Jackie Chan Adventures
Jackie Chan Adventures is an American animated television series, created by John Rogers, Duane Capizzi and Jeff Kline, and produced by Sony Pictures Television (originally as Columbia TriStar Television for the first three seasons). The cartoon series premiered on September 9, 2000, and ran for five seasons until its conclusion on July 8, 2005. The series focuses on a fictionalized version of Hong Kong action film star Jackie Chan,[1][2] who operates in life as an archaeologist and special agent, combatting threats that are mainly magical and supernatural – based on real-life mythologies and supernatural stories from Asia and around the world – with the aid of his family and close friends.
| Jackie Chan Adventures | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | John Rogers Duane Capizzi Jeff Kline |
| Developed by |
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| Directed by |
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| Voices of |
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| Opening theme | Jim Latham |
| Ending theme | "Chan's the Man" by Wheatus (season 1) Jim Latham (season 2–5) |
| Composers | Jim Latham Christopher Ward |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 95 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Distributor | Sony Pictures Television[b] |
| Release | |
| Original network | Kids' WB |
| Original release | September 9, 2000 – July 8, 2005 |
Many of the episodes created for Jackie Chan Adventures featured references to Chan's actual works, with the actor making live-action appearances in the form of an interview situation, answering questions about his life and work. The series was aired in the United States on Kids' WB, with re-runs aired on Toon Disney's Jetix programming block, as well as Cartoon Network. The series proved a success on children's television, including abroad, leading to the creation of a toy franchise and two video games based on the series.
Premise
Jackie Chan Adventures is set within an alternate Earth in which magic and supernatural forces exist but are unknown to much of humanity - these include demons, ghosts, spirits, spells and various creatures and gods. Although the series focuses mostly on those from Asia, primarily Chinese mythology and folklore, it also includes those from other locations in the world, including Europe and Central America. In the animated series, the actor Jackie Chan exists in this setting as a professional archaeologist with a high degree of martial combat skill, who is forced to accept the fact that magic and the supernatural exists when he uncovers a talisman in an artifact that possess magical powers sought out by a criminal organization.
Throughout the series, Chan is aided by his close family, including his uncle and his niece Jade, and his close friend Captain Black – head of a secret law enforcement organization codenamed "Section 13" – alongside additional allies introduced over the course of the series. Each season of the program primarily contains an overarching storyline in which Chan and his allies must face off against a dangerous demonic figure, aided by human henchman, by preventing them finding a series of magical objects that can help them to conquer the world. Alongside the overarching plotline, some episodes also consist of standalone stories that focus on Chan and his friends combatting magical and supernatural forces that are either evil or not understanding of their situation. While storylines feature action sequences focused on magic and martial arts, they also include comedic situations akin to several of Chan's works in action-comedy films.
While Chan does not provide the voice of his animated character, he appears regularly in live-action inserts at the end of the program to offer insights on Chinese history, culture and philosophy.[3]
References to Jackie Chan's career
The series often features references to Jackie Chan's films and his own life throughout the series. In the episode "A Night at the Opera", Uncle states that he was part of the stage group "Seven Little Fortunes", which Jackie Chan was actually part of in real life. Another example is in the episode "The Invisible Mom" where Jackie is bitten by a Snake, and uses a kung fu style known as "the drunken master" from one of his earliest headlining films of the same name. According to Jackie during one of his question segments, the characters of the show are based on certain people in his life. Uncle is based on his agent and father, Jade is based on an assortment of his nieces, and Tohru is based on one of his stunt team members as well as himself. The episode "And He Does His Own Stunts" is a reference to the fact that Jackie Chan does his own stunts in his movies.
Some episodes' titles are based on actual film names. For example, "Half a Mask of Kung Fu" is based on Half a Loaf of Kung Fu, four episode titles ("Enter the Viper", "Enter the Cat", "Re-Enter the J-Team", and "Re-Enter the Dragon") are based on Enter the Dragon (in which Jackie Chan performs as a stuntman[4]), "Shanghai Moon" is based on Shanghai Noon, "Armor of the Gods" is based on Armour of God, "Project A, For Astral" is based on Project A and "Rumble in the Big House" is based on Rumble in the Bronx.
Episodes
Cast
- James Sie as Jackie Chan – a fictionalized version of the film actor, who is portrayed as a talented archaeologist and skilled martial artist.
- Sie also voices the characters of Chow and Shendu – the latter being the main antagonist in the first two seasons, and then a recurring character in later seasons.
