Why are ppl so hard headed to jackie chan's doubles?

[Lionclaw]

It occured to me on multiple occasions that people tend to just not know or flat out deny Chan uses doubles. Everytime I mention he's been using them for many years, people seem to get offended. What do you guys think about this?

*sorry if this is in the wrong section*

[Drunken Monk]

It's been discussed here before and I believe a link to a blog highlighting Jackie's doubles was posted.

I didn't think he used doubles, at first, and then I saw the evidence and thought, "Nobody's perfect. It's the movies." Doubles or not, the man is high caliber.

[gorhama]

It's been discussed here before and I believe a link to a blog highlighting Jackie's doubles was posted.

I didn't think he used doubles, at first, and then I saw the evidence and thought, "Nobody's perfect. It's the movies." Doubles or not, the man is high caliber.

Great point!! He gave us so many great movies and when it came down to it he did a lot of crazy insane stuff himself....so agree the man is high caliber.

[The Running Man]

It indicates to me that they most likely became fans sometime after Rumble in the Bronx was released by New Line Cinema, which was when that myth was advertised. Also, some are looking at it from a perspective that comes from a Hollywood tradition for doubling.

Jackie Chan has done the majority of his own stunts. But he, like almost everyone in the business (yes, even Yuen Biao) have gotten doubled but they tend not to be for reasons that are the same as the ones in Hollywood. In Hollywood, you can and will get doubled because most likely you are not trained enough to do an action and because of insurance reasons. In Hong Kong, there are many other reasons why one would get doubled.

Sometimes you can get doubled for simply being too tired to perform a serious of actions. Perhaps you have been at it all day for just one section and your body is getting exhausted. However, they need to finish the shot. So, bring in a double who is not tired to get it done. Or, you could've been still suffering from injuries of a previous movie but are on another film regardless. Maybe they needed a reshoot of a shot and you weren't available. There are many cases apart from "can't do it" that you would get doubled in Hong Kong.

[Lionclaw]

It indicates to me that they most likely became fans sometime after Rumble in the Bronx was released by New Line Cinema, which was when that myth was advertised. Also, some are looking at it from a perspective that comes from a Hollywood tradition for doubling.

Jackie Chan has done the majority of his own stunts. But he, like almost everyone in the business (yes, even Yuen Biao) have gotten doubled but they tend not to be for reasons that are the same as the ones in Hollywood. In Hollywood, you can will get doubled because most likely you are not trained enough to do an action and because of insurance reasons. In Hong Kong, there are many reasons why one would get doubled.

Sometimes you can get doubled for simply being too tired to perform a serious of actions. Perhaps you have been at it all day for just one section and your body is getting exhausted. However, they need to finish the shot. So, bring in a double who is not tired to get it done. Or, you could've been still suffering from injuries of a previous movie but are on another film regardless. Maybe they needed a reshoot of a shot and you weren't available. There are many cases apart from "can't do it" that you would get doubled in Hong Kong.

I knew Jackie was doubled for a while but always thought his doubles were well placed. If you don't look for em you problably won't find them. I know and understand all your reasons mentioned for doubling, but I feel it's kind of extreme for people to deny chan uses doubles. It's not a dishonor.

As you said, there are many reasons for doubles besides not being able to do the stunt. Every actor problably will have to use them sometime. And besides, Chan has don't countless great moves and stunts by himself. He's dedicated his life to his movies and could have lost it many times. I think the things he's accomplised makes him great anyhow. (Stunt doubles shouldn't take away from that.)

[KUNG FU BOB]

I think there are several reasons. Probably the primary one is because that's what we have been told. Both by Jackie (for a long time anyway), and especially the US publicity beast. People don't like to believe something, then find out that they've been fooled. Also, it's a pretty cool legend, or myth, that this guy did "every single stunt and fight himself without a double". Still, JC has clearly done around 94% of this stuff on his own- which is quite incredible!

I remember when I first saw DRAGONS FOREVER on the remastered VHS from Tai Seng, being able to clearly see that it was Chin Kar Lok (known by the JC stunt team as "Little Jackie") doing the kick to Benny "The Jet" (or Jet's double) in one scene. CKL's hair wasn't as long on top or puffy as JC's.

