Jackie Chan's latest outing, Ride On — a tribute to the unsung heroes of film industry — was officially released across the Chinese mainland on April 7.
In the movie also starring actress Liu Haocun and actor Guo Qilin, Chan stars a former successful stuntman surnamed Luo, who has fallen on hard times. With only his horse Red Hare by his side, Luo struggles to make ends meet by taking extra work and dressing up in silly costumes to attract playground visitors.
However, a legal case regarding ownership of the horse gets him into new trouble, but it also allows him to reconcile with his estranged daughter, a junior studying law. With the help of his daughter's boyfriend, a lawyer, Luo manages to keep the horse and regain his dignity as a stuntman.
During the movie's premiere held in Beijing on March 31, Chan said the movie quite reflects his own struggles and striving as an action actor in past decades.
Chan remembered that in the early years of his career, he and other extras played the roles of dead bodies for a meager daily wage of 5 yuan ($0.72). He even had to lie in cold water with a prop knife "inserted" into his body for a long time. Describing the movie as a tribute to the undervalued stuntmen, Chan hopes that it will shed light on the contributions of these unsung heroes, who are often overlooked on the silver screen.