- Stacie Chan as Jade Chan, the niece of Jackie from Hong Kong, China.
- Lucy Liu also voices the character's future self in a number of episodes.
- Sab Shimono as Uncle, an elderly antique shop-owner and a Chi Wizard.
- Noah Nelson as Tohru.
- Clancy Brown as Captain Augustus Black.
- Brown also voices the character of Ratso.
- Miguel Sandoval as El Toro Fuerte.
- Julian Sands as Valmont – a secondary antagonist in season 1 & 2.
- Andrew Ableson later voiced the character for recurring appearances in season 3 & 4.
- Franco Velez as Paco.
- Susan Eisenberg as Viper.
- Adam Baldwin as Finn.
- John DiMaggio as Hak Foo.
- Jim Cummings originally voiced the character in their initial appearances in the first season, before script-writers elevated the character's role in the series.
- James Hong as Daolon Wong – the main antagonist in the third season, while a recurring character in season 2 & 4.
- Miguel Ferrer as Tarakudo – the main antagonist in season four.
- Michael Rosenbaum as Drago – initially introduced in season 4, before being written as the main antagonist in season 5.
- Mike Erwin as Strikemaster Ice – recurring character in season five, after initially appearing in the previous season.
- Jeff Fischer as MC Cobra – recurring character in season five, after initially appearing in the previous season.
- Jackie Chan as himself – appears in live-action sequences at the end of episodes to answer questions on Chinese culture and history, as well as his career and personal life.
Release
Broadcast
The series aired in the Republic of Ireland on RTÉ Two from 30 April 2001 and was regularly rerun until 2014.[5]
Home media
In 2001, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released episodes from the first season on VHS and DVD. But one format differed from the other in that of the four DVDs released, three were select, individual episodes while the fourth contained the whole season of 13 episodes; the VHS series had only three, separate episodes. Also, there was a difference in the titles of said episodes released on VHS and DVD. The Day of The Dragon VHS box cover art was the same as that of the first season DVD case cover, which featured Jackie, Jade and Uncle with the villains behind them, dimmed in a yellowish background. On these, the episodes were presented without the teasers that originally appeared prior to the opening/intro sequence as they aired. They are currently unavailable and out-of-print, especially since they had limited pressings and no plans have been announced to follow up season one with DVD box sets of the remaining four seasons. However, the entire series can be ordered and seen via video-on-demand service at Amazon and iTunes. As of October 2010, the entire series was made available on the Netflix streaming service.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment plans to release the second season on DVD through Amazon.com, and other online retailers.[6] Mill Creek Entertainment announced all five seasons on DVD in Region 1.[citation needed]
VHS
United States
| Release name | Release date | Publisher | Format | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Day of the Dragon | October 23, 2001 | Sony Pictures | NTSC | 30 minutes | [7] |
| The Power Within | October 23, 2001 | Sony Pictures | NTSC | 30 minutes | [8] |
| Friends & Foes | March 5, 2002 | Sony Pictures | NTSC | 30 minutes | [9] |
United Kingdom
| Release name | Release date | Publisher | Format | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Search For The Talisman | July 22, 2002 | Sony Pictures | PAL | 30 minutes | [10] |
DVD
| DVD Title | # of Disc(s) | Year | Series | Episodes | DVD release | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | ||||||
| The Search For The Talisman (Volume 1) | 1 | 2000 | 1 | 1-3 | October 23, 2001[11] | July 22, 2002[12] | March 17, 2004[13] | |
| The Dark Hand Returns (Volume 2) | 1 | 2000 | 1 | 4-6 | March 5, 2002[14] | September 1, 2002[15] | March 17, 2004[13] | |
| The Shadow of Shendu (Volume 3) | 1 | 2000 | 1 | 7-9 | March 5, 2002[16] | Not released | Not released | |
| The Entire Season One | 2 | 2000 & 2001 | 1 | 1-13 | Not released | May 17, 2004[17] | Not released | |
| The Entire Season Two | 4 | 2001 & 2002 | 1 | 14-52 | June 5, 2012[18][19] Manufacture on Demand (MOD) release. | Pulled From Schedule[20] | Not released | |
| The Demon Portals Saga (Season 2) | 3 | 2001 & 2002 | 1 | 14-52 | June 4, 2019[21] | Not Released | Not Released | |
Reception
Common Sense Media gave the show 4 out of 5 stars, saying "Lighthearted, entertaining, suspenseful, and humorous, this show may not be deep, but it's a lot of fun".[22]
Other media
Books
A number of books were released to accompany the series.
