Jackie Chan Under Fire From Fans For AI In New Movie
Jackie Chan has been a bit of an outlier in Hollywood because of his reputation for insisting on doing all of his own stunts in many of his most famous movies. It does show off Chan’s impressive legitimate martial arts background, but it has led to the actor accruing a long list of injuries over the years. However, at 70 years old, Jackie Chan has dabbled in using AI for his latest movie, and he is getting backlash for straying from his famous authenticity.
70 Is The New 27
To be clear, it is not the stunts that are being generated by AI, but rather Chan’s appearance. A Legend, a sequel to the 2005 movie The Myth, was released at the beginning of the month. It stars Chan and Zhang Yixing in the lead roles, but the movie is getting criticism for how severely Chan’s appearance is changed. Jack Chan’s face has been changed by AI to make the 70-year-old resemble a 27-year-old.
The Director Thinks AI Is A Selling Point
Fans are upset about it not only because of growing concerns about AI putting creatives out of work, but they also feel that the result looks very noticeably off. Critics have said Jackie Chan’s AI face does not always match the emotion a scene is trying to convey and it winds up adding unintentional humor to some moments.
However, the director of A Legend, Stanley Tong Kwai-lai, believes that AI is one of the selling points of the film. He feels it demonstrates how far AI has come and that it opens up possibilities for great actors to continue taking roles for longer as they are able to resemble their younger selves. Fans are not on board with that sentiment, though, and some are expressing disappointment in Jackie Chan for going along with the usage of AI in films.
Not The First De-Aging Controversy
This is certainly not the first time fans and critics have denounced digital de-aging. 2019’s The Irishman was lambasted for Martin Scorsese’s decision to turn Robert De Niro, then in his 70s, into what was supposed to be his younger self. But during fight scenes, many viewers felt he still moved like an old man regardless of what digital techniques were used. However, the effects Jackie Chan used for his own AI would certainly be more advanced by this point.
Jackie Chan Still Does His Own Stunts
Others have come to the defense of Chan, trying to point out that he has not lost his integrity for still keeping things authentic. Backstage videos of Chan doing his own stunts on horseback have circulated in response to the criticism of Jackie Chan being de-aged with AI. However, other parts of the movie have also come under fire for using noticeable stunt doubles for some of the other actors.
Fans Think The AI Is Disappointing
People also feel that the de-aging effects on Jackie Chan were not even successful uses of AI. Many feel that rather than resembling his younger self, he instead looks more like his son Jaycee Fong Jo-ming. While the film’s director might have been happy with the AI, it remains to be seen if it was up to Jackie Chan’s standards and if it is something he would use again.
