"THE MEDALLION"
(2003) (Jackie Chan, Claire Forlani) (PG-13)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Minor	Minor	Extreme	Mild	Extreme
Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Moderate	None	Moderate	None	Mild
Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Moderate	Minor	None	Moderate	Extreme

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QUICK TAKE:

Action/Adventure: After magically being brought back to life, a Hong Kong cop uses his new superhuman powers to try to stop a madman bent on immortality and god-like powers.

PLOT:

Eddie Yang (JACKIE CHAN) is a Hong Kong cop who, along with Interpol agent Arthur Watson (LEE EVANS), is trying to nab an international smuggler known as Snakehead (JULIAN SANDS). Little do they know that he's really after an ancient and magical medallion. Legend has it that when its two halves are brought together in the presence of the chosen one, it can bring immortality and incredible powers to its bearer.

Snakehead nearly acquires both when he finds the medallion and its young keeper, Jai (ALEXANDER BAO), but a raid by Eddie, Watson and their men interrupts him and he flees back to Ireland. Eddie then travels there where he not only meets the perturbed Watson again, but also his former lover, Nicole James (CLAIRE FORLANI), and her boss, Commander Hammerstock-Smythe (JOHN RHYS-DAVIES).

When Eddie ends up dying while saving Jai, however, all hope seems lost. Yet, Jai uses the medallion's powers to bring him back to life, this time with superhuman abilities that amaze even the limber and physically gifted cop. With Snakehead hell-bent on becoming an all-powerful god, Eddie, Nicole and Watson do what they can to stop him and rescue young Jai.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

If they're fans of martial arts style action films or anyone in the cast, it's a good bet they might.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13

For action violence and some double entendre.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

JACKIE CHAN plays a limber and physically agile Asian cop who's magically brought back to life with superhuman powers that he uses to try to stop Snakehead and his diabolical plan.

CLAIRE FORLANI plays his apparent former lover and current Interpol agent who assists him in his quest.

LEE EVANS plays another Interpol agent - this time a self-centered and bumbling one - who also works on the case.

JULIAN SANDS play an international smuggler who wants the powers and immortality that the medallion can give him and does whatever he must to get them.

ALEXANDER BAO plays the young chosen one and keeper of the medallion.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

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Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

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OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a brief summary of the content found in this action/adventure film that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 1 "s" word (heard in the outtakes) and a handful of other expletives and colorful phrases. Some comedic and misinterpretation-based homosexual innuendo is present, as are some brief references to a man's genitals and some brief kissing occurs.

Violence, while not bloody or gory, consists of many instances of martial-arts style fighting as well as people shooting guns at each other (done more in an action rather than realistic fashion). Several deaths and attempted murders occur, but some of the dead are magically brought back to life. Some of those scenes, including a not completely seen drowning, might be disturbing or suspenseful to some viewers.

The various stunts and fighting elements might be enticing for some kids to imitate, while all of the villains obviously have extremely bad attitudes. Some brief crude humor is also present. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

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ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

Eddie brings a bottle of wine for dinner at Watson's home and we later see wine in front of them and others.

BLOOD/GORE

We hear Watson emptying the contents of a bedpan that Eddie has asked him to use to hit him (to prove that he can't be permanently hurt).

A man relieves himself over a ledge and Eddie and JF see his urine stream falling before them.

In the end credits, the actor playing Watson jokes about various emergency exits being on a small plane and then bends over and references his own clothed butt, indicating that's another one (potty humor).

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Snakehead and his minions have bad attitudes, he for wanting to be an all-powerful "god" (and doing whatever it takes to get that) and them for carrying out his wishes, including trying to kill others in the process.

Watson has a perturbed bad attitude toward Eddie.

Watson and his men disrespect Eddie's wishes and the rituals of a temple by bringing guns into it.

People hold Jai on a freighter against his wishes and he's later kidnapped again.

For those who are opposed to magic and related properties, several dead people are brought back to life via that.

FRIGHTENING SCENES

Scenes listed under "Violence" might also be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers (but most are played in the standard Jackie Chan action fashion).

Snakehead sets a fire that then endangers Jai. Eddie must then rush through the flames to save the boy.

A bad guy causes a large shipping crate to knock another such crate off the dock and into the harbor (with Eddie and Jai inside). It sinks, quickly filling with water, and Eddie races to save the boy by putting him inside an inflatable tent. Eddie is then completely underwater and it's implied that he drowns (we don't see the actual death, but we do see several views of his dead body in later scenes and he's then brought back to life in another identical body).

GUNS/WEAPONS

Handguns/Machine guns/Knives/Rocket: Used to threaten, wound or attempt to kill others or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "What the bloody hell is he doing here?" "I'll kick your ass," an incomplete "What the..?" "What the hell are you doing here?" and "I think the embalming fluid has gone to your head."

All of the stunts and fighting may be enticing for some kids to imitate.

One of Snakehead's minions puts his chewing gun on a car door handle so that the next person gets it on his or her hand.

At Eddie's urging (to prove that he can't be permanently hurt), Watson clocks him hard on the head with a bedpan. Eddie then stabs himself with a knife of some sort and instantly heals. Watson then takes that knife and repeatedly jabs Eddie in the chest and gut (and then the butt) in an experimental sort of fashion (that causes brief pain, but instantly heals, and the entire scene is played for laughs, which it elicited, as a nurse sees all of that and faints).

Snakehead purposefully drinks poison and dies in the belief that Jai and his magical powers will bring him back to life as a powerful being.

JUMP SCENES

None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

A moderate amount of suspenseful and action-oriented music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

None.