| Issue no | Release name | Release date | Author | Publisher | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | The Dark Hand | 2002 (UK) | Eliza Willard | Grosset & Dunlap | [23] | |
| #2 | Jade's Secret Power | 2002 (UK) | Cathy West | Grosset & Dunlap | [24] | |
| #3 | Sign of the Ox | 2002 (UK) | Megan Stine | Grosset & Dunlap | [25] | |
| #4 | Enter...the Viper | 2002 (UK) | Jacqueline Carrol | Grosset & Dunlap | [26] | |
| #5 | Shendu Escapes! | 2002 (UK) | David Slack & Jim Thomas | Grosset & Dunlap | [27] | |
| #6 | New Enemy | 2002 (UK) | R. S. Ashby | Grosset & Dunlap | [28] | |
| #7 | Revenge of the Dark Hand | 2002 (UK) | Eliza Willard | Grosset & Dunlap | [29] | |
| #8 | The Power of the Rat | 2002 (UK) | Megan Stine | Grosset & Dunlap | [30] | |
| #9 | Stronger Than Stone | 2002 (UK) | R. S. Ashby | Grosset & Dunlap | [31] | |
| #10 | Uncle's Big Surprise | 2002 (UK) | Jacqueline Carrol | Grosset & Dunlap | [32] | |
| #11 | The Jade Monkey | 2002 (UK) | Judy Katschke | Grosset & Dunlap | [33] | |
| #12 | The Strongest Evil | 2002 (UK) | Jacqueline Carrol | Grosset & Dunlap | [34] | |
| N/A | The Day of the Dragon | 2003 (UK) | Eliza Willard & David Slack & Alexx Dyne | Grosset & Dunlap | Special | [35] |
Comics
A number of comics were released to accompany the series.
| Volume | Release name | Release date | Author | Publisher | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Enter the Dark Hand | July 15, 2004 (UK) | Duane Capizzi & John Rogers | Tokyopop | [36] | |
| #2 | Legend of the Zodiac | October 15, 2004 (UK) | Duane Capizzi & David Slack | Tokyopop | [37] | |
| #3 | Jackie and Jade Save the Day | January 15, 2005 (UK) | John Rogers | Tokyopop | [38] | |
| #4 | Return of the Vampire | April 15, 2005 (UK) | John Tomlinson | Tokyopop | [39] |
Video game
There has only been one Jackie Chan game, Jackie Chan Adventures, first released on Game Boy Advance then re-released on PlayStation 2, both under different titles.
| Title | Genre | Platform | Studio | Release Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackie Chan Adventures: Legend of the Dark Hand | Action | Game Boy Advance | Activision | November 6, 2001 (US) & November 30, 2001 (EU)[40] | Find eight stolen scrolls and stop the Dark Hand from unleashing demons. |
| Jackie Chan Adventures | Action | PlayStation 2 | Sony Computer Entertainment | October 1, 2004 (EU), September 19, 2004 (CH) & Cancelled (US)[41][42] | Play as Jackie Chan and collect the Talismans. Compatible with PlayStation's EyeToy. |
Successors
Following Jackie Chan Adventures, Chan set off to create local productions in Asia. The first, Jackie Chan's Fantasia, is a 52-episode Chinese animated series produced by Nanjing Hongying Animation Entertainment.[43][44] It aired in 2009 on CCTV and in English on Sonic-Nickelodeon.[45]
In 2017, Chan announced All New Jackie Chan Adventures, a $6 million 104-episode Chinese CG-animated series produced by Zhejiang Talent Television & Film, Khorgas JJ Culture Media Co., and VJ Animation Studio.[46] It was released in China in 2017, with a feature film scheduled for 2019.[47] Despite the name, it is unrelated to the American series.
Later in 2008 this series was adopted by Sun TV Network in South Indian multiple languages
Notes
- ^ Known as Columbia TriStar Television, Adelaide Productions, Blue Train Entertainment and the Jackie Chan Group for Seasons 1–2 and Columbia TriStar Domestic Television for Seasons 2–3
- ^ Known as Columbia TriStar Television Distribution for Seasons 1-3
References
- ^ Stanley, T.L. (October 14, 2000). "Now Chan Is the Picture of an Action Hero". The Los Angeles Times. USA. from the original on December 26, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
- ^ Fritz, Steve (September 18, 2000). . Mania. USA. Archived from the original on September 17, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
- ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 307–308. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- ^ I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action. Ballantine Publishing Group, 1999, p. 369.
