ROB-B-HOOD

'''Rob-B-Hood''' () is a 2006 action comedy film directed by Benny Chan, starring Jackie Chan, Louis Koo and Michael Hui. Set in Hong Kong, ''Rob-B-Hood'' follows the lives of a gang of burglars as they take care of a baby kidnapped from a wealthy family. It is the first film in which Jackie Chan plays a villain. The stunts, some of which involve the baby,^[1] are performed by Chan himself and choreographed by the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. Jackie Chan slides down a water pipe in spite of his age (成龙春节大爬水管)
After a production schedule lasting 10 months, ''Rob-B-Hood'' was released on 29 September, 2006, to largely positive reviews. Rob-B-Hood at RottenTomatoes ^[2] The film topped the Chinese box office in October 2006 and despite not being given a release in most European and North American countries, it grossed over US$20 million worldwide. Rob-B-Hood tops the October box office, grossing 90 million (宝贝抢钱9000万《宝贝计划》票房雄踞10月影市) Rob-B-Hood worldwide gross

Contents

Production

Writing

Casting

Filming

Stunt work

Cast

Plot

Releases

Reception

References

Production

''Rob-B-Hood'' was a joint production from JCE Movies Limited, a company set up by Chan in 2003; and Huayi Brothers Film & Taihe Investment Company, Rob-B-Hood Review distributors of films such as ''Warriors of Heaven and Earth'', ''The Banquet'' and ''.
Chan has starred in over 50 action films, and has intimated in recent years that he has grown tired of being typecast as the "nice guy".^[3] Since his 1993 film, ''Crime Story'', Chan has consciously included more dramatic elements in his films. This was in particular the case in recent films such as ''New Police Story'' and ''The Myth''. ''Rob-B-Hood'' continues this trend, while also maintaining his trademark comedic style, action and stuntwork. The film is notable as the first in which he plays a negative character – a criminal and compulsive gambler.^[4]

Writing

The plot resembles that of ''Home Alone'', though rather than focusing on a boy who is left alone and must protect his home from burglars, ''Rob-B-Hood'' follows burglars who struggle to look after a baby.^[5] Chan co-wrote the film with director Benny Chan. Jackie Chan designed the action sequences while Benny Chan focused on the film's dramatic elements.^[6]. The script was completed in October 2005.^[7] The film's Chinese title is ''Bo Bui Gai Wak'' (Cantonese: 寶貝計劃), literally ''Project BB'', with "BB" being a homophone for "Baby". This references the title of Chan's 1983 film ''Project A'' (Cantonese: ''A Gai Wak'', A計劃).^[8]
Jackie Chan plays Thongs, a petty criminal who has fallen out with his family over his gambling habit.^[9] Benny Chan had originally intended Jackie Chan to play a fully fledged villain, who "hits women and burns people with cigarettes". However, the script was toned down to appease the Chinese censors, who found the character to be too evil.^[10] Nevertheless, for the first time in his acting career, Chan had to play a character who is incarcerated.

Casting

Yuen Biao and Jackie Chan appear on-screen together for the first time since 1992's ''A Kid from Tibet''.

