There are very few superstars around the world who can pull in audiences just on the strength of their charisma and Jackie Chan has been one of them who has done it regularly close to four decades. He has teamed up with director Renny Harlin for ‘Skiptrace’ which is at best just a rehash of his old buddy movies that he has made especially in Hollywood.

Benny Chan (Jackie Chan) is a washed out Hong Kong cop who is brooding over the death of his partner Yung (Eric Tsang) due to the machinations of the elusive mob boss Matador. Samantha (Fan BIngbing) Yung’s daughter works in the Casino owned by her father’s suspected killer Victor Wong(Winston Chao). Enter an American con man Connor Watts (Johnny Knoxville) who lands Samantha in trouble with her boss and escapes to Russia. To help Samantha who he promised to take care of to his partner, Benny Chan sets off to bring Watts back to Hong Kong and this starts a roller coaster journey across two continents with the all too familiar sequences that give one the feeling of Deja vu.

Jackie Chan looks all of 62 and has slowed down considerably almost to the point of seeming like a shadow of his younger self. But he has not lost any of his charm and manages to keep the audiences engaged through his charisma alone. Most of the audience did not leave their seats till the bloopers ended enforcing the fact that Jackie still stands above his mediocre movies. Johnny Knoxville is not a bad foil for Jackie Chan though his role and antics reminds us of Owen Wilson’s turn with Jackie Chan in ‘Shangai Noon’. Fan Bingbing who played Blink in ‘X-Men Days of Future Past’ is charming and pleasant to the eyes. The rest of the cast, including Eric Tsang, Winston Chao and WWE wrestler Eve Torres make their presence felt.

One thing ‘Skiptrace’ does not lack is pleasing visuals thanks to cinematographer Chan Kwok-Hung Lam Ching-Ying whose lenses captures the sprawling countrysides of Mongolia and other towering landscapes. The stunt choreography in all sequences is well staged be it the one amongst the collapsing dockyard, the Russian mafia fight and the climax involving underwater as well. Music and the other technical departments have done their parts with little room for complaints. Jay Longino and Ben David Grabinski are credited with the screenplay, which to sum up is just a poorer version of ‘Shaolin Knights’ and ‘Rush Hour’ movies. Director Renny Harlin whose blockbuster credits include ‘Die Hard 2’, ‘Cliff Hanger’ and ‘The Long Kiss Goodnight’ is no where near his best.

Verdict : You can watch it for Jackie Chan and a few well staged action scenes