Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Asian Hawk leads a mercenary team to recover several lost artifacts from the Old Summer Palace, the bronze heads of the twelve Chinese Zodiac animals which were sacked by the French and British armies from the imperial Summer Palace in Beijing in 1860. Assisted by a Chinese student and a Parisian woman, Hawk stops at nothing to accomplish the mission.
Chinese Zodiac is a late-career Jackie Chan vehicle that largely recycles the formula of his Armour of God series. The plot is thin and episodic, serving mainly as connective tissue between set pieces, with thin characterization and lightweight stakes. Acting is functional at best, with Chan coasting on charm rather than depth. Cinematography is competent and occasionally impressive during the elaborate stunt sequences, which remain Chan's trademark. However, the film offers little novelty — it's a familiar treasure-hunt adventure that feels derivative of Chan's own earlier work and broader Hollywood adventure templates. The ending wraps up with a message about cultural heritage repatriation that feels tacked on and somewhat incongruous with the breezy tone of the rest of the film.