PROFANITY

At least 1 "s" word, 2 damns, 2 hells, 1 ass, 5 uses of "Oh my God," 2 uses of "God," 1 use of "My Lord" and 1 possible "G-damn."

SEX/NUDITY

Watson complains about his and Eddie's work-related teamwork in the past. Due to the way it's written, the humor stems from mistaken homosexual innuendo (that others in the office laugh at as they hear it). It includes Watson complaining that they had a good thing going and then Eddie left. He also says that Eddie didn't like him always being on top (as the boss). Eddie then says that Watson can be on top and "let's just do it together" (work together). Watson complains that Eddie "had fun doing it by yourself" (working the case), prompting others to laugh and Watson to realize finally how they're being misunderstood.

The camera focuses on and goes down Nicole's clothed body as she dances.

After being brought back to life, Eddie stands and walks around nude in front of Watson, but a table blows any views from his waist down. When he and Watson can't believe what's happened, they look down at Eddie's "other" dead body (the original), and Eddie complains that the body's nose is too big. He then peeks under the sheet covering the nude body in the morgue (we don't see anything) and then states that yes, it's him (a penis reference). Watson then says something about it being cold (another such reference) and wanting to take a look for himself (under the sheet covering the dead body, but that doesn't happen).

When Eddie realizes that a nurse isn't really a nurse since nurses don't have boots, Watson misunderstands Eddie's accent and thinks he said "boobs" and holds his hands out in front of his chest to symbolize them.

Eddie and Nicole do some brief passionate kissing (while standing and clothed).

SMOKING

A miscellaneous person smokes.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

None.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

The fact that people can't be brought back to life after being killed.

Interpol.

The allure of immortality and great powers.

VIOLENCE

Snakehead holds a sharp letter opener or knife under a man's chin.

We see the shadow of one of Snakehead's minions hitting a man on the head with the butt of his gun. He then shoots a lock on a door that he knocks open.

Snakehead repeatedly hits a monk with a pole, wraps a curtain around him and then slams him into a wall.

Eddie slams a bad guy into a wall, we see the shadow of him kicking that man, and he then fights with several more men (punches and kicks) including some struggling that results in a gun being fired (but no one is hit).

A rocket is fired into a ship, causing a huge explosion.

Men open fire on Eddie and his comrades who then shoot back. Eddie kicks one bad guy and then fights others (punches and kicks) until he and another aim their guns at each other. Eddie then shoots that man's gun from his hand, followed by more fighting (all done in a typical Jackie Chan action-style way).

Nicole slaps Eddie for not calling her.

Eddie chases after one of Snakehead's minions through a crowded street and that man pushes someone down during the chase. After a few moments, Eddie yanks the man down from a tall fence (he lands hard down below), kicks him several times in the body and then sends him face first into a metal trash can (that he repeatedly kicks while trying to get info from the man).

Eddie fights with various bad guys (punches and kicks) on a dock where others shoot guns at him. During this, Nicole hits and punches a guy.

A bad guy causes a large shipping crate to knock another such crate off the dock and into the harbor (with Eddie and Jai inside). It sinks, quickly filling with water, and Eddie races to save the boy by putting him inside an inflatable tent. Eddie is then completely underwater and it's implied that he drowns (we don't see the actual death, but we do see several views of his dead body in later scenes and he's then brought back to life in another identical body).

A man opens fire on Eddie and Watson, prompting Eddie (now with superhuman powers) to push Watson back quite hard into another room. Eddie then ends up going through the ceiling and that man tries to shoot him through it. Moments later, a man riddles Eddie with machine gun fire, but since he's now immortal, the non-bloody/gory wounds emit magical light and then quickly heal.

Watson hits several bad guys with a hospital stand and then hits and kicks others. They eventually get the upper hand, however, and repeatedly hit and kick him. Eddie then blasts a door into those bad guys and more fighting occurs.

At Eddie's urging (to prove that he can't be permanently hurt), Watson clocks him hard on the head with a bedpan. Eddie then stabs himself with a knife of some sort and instantly heals. Watson then takes that knife and repeatedly jabs Eddie in the chest and gut (and then the butt) in an experimental sort of fashion (that causes brief pain, but instantly heals, and the entire scene is played for laughs, which it elicited, as a nurse sees all of that and faints).

A man breaks through a large window and then abducts Jai.

Eddie tries to jump up quite high from the top of a building and grab a helicopter, but misses and then falls many stories to the street below that he hits very hard. He slowly gets up (making cracking sounds as he does) but is okay.

Snakehead purposefully drinks poison and dies in the belief that Jai and his magical powers will bring him back to life as a powerful being.

Machine gun fire riddles Watson's house and a riot shield protects him from gunfire. His wife then fires back at the bad guys, causing one to fall quite hard from the second floor to the first. She then struggles with a man over a gun and repeatedly kicks him.

Eddie and Snakehead briefly fight, with the latter throwing a huge log at Eddie that knocks him backwards. After Eddie ducks another such log, Snakehead then seemingly puts his hand into Eddie's chest (no blood or gore) to get his half of the medallion and apparently kills him (he's motionless for a while but then later comes to after falling limp to the ground).

Eddie kicks a man in the face and knocks him out.

Nicole kicks a guy in the face.

Eddie fights more people, including knocking one up against the ceiling.

Watson crashes a small plane through a castle window, knocking a man aside (Watson is okay, we don't know about the man).

Nicole hits and kicks more bad guys, possibly hitting one in the crotch.

Nicole fights a woman and they deliver and block many punches and kicks.

Reviewed August 19, 2003 / Posted August 25, 2003

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