The cast of ''Rob-B-Hood'' included actors ranging from newcomer Gao Yuanyuan to veteran actor .^[11] Daniel Wu and Nicholas Tse, stars of ''New Police Story'', make cameo apperances as homosexual security van drivers during a car chase in the film.^[12]
Octopus, Thong's partner in crime, is played by Louis Koo, an award winning actor with past appearances including the TVB drama series ''Detective Investigation Files IV'' and the film ''Election 2''. Koo was proud to work with Chan, describing him as an upright perfectionist who forbade littering by crew members in the premises and volunteering to take out the rubbish. Despite sharing a significant amount of screen time with Jackie Chan, Koo admitted he was spellbound by Chan's stunts, feeling slightly unconfident acting alongside Chan.^[13] Koo was the baby's favourite on set, and whenever the baby cried, Koo was always the first to cheer him up. Michael Hui will not fight in Rob-B-Hood, Louis Koo is popular (许冠文《宝贝计划》不动手 古天乐受欢迎)
The character of the Landlord, who is the leader behind Thongs and Octopus, is played by Michael Hui, a comedian who has starred in various films in the 1980s and 1990s before emigrating to Canada shortly before the handover of Hong Kong. Jackie Chan said he chose Hui for this part because he is the ideal actor to play someone who would persuade others to do bad things.^[14] The producers had originally intended Hui to fight along with Jackie Chan and Louis Koo, however, it was eventually decided that Hui would simply act as the brains behind the duo.
''Rob-B-Hood'' features the collaboration between Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao, a fellow member of the Seven Little Fortunes. Yuen Biao, a close friend of Chan, co-starred with Chan and Sammo Hung in a number of action comedy films in the 1980s including ''Project A'', ''Wheels on Meals'' and the ''Lucky Stars'' trilogy. Chan had originally intended to co-star with both Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung as a reunion of the "Three Brothers", however, the latter declined. Only Yuen Biao appears in the film, playing the role of Police Inspector Mok, assigned to investigate the baby's disappearance.^[15]
It took over 100 auditions to find the suitable baby to star in ''Rob-B-Hood''. Benny Chan chose Matthew Medvedev, a one year old infant of Chinese and Columbian descent. Medvedev, known as Baby Matthew, was literally recruited off the street when an assistant director spotted him with his parents on the MTR. Although his family was simply visiting Hong Kong, they agreed to stay and let Matthew appear in ''Rob-B-Hood''.

Filming

Jackie Chan filming in Victoria Prison.

''Rob-B-Hood'' is the third Jackie Chan film directed by Benny Chan, following ''Who Am I?'' and ''New Police Story''. Filming took place in Hong Kong between December 2005 and April 2006 with a budget of HK$16.8 million.^{[16][17][18][19]} Filming locations included Central, Sai Kung, Sha Tin, Hong Kong Ocean Park, Cyberport, Tai Po Waterfront Park and Victoria Prison.^[20][21]
Benny Chan described the filming process as some of the darkest days of his career, explaining that the baby was a factor beyond his control, and could not work more than eight hours a day. Whenever a scene involving the baby was shot, the crew members could not make any noise and had to communicate in sign language. Benny Chan states it took time, patience and money to guide the baby through each shot, and numerous retakes were required due to the baby's constant crying and napping. As a result, production went over budget. Crude methods were sometimes used to coax the baby into cooperation. One scene required the baby to bite Jackie Chan's nipple. The baby was initially hesitant, but relented after the crew brushed a large amount of honey onto the nipple.^[22]
The script was modified slightly during filming. One scene required Louis Koo to hug Jackie Chan from behind once they have found the baby, having left him on a bus. In one of the takes, Koo fell onto Chan as he ran for the baby, delivering a brief french kiss to Jackie Chan. The unscripted scene was incorporated in the final version of the film. .^[23]
Jackie Chan turned 52 on 7 April, 2006, a few days before the end of filming. With a tight schedule to keep, Jackie Chan opted to spend his birthday working. However, his crew had long planned a surprise birthday party. During his dinner break, the entire production staff, including board members of the production company, arrived on set while Terence Yin presented him with two birthday cakes and a roast suckling pig. In addition, several English, Australian and Japanese fans attended the party, making the total number of guests exceed 100.^[24]

Stunt work

Jackie Chan hangs on the tracks of a roller coaster with the baby in hand.

Jackie Chan was the stunt director of ''Rob-B-Hood'', he choreographed all stunts with the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. Jackie Chan continued his tradition of performing his own stunts in the film. For example, he jumped from air-conditioner to air-conditioner on the outer wall of a building to reach the ground. Several scenes required Jackie Chan to coordinate his stunts with the baby, including a car chase around the Sha Tin industrial area, in which he managed to snatch the baby away seconds before a car crashed into him, and a scene in Ocean Park in which Chan climbed on the underside of a roller coaster with the baby in hand.^[25]
Jackie Chan suffered several minor injuries attempting stunts in the film. He was kicked in the chest by a stuntman wearing the wrong boots and fell off a quad bike attempting to perform a wheelie.^[26] As in many of his previous films, Chan made use of improvised weapons in combat. When he fought a pair of skilled henchmen in a deep frozen room, he defeated them by blowing cold air at them with a large fan.