Clyde Gentry's JC book (which I liked a lot BTW) revealed a bunch of times when JC was doubled throughout his career. Sometimes it was just a matter of convenience- as JC was usually working on multiple productions simutaneously. The 2nd unit might need a quick pick-up shot while JC was on another set, so they would use a stand-in. Obviously- to use the DRAGONS FOREVER kick as a further example- it was something that JC was more than capable of, and not something he was unable, or afraid to do himself.

Other times, he was doubled because he was injured and the production couldn't afford to wait for him to recover to get a shot. Or, as in the case of the leap from building to building in RUMBLE IN THE BRONX, it was to prevent JC from re-injuring himself. Stanley Tong, who executed that stunt, said that JC's ankle had been injured so many times before, that even though they knew that he could physically make the jump, they were too afraid that he would re-injure his ankle and hurt the production. So instead of taking that risk, Tong performed the stunt instead.

So it may burst some people's bubbles, but JC did not- contrary to popular belief- do ALL of his own stunts. But in my book, the guy is still fantastic! Yes, lately he's said some stupid things (hey, the guy has hit his head... a lot!), and his movies don't come close to his old ones. But unlike it does for a lot of people, those facts don't diminish his classic films or earlier accomplishments for me at all. We'll always have POLICE STORY, PROJECT A, MIRACLES, ect. His cinematic gifts to us movie fans will always keep on giving- forever!

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Good points by Running Man and KF Bob. Nothing for me to say here other than I agree. I guess I'll have to go a bit off topic:tongue: There's a vid on youtube, probably from a HKL DVD, where Jackie is doubling for people in Young MAster. So he's the star of the movie, the director, the action director, he does his own stunts, and he is doing other people's stunts.

[lillippa328]

lol^

yea i think its safe to say jackie does every stunt that he can possibly do.....i mean i did all the hardest and most painful ones, why wouldnt he do the little ones? like other said,obviously its due to injury, scheduling ect...

my question is do people get confused with the wires situation? when did it start coming about that jackie never used wires? I remember some1 posted a thread or video about it which showed JC having a couple wires in certain situations not for jumps or stuff, but little things here and there, but the case being, when they say Jackie never used wires or saftey wires? Are they thinking of Tony Jaa?

[The Running Man]

Yeah, that is a good point Morgorth. In Young Master, Jackie Chan doubled a double! Now how many actors out there can say that?!

[KUNG FU BOB]

Hey, I just wanted to say- when I first started typing a reply to Lionclaw's question there weren't any other posts yet. But as I am a very slow typist (and long-winded ) my post came was finished after several others had already made most of the points I was trying to make. I just wanted to let you guys know that- it's not that I blindly answer without reading the rest of the posts first! LOL

I also wanted to add to what Morgoth and The Running Man have said- in PRODIGAL SON Yuen Biao even doubled for Frankie Chan during a fight where he's fighting Frankie! During the climactic fight Biao was doubled by a stand-in (with the camera looking over his character's shoulder) so that he could double for a flip that Frankie Chan couldn't do. A flip that was supposed to be the result of the kick he received from... himself! LOL:tongue:

I remember once having one of my MA instructors get really mad at me when I said that Bruce Lee was doubled at least twice in ENTER THE DRAGON. He was furious that I would even suggest that. But I was able to do an ultra-zoom into the shot so that he could see the face of Yuen Wah doing the sommersault over the monks in the beginning, and the kip-up during the O'Hara tournament fight, and he finally admitted that it was true. I was shocked at how emotional he got about it though.

[Tosh]

I also wanted to add to what Morgoth and The Running Man have said- in PRODIGAL SON Yuen Biao even doubled for Frankie Chan during a fight where he's fighting Frankie! During the climactic fight Biao was doubled by a stand-in (with the camera looking over his character's shoulder) so that he could double for a flip that Frankie Chan couldn't do. A flip that was supposed to be the result of the kick he received from... himself! LOL:tongue:

I'm going to have to watch this again. I love the part where Yuen Biao confronts Lam Ching Ying in the opera house and they start singing insults before Yuen gets his ass kicked.

I don't believe Chan was agile as Biao, Chan was good but I don't think he could pull off some of the actrobatics Biao could do.

