Every movie fan has a strong opinion about the current state of cinema. Some might say we’re entering a new golden age, while others hold steadfast to the idea that ‘they just don’t make ’em like they used to.’ Jackie Chan, a person who knows a thing or two about movies (having appeared in over 100 of them), recently revealed that he firmly falls into the latter camp. In fact, his opinion on the current state of cinema is very strong. Thankfully, the action icon has expanded upon his opinion further than most by detailing what has changed about the movie business during his decades-long career. His answer won’t come as a surprise to many.
Jackie Chan recently appeared at the Locarno Film Festival (via Deadline), where he spoke about his storied career as an action star during a Q&A. When asked what he thought about the biggest changes to the industry over the past decades, he said, “I think the old movies are better than today.” It’s an opinion that many today share, not just that one uncle who has watched The Bridge on the River Kwai way too many times. People have differing reasons as to why cinema has changed for the worse. Some believe it is too reliant on CGI, while others mourn the death of indie filmmaking and original stories. For Jackie Chan, it is purely a case of money. He explained:
“Right now, a lot of big studios, they’re not filmmakers, they’re business guys. They invest 40 million and think, ‘How can I get it back?’ And you can’t go over. It’s very difficult to make a good movie now.”
It’s a sentiment that you would have a hard time arguing against. Of course, this isn’t the case for every movie. In fact, 2025 has been a great year for original concept and highly creative movies. But the blockbuster market is dominated by highly formulaic franchises, many of which are deemed as being “too big to fail” by the major studios.
Jackie Chan Never Imagined Being a Famous Stunt Performer
If there’s one thing Jackie Chan is known for, it’s putting his life on the line for every single movie he’s in… even when that movie is The Spy Next Door. Chan has made a name for himself through his intricately choreographed and death-defying stunt work. But, despite it now being his namesake, Jackie Chan never thought his stunt career would last long, so he prepared a backup. “I cannot do this forever. It’s just so dangerous,” he once thought about stunt work. “Whatever station I would go to, they ask me how to punch and kick. I thought, What should I do?”
So what was Jackie Chan’s back-up? Singing. “I should learn how to sing,” he revealed as his grand plan in case stunt performing didn’t work out. “In all of Asia, only two directors can do everything: the writing, directing, acting, stunt coordinating, stunt fighting, and editing. Only two. One is Sammo Hung, the second one is Jackie Chan. And I’m better because I know how to sing.”
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