Panda Plan

Panda Plan stars action legend Jackie Chan and a CGI panda. Because I know you’re already wondering, it takes exactly 17 minutes for a joke about the panda farting to arrive. That tidbit gives you an idea of the film’s tone. There’s not a ton of lowbrow humor, but it is infectiously silly. Director Luan Zhang has made a fun, fast-paced comic adventure with just enough violence and swearing to prevent it from becoming the kiddie flick you might understandably expect given the presence of a baby panda.

Chan plays a version of himself in the movie. He’s invited to adopt a zoo panda named Hu Hu, who has become a national phenomenon. The ceremony is interrupted when a mercenary team, offered $100 million to capture the animal by a wealthy Arab, descends upon the zoo, armed with guns. Jackie teams up with the panda’s “nanny” Xiaozhu (Ce Shi) to fight them off and help Hu Hu escape.

The first and best joke in Panda Plan is that Jackie Chan has to become the hero he is onscreen in real life. Several of the bad guys recognize him from his cinematic output, even going as far as showing occasional deference to him. But of course, they expect the daredevil Jackie from Police Story and Project A, not the 70-year-old actor whose body is banged up from decades of stunt-related injuries. He’s still got some moves and agility, just not at the level he did in the ‘80s. To win, the star has to devise new means of fighting off guys half his age.

That gag breathes life into the action sequences, which feature Chan’s trademark blend of martial arts and slapstick comedy. There’s a wacky forklift chase, plus a scene set inside a massive warehouse that is destroyed piece by piece during the lengthy brawl that takes place there. An especially enjoyable sequence finds Chan and an assailant getting wrapped up in a cardboard box, with the former standing on top of the latter. Watching them wobble around in this condition provides undeniable laughs.

Ce Shi makes for a good partner. She’s got her own visible comedic abilities, so she doesn’t fade into the background opposite her globally known costar. Hu Hu is rendered fairly well via CGI, although the visuals allow the panda to do things pandas wouldn’t do in real life. Jackie Chan worked with a horse last year in Ride On. Maybe teaming with animals is the next phase of his career.

Panda Plan hits a couple wrong notes, most notably a distracting 5-minute scene early on that’s clearly designed to be a massive plug for Dairy Queen. Once it gets rolling, the pieces come together more satisfyingly. Jackie Chan may not be able to do the insane stuff he became famous for, but he has lost none of his charm as an actor. He’s funny, and so is the movie itself.


out of four

Panda Plan is unrated, but contains brief strong language and some bloody violence. The running time is 1 hour and 39 minutes.


© 2024 Mike McGranaghan