Rumble In The Bronx (1995) ***1/2

I saw 1995's Rumble In The Bronx when it hit US theaters in 1996. The film was a massive success and Jackie Chan became a huge star. What I had forgotten was that I clearly watched RITB many times when it was released on VHS later that year because, as I saw it again tonight, I remembered nearly everything about it. Movies can be like that—whereas some you know inside and out and can play them in your head (and quote all the dialogue), others it takes a rewatch after a few decades for you to realize you know it better than you thought you did. 

In any case, I had forgotten how crazy and off the wall RITB is...or maybe it's just because "they don't make 'em like they used to." There is so. much. destruction. in this picture. Vehicles, buildings, limbs—you name it. But it's really fun and never gets too serious. Goofy, of course, because it's Chan, but just the right amount of goofiness. And, again, of course, the stunts are just insane and the fight choreography is an absolute joy to watch. The plot is thinner than a paper lantern, but it doesn’t matter because what’s so impressive is to be reminded of a time when virtually everything on screen was real.