Foreigner is dramatically thrilling

I have to hand it to Jackie Chan; the man has been acting for 56 years and starred in films released back-to-back since 1971. I don't know how he keeps himself so busy but there's no doubt that Chan is one of the most hard-working actors out there and proof that age is just a number. Not only that, Chan has had the opportunity to explore other types of roles that he doesn't regularly do, allowing us to see a side of the actor that we seldom get to see. The Foreigner, based on the 1992 Stephen Leather novel, The Chinaman, stars Chan as Quan, a regular, easygoing restaurant owner whose world is rocked when he loses his teenage daughter in a terrorist attack lead by a group called the "Authentic IRA". In an attempt to uncover who was responsible for the attack, Quan seeks answers, specifically the names of the bombers, from Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan), a British government official who has past connections to the IRA as a former leader. Hennessy informs him that he does not know the names of those responsible, which only forces Quan to take extreme measures and goad Hennessy to give up the information with violent measures. In some ways, The Foreigner feels like a political thriller with the ironic part that Jackie Chan is the action element that gives the film a sense of excitement. Without him, the story would just feel slower and somewhat less interesting. Chan is clearly the highlight of the film as we get to witness some amazing method-acting as well as that solid fight choreography we've come to expect. He is literally what drives this film and keeps the pacing even and consistent; no scene felt too long or dragging, even in the scenes he's not in. All the other supporting actors do great in their parts, especially Brosnan who rocks that Ireland accent like a pro but it's Chan that steals the show thanks in due to his committed performance. If the story doesn't keep you on edge than Jackie taking on bad guys as he knows how will. Overall, The Foreigner stands as one of Chan's better films in recent years and shows us that there is still an untapped side of the actor that I hope we get to see more of in the future. Highly recommended.