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Summary: Jackie Chan Action Man
Review: I have read the autobiography, I Am Jackie Chan.This book is some three-hundred pages long but good from page one.I liked this book because it was very well written by the person who actually lived it.This book takes you all through the life of a small poor Chinese boy who worked his way up and went on to become a well known movie star.It all started with his living in the emporer's castle, his dad being the cook and his mom the maid.On ascale from one to ten I give it a ten because it kept me interested the whole time and I never wanted to put it down.Jackie Chan had many experiences in his life that we will never have. He attended the school of the Peking Opera in his days as a child.Also a student at the opera was NBC's hit show Martial Law's star, Samo Hung.Jackie started out as a stuntman, constantly searching for work. He became known for his stunts and began getting bigger and bigger pieces of movies,and in more famous movies themselves.If you look carefully you can find Jackie Chan in Bruce Lee's famous movie, Enter the Dragon.(My personal favorite)To sum this all up I'm just going to say that this book is great and beyond a shdow of a doubt well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: An honest open look at Jackie Chan's life.
Review: I have been a big fan of his movies, but I did not know much of his personal life other than that he was a former Chinese Opera performer. This book describes his life, from his childhood growing up as the child of a cook and maid to an ambassador in Hong Kong, getting into trouble and having problems with school. It then goes through his ten years of life at the opera academy, and went into great detail to explain the tough life of exercise, training, and rehearsals that went into this. The book goes on to describe his rough start in the movies as a stuntman and his climb to the top, ending with his then current project at the time--Rush Hour.At first, I wasn't sure how much I'd like this book, but Jackie's honesty and openness about his feelings throughout his life and hardships that he had to go through was very endearing. He admits to being a cocky person when he first tasted success, causing him to lose one of the loves of his life. I really enjoyed reading about his evolution from that person to a more humble, yet ambitious veteran actor which he is now. For fans of his movies who have seen his bloopers and mistakes at the end of the film, we read how all of the work through his childhood to early stardom to the present has gone into it. I almost felt that I could truly understand what went behind the movie and stunts that we might take for granted. In any case, this book is a must for any Jackie fan, and is also inspiring as Jackie shows that hard work and a dream can often lead to great things.
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Summary: A book full of action
Review: I am a fan of Jackie Chan and I read this biography one year ago. When you read this book you almost have a feeling like you are watching a Jackie Chan movie. Normally I do not read so much but when I started to read this biography I could not stop it because Jackie Chan's life was and still is full of action. It is fascinating how he grew up from a stuntman to a very famous filmstar. And it is also interesting how he managed the problems he had in his career when he was younger and not so famous. So if you are a Jackie Chan fan you must buy this biography because it is a "crime" :D if you do not so. Have fun reading the book!
Rating:
Summary: Friendly, personal and insightful
Review: Jackie Chan's book predominantly tells the story of his childhood growing up in Hong Kong, but this does nothing to take away from the end result of having read it; a greater respect for this stuntman, actor, etc. who has changed the face of Asian cinema. For those who wonder what he could have to say besides listing his injuries, consider these examples: his impressions of working with Bruce Lee; run-ins with the Asian mafia; his insights into differences between Hong Kong and Hollywood film making; and the startling relationship he has with the star of 'Martial Law' that provides a surprise ending. Far from a 'the making of my movies' book, Jackie Chan offers a person-to-person narrative that sounds like a long, friendly chat with your neighbour.
Rating:
Summary: An engaging story about a truly extrodinary person
Review: We got "I am Jackie Chan" when he was on a book signing tour in Dallas. Though I didn't expect much, this book in every aspect has far exceeded my expectations. As a Chinese and a martial art fan, I felt very connected to the story, and was occasionally moved to tears. This book is an engaging life story about an extrodinary person's hardship, endurance, ambition, wisdom, sacrifices and rewards. Jeff Yang is an excellent choice for writing this book, he brought Jackie's story to life, and for that, we should all thank Jeff. (Jeff's Eastern Standard TIme is an interesting read as well). As a Jackie Chan fan, I am more devoted than ever. I would recommend this book to anyone, fan or not.
