Jackie Chan (“Police Story”, “Rush Hour”) shows us once again why the world loves him in one of his best films to date. By 2010s, I’d have thought he’d be out of ideas but “Chinese Zodiac” features some of his most creative stunt work and special effects that don’t interrupt the fights (“The Tuxedo”) but rather enhance the overall picture.

In “Chinese Zodiac”, Chan is on a mission to find a bunch of animal head statues representing the twelve animals of the Chinese years. Forget the plot though, there’s a scene with a roller-skate suit, a mid-air scuffle that puts “Moonraker” to shame and a fight in which the two guys involved try to stay on the couch; he’s got the big, expensive ideas and the smaller-scale ones too.

Chan has always been likeable. It’s such a shame he keeps getting put in movies with actors that lack his charisma; his films always make him the focus rather than trying to be good films just with the addition of Chan. Would “Chinese Zodiac” work without Chan’s personality and with less creative action sequences? No, probably not but it’s an all-round better film than many of his. The other characters like so many of his other films will fade from memory quickly because it’s all about Jackie Chan.

The creativity of the stunts is what makes the movie so darn good. The bits of dialog are certainly nothing to get excited over but they’re more tolerable than “Wheels On Meals” or “The Spy Next Door”. The effects don’t get in the way because very little is added to actually fighting but rather helps create all-round more of a spectacle so we’re still seeing Chan do the work and not some computer. Most’ll probably tell you “The Legend of the Drunken Master” is his best but I think this one might just top it.