The Medallion Review

If - and it's a big if - you think the idea of Jackie Chan and Lee Evans is a cinematic pairing made in heaven, then you'll absolutely adore "The Medallion." If, on the other hand, you aren't quite so hot on either the diminutive Brit comic or the kung-fu star, this is one film to approach with extreme caution. In this cheap and cheerful action yarn, Chan plays Eddie Yang, a Hong Kong cop who joins Lee Evan's Interpol agent on the track of a ruthless crime lord called Snakehead, played to unintentionally hilarious effect by British thesp Julian Sands. And he's not content at being just a blonde, English baddie with serious overacting problems either. No, this villain is after what every corny action film seems to need: a powerful ancient artefact - this time it's a medallion - which grants immortality and amazing superhuman powers.

Even if you disregard the lame mythological hokum, laughable plot and appalling script, "The Medallion" still manages to fail spectacularly. True, Chan manages to fit in some passable action sequences including a breakneck race across the streets of Dublin and a bust-up in a hospital ward, but the film can never survive the dreadful double-act of Chan and Evans at its centre. Evans just comes across as an annoying fool with a toffy English accent while at a creaky 49-years-old, you can't help but feel Chan should have hung up his boots years ago. Put it this way - even the outtakes aren't funny.