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Summary: origins of jackie chan
Review: This book really takes the reader into many aspects of Jackie Chan's early life from China, to the Peking Opera House where he was schooled in his martial arts, to Australia, and even a mansion where he lived a few short years after being born. There's more to one of the best action heroes in Hollywood than just punches and kicks and this book will keep you reading and sometimes laughing from Chan's antics as a mischevious kid. Also you'll read about other Chinese cinema superstars such as Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao growing up with Chan in the opera house. All in all a very solid book very much worth reading for any fan of Chan.
Rating: 
Summary: A Sobering Look at the Drunken Master
Review: "I Am Jackie Chan" will be as entertaining to newcomers as it is enlightening to long-time devotees. It provides the most detailed account yet of his early Peking Opera school years (accounting for roughly half the book), glimpses at his significant romantic relationships, and details his rise to stardom in Asia and later, America. While touching on Chinese culture, life in Hong Kong, and the influence of triads on HK movie-making, we witness Jackie's journey from his background of poverty and illiteracy to becoming an internationally known actor, filmmaker, singer and philanthropist. Though Chan is a notoriously private man, he offers some of his mistakes, ego trips, heartbreak, and regrets as well as triumphant moments. Fun and inspiring, this book is the most personal insight into Jackie Chan's life and persona yet seen.
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Summary: So incredibly engaging, I read it in a single day.
Review: I'm not the type to read "Hollywood bios," (or Hong Kong ones) but after seeing Rush Hour and a dozen other Jackie movies, I couldn't resist giving the book a whirl. What a surprise to find such a well-written and thought-provoking story! I literally couldn't put it down. I spent all day sneaking around reading it at work, then stayed up until 3 a.m. to finish it. As a student of traditional kung-fu (thanks to Jackie's influence), I've met practitioners who trained under the same abusive system as Jackie did. Although infused with humor throughout, the book really made me appreciate the suffering--most of it imposed by others--that goes into making a top kung-fu artist. I'm so glad that Jackie's life has followed the old adage "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger." He survived numerous hardships, poverty, and lots of really badly directed movies to emerge as the confident and successful star we know today. Jackie, thanks for giving Americans a much-needed HERO--not only in movies, but in real life! Although it was Jackie's story, I really applaud the fabulous job that Jeff Yang did on the writing end of things. Great work!
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Summary: THE BEST BIOGRAPHY YOU'LL EVER READ ON JACKIE CHAN
Review: THIS WAS A BOOK I WAS SERIOUSLY WAITING FOR. THIS BOOK EXPLORES EVERY IMPORTANT DETAIL OF JACKIE'S LIFE. IT TELLS HOW HE LEARNED KUNG FU, IT TELLS HOW HE GOT FIRST MOVIE ROLE AT THE AGE OF 8, IT TELLS ABOUT HIS LIFE IN THE ACADEMY, IT TELLS ABOUT HOW HE GOT HIS FIRST STARRING ROLE, AND IT TELLS ABOUT HOW HE WOULD LATER BECOME A BIG STAR IN AMERICA. AND AT THE END OF THE BOOK, IT EVEN HAS A VERY HANDY FILMOGRAPHY OF JACKIE CHAN COMPLETE WITH COMMENTS THAT REGARD EVERY LISTED MOVIE. IF YOU WANT A STRAIGHT UP BIOGRAPHY OF JACKIE CHAN, BUY THIS FROM YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR CHECK IT OUT OF YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating...Full of Surprises
Review: Being Asian, my family grew up devouring Asian action movies but we loved Jackie Chan movies most of all. We loved his original style. His movies were not only fun to watch but more realistic than most of the other Asian action movies. Yet, we knew very little about him, the man. The more I learned about him, the more I respected him and his accomplishments. My family loved the the series of movies he did with his Lucky Star friends so it was great to learn about the close link between all of them and how they came to make those movies together. It was especially fun to discover that his movie buddy, Sammo Hung, is the very person who tortured him at school and how their relationship developed later on. It's a shame that America could not embrace him when he was in the prime of his career to the rest of the world...his fame today is very much deserved.
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