Cast

Matthew Medvedev plays the baby in ''Rob-B-Hood''.

★ 'Jackie Chan' (成龍) as 'Thongs' (人字拖), a professional burglar who has stolen a variety of expensive goods. A compulsive gambler, Thongs has fallen out with his family over his lifestyle, resulting in his father having a stroke. Despite his vices, Thongs maintains a sense of ethics, making him reluctant to kidnap the baby.

★ 'Louis Koo' (古天樂) as 'Octopus' (八達通), a fellow burglar working with Thongs. Octopus uses the money he steals to buy expensive cars and court a rich girl. He neglects his pregnant wife (played by Charlene Choi), forcing her into a series of dead end jobs to make ends meet.

★ 'Michael Hui' (許冠文) as the 'Landlord' (包租公), mentor of Thongs and Octopus for over 20 years. Unlike his trainees, the Landlord does not spend his share of the loot, stashing it in a safe at home instead.

★ 'Matthew Medvedev' (or simply Baby Matthew) as the 'baby' son of the wealthy Lee family kidnapped by Thongs, Octopus and the Landlord on behalf of a triad boss.

★ 'Yuen Biao' (元彪) as 'Inspector Mok' (莫史迪), a policeman in charge of the case involving the baby's disappearance.

★ 'Teresa Carpio' as the 'Landlady' (包租婆), wife of the Landlord. Driven mad by the death of her only son many years ago, the Landlady carries a doll of a baby boy with her at all times.

★ 'Gao Yuanyuan' (高圓圓) as 'Melody', a student nurse from the Peking University. She works as a part time childcare consultant, teaching Thongs and Octopus how to take care of the baby.

★ 'Terence Yin' (尹子維) as 'Max', former boyfriend of the baby's mother who claims the baby as his. He dies of a fall following a struggle for the baby in a hospital soon after it is born.

★ 'Chen Baoguo' (陳寶國) as the 'triad boss', who thinks the baby is his grandson. Having lost his only son Max, the boss will stop at nothing to capture the baby.

★ 'Ken Lo' (盧惠光) and 'Hayama Hiro' as high ranking minions of the triad gang.

Plot

Octopus, Thongs and the Landlord prepare to kidnap the baby from the mansion.

The film begins showing two simultaneous events in a hospital: a burglary committed by Thongs and Octopus, and the birth of a baby boy to the wealthy Lee family. Max, the mother's ex-boyfriend, snatches the baby, prompting the security guards to pursue Max, ignoring the burglars. After a violent struggle on an escalator, Max and the baby fall over the side. The baby is caught by Thongs, while Max plummets to his death. With the guards distracted, Thongs and Octopus leave in the Landlord's minivan.
A few months later, the Landlord loses his life savings following a burglary of his flat. Desperate to regain his fortunes, he accepts a job to kidnap baby Lee on behalf of a triad boss, who claims the baby as his. Thongs, Octopus and the Landlord break into the Lees' mansion, sedate the baby and carry him off, moments after the alarm is raised. En route to their rendezvous point at Sai Kung, the Landlord crashes his vehicle in an attempt to evade a police road block. He instructs Thongs and Octopus to leave with the baby, bringing him to the Landlord's flat before the police catch up.
The Landlord is detained by the police for reckless driving. Having learnt of the baby's potential value through the news, he phones Thongs, instructing him not to hand the baby over to anyone prior to his release. Over the next few days, Thongs and Octopus take care of the baby, developing a strong bond with him. The two begin to regret their vices: Thongs resists the urge to gamble, while Octopus feels sorry for cheating on his wife.
Meanwhile, both the triads and the police are after the baby. The triad boss, enraged by the non-delivery of his "grandson", sends his men to retrieve the baby from Thongs' flat. Confronted by both the triads and Police Inspector Mok, Thongs and Octopus flee with the baby. Having failed to snatch the baby, the triads grab the Landlord as he is released from police custody and bring him to the triad boss, who now offers HK$30 million for the baby.
The Landlord finds Thongs and Octopus at the hospital, where the baby is being treated for fever. The Landlord shows them the HK$5 million deposit received from the triads, but Thongs and Octopus are more concerned about the baby than the cash. The two, however, agree to bring the baby to the triad boss' mansion, where the Landlord will meet them with the rest of the money. All seems fine, until the three hear the baby crying for them. Thongs and Octopus experience a flashback of the days they spent with the baby, and are overcome by their feelings with him. They fight their way into the triad boss' private amusement park to recover the baby while the Landlord leaves with the money. Thongs almost manages to escape with the baby, but is forced to surrender when the triads threaten to hurl Octopus to his death.