[Omni Dragon]

do you mean so hard heeded in the fact they think he dose all his own stunts or when he is doubled they make more of a point about it?

for both of those i would say because it's saids & he saids that "he dose all of his own stunts" it should say most lol

[Lionclaw]

do you mean so hard heeded in the fact they think he dose all his own stunts or when he is doubled they make more of a point about it?

for both of those i would say because it's saids & he saids that "he dose all of his own stunts" it should say most lol

By hard headed I mean people tend to be stubborn and close minded when I say Chan doesn't do all his stunts. Then they start getting defensive and naming all the great stunts he done dispite being hurt etc.....

[dionbrother]

The myth was first pushed on The Incredibly Strange Film Show. Vincent Lyn once recalled Jackie faking an injury outtake for the OPERATION CONDOR credits!

[AlbertV]

Sometimes Jackie does get injured and since producers are on a deadline, the need for a double is necessary. Plus, one can only admit that Jackie has had some pretty good guys as his doubles when it comes to movies.

Chin Kar-Lok, Andy Cheng, Park Hyun-Jin...these are just a few of the guys who have doubled occasionally for Jackie.

Like many here, I believe that Chan does about over half of his stunts, but even the Chan Man has admitted that he is NOT Superman. So when it comes to deadline and he is injured, he is gonna need a double.

I don't see any problem with that...people just are too as you said, too hard headed.

[OldPangYau]

Well, in my opinion, after the finale pole slide/crash in Police Story, he could've been doubled for every stunt after, and I wouldn't complain... that stunt still gets me

I remember once having one of my MA instructors get really mad at me when I said that Bruce Lee was doubled at least twice in ENTER THE DRAGON. He was furious that I would even suggest that. But I was able to do an ultra-zoom into the shot so that he could see the face of Lam Ching Ying doing the sommersault over the monks in the beginning, and the kip-up during the O'Hara tournament fight, and he finally admitted that it was true. I was shocked at how emotional he got about it though.

I thought that was Yuen Wah. I know YW doubled him in Fist of Fury, but LCY doubled Lee in ETD?

[KUNG FU BOB]

I thought that was Yuen Wah. I know YW doubled him in Fist of Fury, but LCY doubled Lee in ETD?

Oh yes, that's who I meant. Thanks bro! I'll edit my earlier mistake.

[OldPangYau]

No problem, I just thought I was gong crazy But Lam Ching Ying DID double Shih Kien... the behind the scenes footage proves that one

[Bus]

kung fu bob did the somersaults in i'm gonna get ya sucka wearing the wig!

[rdenn]

its just that fanboy fanbase that every martial arts star has, when people cant admit the truth about their favourite star, im first to admit if my favourtie star has been doubled or does a crap movie.

[KUNG FU BOB]

kung fu bob did the somersaults in i'm gonna get ya sucka wearing the wig!

Bus! I was asked to keep that on the DL.

But since you've given the credit where credit was due...

Don't applaude... just throw money. Thank you. Thank you!

[Bus]

lmao i'll throw pennies. but yeah i read some place that jackie has to get doubled for some kicks now due to some kind of injury. think it was back.. but you know how net info can be

[gorhama]

I'm glad this thread has remained a positive one and resulting in some awesome conversatoin.

Thanks Bus I for one did not know it was Bob doing the somersaults in I'm Gonna Get You Sucka.......gosh you think you know a guy.

Also I too had a friend who did not believe me that Yuen Wah doubled Bruce in ETD but I had to use the slow mo and zoom to show him and afterwards his wife got all upset because she was a big Bruce Lee fan and thought he could do no wrong. I said it doesn't take away from the fact that he was an amazing martial artist with speed and strength to spare, but he was also humble and wanted to give the fans a great movie and awesome stuff on film so if they meant a quick shot of someone else doing something he wasn't trained in since a child....so be it. I for one think that's totally awesome.

I once found a website that had photos of most or all of the times Yuen Biao had doubled someone......so many films so many doubles. I wish I could be 1% as acrobatically talented as the man!!

[Guest Markgway]

I found out Bruce was doubled for those acrobatics when I was a kid and it never bothered me in the slightest. THEY'RE MOVIES!!!

[lillippa328]

its just in these movies...u kinda watch a MA to watch him do MA...