Brosnan, an old IRA hand, now the British Minister in charge of keeping the peace in Northern Ireland. He tries to comfort Jackie, but can't help him, when Jackie demands names... so Jackie blows up his wash room.
Jackie is not whom he appears to be, but neither is Brosnan, nor, in the end, are any of the main players, kindly, platitudinous politicians. It's a world of lies, corruption, violence and betrayal under a facade of peace and smiles that Jackie's single-minded pursuit of answers reveals: he's almost an anti-MacGuffin, appearing to matter very little to any of the people in the movie, who causes all the fuss.
Pierce Brosnan offers a fine performance as what can only be described as the Minister for IRA Relations in Northern Ireland. Chan's performance is far from his usual work, but he has always been a physical actor, more than one who works with words or facial expressions, and he lived up to my hopes as a long-time fan.
