‘Ride On’: Review

Dir/scr: Larry Yang. China. 2023. 126 mins

Following a run of box office stumbles, Jackie Chan gets back in the saddle with Ride On, in which he plays a washed-up movie stuntman who is gifted a second wind when his trusty horse becomes his stunt partner. A genial comedy-drama with occasional bursts of Chan’s patented kung-fu slapstick thrown in for good measure, it sees the 68-year-old superstar eyeing the dramatic path suggested by his restrained mentor turn in The Karate Kid (2010). Although there is still a fair amount of jovial mugging here, writer-director Larry Yang calls on Chan to flex his acting muscles as a dedicated professional who must make some tough decisions amidst a changing industry. It’s rather meta since the backstory riffs on the star’s life and reputation, yet Yang gives the proceedings cross-generational family appeal through focusing on the protagonist’s deep bond with his steed. 

A large audience will likely still turn out for a quality vehicle that isn’t merely coasting on Jackie Chan’s brand

Opening in China on April 7, Ride On should come out of the gate strong. Chan’s recent credits may consist of such misfires as Bleeding Steel (2017), The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang (2019) and Vanguard (2020), but a large audience will likely still turn out for a quality vehicle that isn’t merely coasting on his brand. It also helps that Yang has a knack for animal stories - his previous feature Adoring (2019), an unabashedly cute comedy about pets and their owners, pulled in almost $100 million domestically. Internationally, Ride On rolls out simultaneously in key territories with US and UK releases handled by WellGo USA and Trinity CineAsia respectively. If overseas audiences are generally standoffish towards Chan’s Mainland China output, long-time fans may put reservations aside to see him in a role that openly reflects on his legendary career. 

Once an in-demand stuntman, Lao Luo (Chan) now ekes out a living as an extra or posing for pictures with tourists outside Shanghai’s movie studios. Yet he is sanguine about his lot, thanks to the companionship of his beloved horse, Red Hare. Problems arise when debt collector Dami (Andy On) tries to take Red Hare as collateral for Luo’s overdue payments. Then lawyers turn up at his ramshackle home, claiming that the terms under which he was gifted the horse are void. The still sprightly Lou fights off Dami’s crew with assistance from Red Hare, but a lack of resources to make an ownership case prompts him to seek advice from his estranged daughter Bao (Liu Haocun), now conveniently a law student. 

Ride On canters along episodically with Luo’s stuntman career revitalised after footage of him and Red Hare making fools of the debt collectors goes viral. He also strives to make amends to Bao and build a rapport with her boyfriend Mickey (Kevin Guo), who has just qualified as a lawyer and takes up Luo’s case. However, Luo’s reckless devotion to dangerous stunt work not only threatens to drive Bao away again but also puts Red Hare in increasingly risky scenarios. 

Although the plot’s obstacles are ostensibly Luo’s debts and his ownership claim, Yang is more preoccupied with how he has a tendency to prioritise ‘the spirit of the stuntmen’ over his family. Yang pays tribute to Chan’s own achievements by having the star verbally reference his standout bus stunt in Police Story (1985), while costumes from Armor of God II: Operation Condor (1991) and Drunken Master II (1994) make appearances with Chan’s jaw-dropping greatest hits reel utilised whenever Luo reminisces about his glory days. However, Yang also addresses the practical action versus digital wizardry debate and posits that safety should take priority over ego. Luo and Red Hare are required to perform some elaborate stunts, including a hectic period action sequence with Luo dressed in Chen Zhen attire. Yet the real challenge for the ageing daredevil is accepting that his time may have passed. 

Chan is in endearing form throughout and forges an affecting partnership with his equine co-star (a retired champion racehorse from Macau). He also gets to do the embarrassing dad routine when Luo tries to bond with the less physically able Mickey or blunders through dinner with his potential son-in-law’s parents. Martial arts enthusiasts will enjoy seeing On sparring with Chan in knockabout fashion, while a cameo from current box office titan Wu Jing as Luo’s former protégé serves as a passing of the torch. Indeed, it’s very much the Jackie Chan show. This means that Zhang Yimou discovery Liu is mainly tasked with conveying Bao’s changing attitude towards her previously absent father. If her role here isn’t a showcase to rival One Second (2020), Cliff Walkers (2021) or Han Ya’s breakout weepie A Little Red Flower (2020), Liu is an especially bright presence who capably negotiates the anticipated shift from exasperation to devotion. 

Ride On is so keen to maintain an easy-going pace that it becomes somewhat lackadaisical at just over two hours, while Super Zhang’s editing doesn’t always balance broad humour with serious moments or smoothly integrate teary flashbacks. Nonetheless, this is a perfectly amiable crowd-pleaser which further demonstrates Yang’s popular touch.