Hollywood and Asianisation

Hollywood has always been predominately controlled by the ‘white man’, but over time there has been an influx of foreign stars which America has decided to adopt. While already a star in China, Jackie Chan didn’t rise to fame until his appearance in Rush Hour in 1998. Before then, Hollywood had adopted Asian ideas into their films, such as the Karate Kid, but the movie still revolved around a white male lead.

In the case of Jackie Chan, the idea of Hollywood being “Asianised” is not entirely true as Jackie Chan himself didn’t particularly like the movies he made. When asked about the film, Jackie Chan said that he was ‘very disappointed because it was a movie I didn’t appreciate”, he also said “I felt the action was too Americanised and I didn’t understand the American humour”. While Jackie was pleased with the results from the box office, it is obvious that the Hollywood style of filming was not Jackie’s style and that “he has been squeezed, patted, nipped and tucked in order to fit into a different culture industry” (Klein, 2004). Jackie Chan only agreed to film the sequels because the money offered was irresistible.

Hollywood is currently embracing more talents from Asia today but it is evident that while they are happy to adopt certain cultures and styles, the final product will always be Americanised instead of Asianised.

Klein. C, 2004, 'Martial arts and the globalization of US and Asia film industries', An International Journal, SAGE Publications, New Delhi. pp. 360-383

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/09/30/jackie-chan-admits-is-not-fan-rush-hour-films/