September 7, 2016 The Skanner Page 7
Arts & Entertainment
FILM REVIEW: ‘Skiptrace’ a Familiar Unlikely-Buddies Flick
by Kam Williams
For The Skanner News
J
ackie Chan made dozens of mar-
tial arts movies in his native Hong
Kong prior to inding phenomenal
success stateside in 1998 co-star-
ring with Chris Tucker in the bud-
dy-comedy “Rush Hour.” Their pairing
as unlikely-partners proved so popular
that they returned to the well to shoot
a couple of sequels in “Rush Hour 2”
and “Rush Hour 3.” And Jackie further
“
Skiptrace, a slight variation on the
theme co-starring Johnny Knoxville.
Knoxville is known for “Jackass,” the
TV and ilm franchise in which he and
a coterie of deranged confederates per-
form an array of death-defying feats.
Here, he reprises some of his great-
est hits, like rolling down the street in
a barrel. The same can be said of Chan,
as so many of the picture’s chase and
ight sequences have a feeling of deja
vu about them. Nevertheless, a treat is
in store for the uninitiated, especial-
ly
youngsters
who’ve
never
seen either of
these leads ply
his trade before.
In Skiptrace,
Jackie
plays
Hong Kong de-
tective Benny Chan, and Johnny co-
stars as Connor Watts, an American
gambler on the run from a Russian ca-
sino owner (Charlie Rawes) he leeced
to the tune of a million dollars. At the
point of departure, Benny’s partner
Yung (Eric Tsang) is murdered by a
mysterious mobster
known as The Mata-
dor, and he makes it
his mission to bring
the creep to justice.
Meanwhile, half a
world away, Johnny
just happens to wit-
Nevertheless, a treat is in store for
the uninitiated, especially young-
sters who’ve never seen either of
these leads ply his trade before
milked the familiar formula in outings
opposite Owen Wilson in “Shanghai
Noon” and “Shanghai Knights.”
Despite being perhaps a little long-
in-the-tooth to still be doing such
stunt-driven adventures, the six-
ty-something matinee idol is back with
Book
cont’d from pg 6
–Excerpted from
the Introduction
(pages x-xii)
D
o you believe
in the power of
prayer? If you
are a person
of faith, you might
appreciate the case
eloquently
made
for precisely that
proposition in this
enlightening opus
by Reverend Doro-
thy Scott Boulware. The
author has been preach-
ing practically her entire
life, having started at the
age of four when she sur-
prised her family with
her irst sermon.
“
ness the kidnapping of Yung’s daugh-
ter Samantha (Bingbing Fan). So, that
makes him invaluable to Benny when
the two subsequently cross paths, as
much as the detective dislikes the idea
of cooperating with a slippery con man.
Directed by Renny Harlin (“Die Hard
2”), Skiptrace overall is a globe-trot-
ting afair which unfolds at a dizzying
pace in the course of visiting a variety
of ports-of-call all across the planet.
The multi-layered whodunit eventual-
ly builds to a big showdown at Kai Tak
Cruise Terminal back in Hong Kong,
where the case is very satisfactorily re-
solved.
Though he’s certainly no Chris Tuck-
er, Johnny Knoxville does prove a
decent enough accomplice for Jackie
Chan’s endearing combination of an-
tics and acrobatics.
Good HH
Rated PG-13 for violence, suggestive
content, profanity, drug use and brief
nudity
Running time: 107 minutes
Distributor: Saban Films
To see a trailer for Skiptrace, visit
TheSkanner.com.
Samuel L. Jackson, Kenneth Cole to Host Diversity Event
Lord.
The book basically
consists of a mix of the
author’s personal anec-
dotes and testimonies
from folks she has inter-
acted with in the course
of living a life well lived.
‘How can you say you love
God who you haven’t seen
and hate your brother who
you see every day?’
“How can you say you
love God who you hav-
en’t seen and hate your
brother who you see
every day?” she asked
back then. “You’re a liar
and the truth ain’t in
you.” And the precocious
youngster matured into
a sage sister who’s been
sellessly ministering to
anybody who would who
listen ever since.
And in her new opus,
“Keep
Walking
in
Prayer... Until You Can’t
Come Back,” Reverend
Boulware shares plen-
ty of insightful pearls
of wisdom she’s accu-
mulated over the years.
The title was ostensi-
bly inspired by Genesis
5:23-24, a Biblical pas-
sage about how Enoch
(Methusaleh’s
father)
maintained a constant
companionship with the
Johnny Knoxville co-stars with Jackie Chan in this stunt-driven comedy
Perhaps its most poi-
gnant entry involves a
heartfelt remembrance
of “The Day God Showed
Up” to help Reverend
Boulware’s homeless son
who was on trial despite
having been the victim of
stabbing. Against seem-
ingly-insurmountable
odds, he prevailed in
court with the help of a
very well-prepared pub-
lic defender.
Overall, this passion-
ate how-to memoir has a
moving message which
might be best commu-
nicated by this quote:
“While we don’t have
the power to control out-
comes... we do get to rest
in the assurance that we
are always and forev-
er heard whenever we
communicate with the
Father.” Can I get an
Amen?
NEW YORK (AP) — Celebrities
from music, ilm, fashion, sport
and academia — including Sam-
uel L. Jackson, Kenneth Cole,
Jason Collins, America Ferre-
ra, Salma Hayek, Quincy Jones,
and Emilio and Gloria Estefan
— have signed up to co-chair a
two-day convention to celebrate
diversity and unity.
The Rise Up as One event,
scheduled for Oct. 14-15 at a lo-
cation still being worked out,
will have performances, talks
and cultural expositions. A con-
cert on Oct. 15 will be broadcast
live on Univision Network and
on Fusion.
Other co-chairs for the event
include Henry Louis “Skip”
Gates, Forest Whitaker, Junot
Diaz, Nicolas Berggruen, T Bone
Burnett, Ximena Caminos, Ava
DuVernay, Don Graham, Dr.
Henry Jenkins, Mia Maestro,
Jonathan Olinger, Eduardo Pa-
dron, Residente and Robert Ro-
driguez.
More details are expected in
the coming days.
We honor the many accomplishments
of African Americans.
It is our primary goal as a labor union to better the lives of all people working in
the building trades through advocacy, civil demonstration, and the long-held belief
that workers deserve a “family wage” - fair pay for an honest day’s work.
A family wage, and the beneits that go with it, not only strengthens families, but also
allows our communities to become stronger, more cohesive, and more responsive
to their citizens’ needs.
Our family wage agenda relects our commitment to people working in the building trades, and
to workers everywhere. In this small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the American Dream.
This dream that workers can hold dear regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious beliefs.
Paciic Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters
Representing more than 5,000 construction workers in Oregon State.
Do you want to know more about
becoming a Union carpenter?
Go to
www.NWCarpenters.org
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