Shinjuku Incident follows Nick Steelhand (Chan), an illegal Chinese immigrant who heads to Tokyo in search of his childhood sweetheart, Xui Xui (Xui Jinglei). After weeks of moving from one low-paying job to another, Steelhand begins to lose hope of ever finding Xui. He soon learns Xui Xui is married to a Yakuza gang leader, Eguchi (Masaya Kato).
Not long after, Steelhand's friend, Jie (Daniel Wu), is attacked by a local gang. In response, Steelhand rallies a group of Chinese immigrants to fight back and successfully routs the gang. Eventually, Steelhand becomes mixed up with Eguchi and the Yakuza, pulling him into a turf war between rival families.
Shinjuku Incident is going to disappoint any Jackie Chan fan expecting comedy or kung fu. Neither is present. Instead, this is Chan's attempt at taking on a more serious role. It's a sharp contrast to his normal body of work. It's gritty, violent and even features some nudity. If you can picture Chan in Scarface, you've got Shinjuku Incident (though not nearly as good). Chan tries his best to pull off the role, though past roles make it really hard to see him in anything other than a comedy.
Although the acting is competent, especially from Chan who really seems to be stretching his acting muscles, the real highlights are the action sequences. There are a number of incredibly violent, gruesome scenes throughout the movie. I'm normally not the queasy type, but one or two sequences had my stomach turning just a bit off center. The constant action keeps the film going at a brisk pace, though, again, Chan's past work also makes it hard to take them seriously. Even during the bloodiest of fights, I kept expecting some goofy exploit.
Extras are sparse, but interesting. Certain scenes feature commentary from Chan. I didn't come away with any newly gained insight into the film, but it is still interesting to hear any actor discuss their work. Chan is also prominently featured in "Say Hello to the Bad Guy." The feature echoes the commentary; it's good and entertaining, but by no means a must watch.
Just because Jackie Chan's name is billed above the title, don't expect typical Chan fare. Shinjuku Incident is a decent film, but has the problem of escaping Chan's past. It's great to see Chan attempting to reinvent himself, and I wouldn't mind seeing him in another dramatic role. At the same time, it's hard seeing Chan in anything but a comedy.
