Article by Joshua Dy

Edited by Aaron S. Medina

Vanguard, at first glance, is nothing special. If not for Jackie Chan’s likeness, this movie would slip past and go unnoticed. Unfortunately, it’s exactly what it seems to be.

The movie starts out weak and is extremely generic. Its main star and biggest redeeming factor, Jackie Chan, does not take up as much screen time as a fan would hope. The film starts with the rest of the cast, and although it does feature quite a few names (like Chinese drama heartthrob Yang Yang), the characters they play are bland and lacking in charm.

For the most dedicated fans of Jackie Chan movies, this film can be a decent romp of action. Many of the action scenes are fun to watch, with a good number of them carrying the fast-paced dynamics and creative, comedic fight choreography that films starring him tend to have.

Otherwise, the movie is nothing too special, and any enjoyment that the action scenes may provide will quickly be drowned out by uninteresting exposition and a cast severely lacking in charisma. We might want to hold out for a better film starring our favorite fighter from Hong Kong.