STORY STUDY - MEDIUM: SERIES - "Jackie Chan Adventures”
When I was younger, I was obsessed with Jackie Chan movies. While most people around me at the time preferred more straight martial arts action movies, Chan’s blend of action and comedy just resonated more to me, and possibly one of the reasons I prefer my stories to have the same kind of blend: Tense drama, but there was always room for wit and humor.
So, when you give me an animated show called Jackie Chan Adventures, you’ve already got my attention. I don’t care what it’s about; give me great action and humor, and I’ll be hooked.
We’ll just focus on Season One of the show, which premiered in 2000 on the Kids’ WB block, mainly because talking about the entire show as a whole in a single blog post wouldn’t do it justice. Plus, the other seasons operate on the same story structure anyway.
Created by John Rogers and developed by Chan himself, Jackie Chan Adventures is about “amateur” archaeologist Jackie Chan who has discovered a talisman in Bavaria, which Valmont and his criminal organization, The Dark Hand, is after. It is revealed that the talisman is one of twelve, all with markings based off the animals of the Chinese Zodiac.
Assisted by his friends and family, Jackie has to retrieve the other talismans before the Dark Hand does. What the protagonists don’t know is that the Dark Hand is aided by a talking statue named Shendu, who has a personal connection to the talismans.
Essentially what the entire show is about is a treasure hunt. Magic has a huge influence to the show, from Shendu, to the talismans’ powers, to the Shadowkhan: ninja foot soldiers that Shendu can summon.
Jackie Chan himself is a skilled martial artist, which helps him escape booby-trapped tombs or if he is attacked by the Dark Hand or other fighter. The comedy happens when he spouts his catchphrase “bad day” repeatedly, especially when he is attacked.
Jade Chan, his niece from Hong Kong, but can speak English (with no accent) is forced to stay with Jackie at the start of the series. She is a troublemaker, and is always seeking adventure, despite the danger. Even when Jackie tells her to stay away, she disobeys, constantly saying “tch” as a way of scoffing at her orders.
Uncle Chan is Jackie’s uncle, who owns an antique shop called “Uncle’s Rare Finds” (though, his shop has a sign that only says “Antiques”) in San Francisco, California. He is, easily, the best character in the show, and it’s from him that most of the comedy of the show is so well known. He constantly tells people facts, and saying “one more thing” when adding more details or topics, and it is never just “one” more. His other famous gag is a physical one: always using two fingers to hit people’s head, mostly to Jackie. He is the one Jackie goes to find a magical solution to his magical problems.
Jackie is typically given the location of a new talisman by his old friend, Captain Black, the head of the secret organization Section 13, who informs Jackie of the Dark Hand’s existence.
Other characters, such as masked luchador El Toro Fuerte and thief Viper, are also introduced in Season One and become recurring characters that appear throughout the show.
It’s not the kind a show that brings up deep issues or philosophical questions when using magic (unless you count the use of martial arts as discipline). There are times when it’s very easy for the Dark Hand to win, since they know where Jackie lives (Uncle’s shop), yet they don’t just go and blow up the shop or something. Sometimes, they DO go to the shop… but only if it’s meant to further the plot of the episode.
Season One may ultimately lead up to an epic showdown, but the episodes that stand out are the situations caused by a single talisman. Some of these include finding a cure to petrification, going into dreams, and even time travel.
Jackie Chan Adventures as a whole or by its individual seasons showcases impressive action animation and some of the funniest scenes, whether in its clever writing or the use of its recurring gags.
I personally believe that the show is still popular, but so much time has passed since it went off the air that of course it became forgotten. After all, so many other animated shows have appeared, some of which with similar tone, but with more complex stories. Either way, it still deserves attention and/or revisiting.
Uncover this treasure and discover it for yourself.