- ^ RTÉ Guide, 28 April - 4 May 2001 edition and subsequent dates
- ^ . www.tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures - The Day of the Dragon [VHS] (2000)". Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures - The Power Within [VHS] (2000)". Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures - Friends & Foes [VHS] (2000)". Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures [VHS] [2001]". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures - The Search For The Talisman (2000)". Retrieved March 27, 2012.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures - the Search for the Talismans [DVD] [2001]". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
- ^ a b . ezydvd.com.au. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
- ^ . tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
- ^ "JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES - THE DARK HAND RETURNS". bbfc.co.uk. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures - The Shadow of Shendu (2000)". Retrieved March 27, 2012.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures: The Entire Season 1 [DVD] [2004]". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
- ^ . tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
- ^ "JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES - SEASON 2 (4 Discs)". Retrieved July 11, 2012.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures: The Entire Season 2". bva.org.uk. from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ "Mill Creek Entertainment: Jackie Chan Adventures - The Demon Portals Saga - 39 Episodes". www.millcreekent.com. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ "Review of Jackie Chan Adventures". Common Sense Media. from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
- ^ The Dark Hand (Jackie Chan Adventures) [Paperback]. ASIN 0141314974.
- ^ Jade's Secret Power (Jackie Chan Adventures) [Paperback]. ASIN 0448426501.
- ^ Sign of the Ox (Jackie Chan Adventures) [Paperback]. ASIN 0141314990.
- ^ Enter...the Viper with Cards (Jackie Chan Adventures) [Paperback]. ASIN 0448426528.
- ^ Jackie Chan #5: Shendu Escapes! with Cards (Jackie Chan Adventures) [Paperback]. ASIN 0448426684.
- ^ Jackie Chan #6: A New Enemy with Cards (Jackie Chan Adventures) [Paperback]. ASIN 0448426692.
- ^ Revenge of the Dark Hand with Cards (Jackie Chan Adventures) [Paperback]. ASIN 0448426706.
- ^ The Power of the Rat (Jackie Chan Adventures) [Paperback]. ASIN 0448426714.
- ^ Jackie Chan #9: Stronger Than Stone (Jackie Chan Adventures) [Paperback]. ASIN 0448426722.
- ^ Jackie Chan #10: Uncle's Big Surprise (Jackie Chan Adventures) [Paperback]. ASIN 0448427028.
- ^ Jackie Chan #11: The Jade Monkey (Jackie Chan Adventures) [Paperback]. ASIN 0448427036.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Jackie Chan #12: The Strongest Evil (Jackie Chan Adventures) [Paperback]. ASIN 0448431785.
- ^ Jackie Chan Adventures Super Special: The Day of the Dragon [Paperback]. ASIN 0448431238.
- ^ Jackie Chan Adventures Volume 1: Enter The Dark Hand: Enter the Dark Hand v. 1 (Jackie Chan Adventures S.) [Paperback]. ASIN 1591824028.
- ^ Jackie Chan Adventures Volume 2: Legend of the Zodiac: v. 2 [Paperback]. ASIN 1591824036.
- ^ Jackie Chan Adventures Volume 3: Jackie and Jade Save the Day: v. 3 [Paperback]. ASIN 1591824044.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures: No. 4, Return of the Vampire [Paperback]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures: Legend of the Dark Hand Related Games". uk.gamespot.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures (PS2)". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ "Jackie Chan Adventures Related Games". uk.gamespot.com. Retrieved April 1, 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "成龙黄玉郎联手打造百集动画片《奇幻龙宝》". Sohu. May 1, 2009. from the original on July 26, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ "All Rights Entertainment International Film Sales - Jackie Chan's Fantasia". from the original on February 19, 2017.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the : "Jackie Chan Fantasia". December 15, 2011. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (April 12, 2017). "Jackie Chan Unveils 'New Adventures' Animation Series". Variety. from the original on May 2, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ Brzeski, Patrick (April 16, 2017). "Jackie Chan Launches Kids Animation Show, With Feature Film to Follow". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on April 25, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
External links
- at the Wayback Machine (archived February 9, 2010)
- Jackie Chan Adventures at IMDb