Rumble in the Bronx plays like a wild, unrestrained cartoon with stunts that would leave Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner reaching for aspirin. Starring Jackie Chan, the most popular star in the world, Bronx contains an unapologetically asinine plot that charges forth like a savage bull. Uncle Bill sells his placid convenience store to a young woman, after which it becomes a target for gang members, maniacal diamond thieves, etc.

Watching the movie is like an amusement park thrill ride, especially if one knows that Chan performs every one of his stunts, no matter how perilous. And the fight scenes, unlike those of Steven Seagal or Brandon Lee, which usually keep one foot within the bounds of reality, are more like brilliant dance sequences, wherein the entertainment lies in marveling at their execution, not their authenticity.

An untamed action vehicle, however, is nothing without an admirable hero at the wheel, and Chan delivers with an endearing innocence that garners more than a few joyful chuckles. Director Stanley Tong does a fine job displaying Chan's stunts, although he employs too many distracting wide-angle shots which distort the images. Tong also chose to film the movie in Chinese, and dub it with English, which at first appears annoying and silly, but soon adds to the film's comic quality.

The movie, despite its cartoonish audacity, contains scenes that are much too violent for younger children. A PG-13 would have been perhaps more suitable. The plot is limp, but in a movie this kinetic and intense, no one will care. Rumble in the Bronx is a prime example of what movies were made for: pure escapist entertainment