Thongs, Octopus and the baby hug each other for warmth in the frozen room.

Thongs and Octopus are taken to the triad boss, who insists the baby is his. However, he is proven wrong by the blood test. Driven mad, the boss places the baby in the frozen room next to Max's corpse. Thongs and Octopus decide to fight for the baby, ending up trapped in the frozen room with two minions. They are saved when Inspector Mok arrives with the Landlord, who swiftly cracks the lock to the room.
Thongs desperately attempts to revive the comatose baby with a makeshift defibrillator powered by a car battery. The baby does not come to and is driven off in an ambulance, where his heart is found to be beating weakly. Imprisoned for kidnapping, Thongs, Octopus and the Landlord volunteer for a mock capital punishment demonstration during an open day, using the opportunity to apologise to their loved ones. Following the demonstration, Inspector Mok informs the three that their sentences have been further reduced. He shows them the Lee family, who thanks them for saving the baby's life. As a token of appreciation, Thongs, Octopus and the Landlord are offered jobs in their household as a bodyguard, chauffeur and head of security respectively.

Releases

''Rob-B-Hood'' had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on 8 September 2006.^[27] The film was released simultaneously in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries on 29 September. Rob-B-Hood grosses HK$1.2 million on its first day in Hong Kong (《寶貝計劃》開畫收120萬) Man Li Yeung Rob-B-Hood release information Information of Rob-B-Hood ''Rob-B-Hood'' was released in Japan on 7 April, 2007. Official Website of Rob-B-Hood in Japan Greece remains the only European country in which ''Rob-B-Hood'' was released, on 13 February, 2007. Review of Rob-B-Hood ''Rob-B-Hood'' is rated IIA in Hong Kong (unsuitable for children), G in Singapore and U in Malaysia. Rob-B-Hood Review
The Japanese title of ''Rob-B-Hood'' is プロジェクトBB (''Purojekuto BB''), literally ''Project BB'', the name initially proposed for the film. In Greece, the film is known as Ασύλληπτοι Απατεώνες (transliteration: ''Asulliptoi Apateones''), meaning ''Inconceivable Frauds''.
The Region 3 DVD was released in November 2006 and comes in two discs: a movie disc and an extras disc. The movie disc features both the cinematic and uncut versions of the film, along with a commentary track by Benny Chan. The extras disc contains a "behind-the-scenes" video, the post-production press conference, a collection of deleted scenes and the music video of the theme song.^[28] The DVD is currently unavailable to other regions.
After the film's premiere at the Venice Film Festival, several scenes highlighting the personal relationships between characters were deleted from ''Rob-B-Hood'' prior to its release to the general public. Benny Chan explains that including too many dramatic scenes may distract the audience from the plot. The uncut version of ''Rob-B-Hood'' can be watched by playing its DVD and selecting "Extended Version" at the main menu.^[22]

Reception

Promotional poster of ''Project BB'' in Japan.

''Rob-B-Hood'' was well received by critics, despite having not received a rating on Rotten Tomatoes due the lack of reviews. Of the four reviews, three are positive, one neutral. The film received praise at the Venice Film Festival for having a delicate balance between action and drama. Jay Weissberg of Variety magazine described the film as "a mildly fun ride that banked on Jackie's tried-and-true comic charm in a standard baby kidnapping farce enlivened by just enough action sequences to keep hoary diaper scenes from soiling the playpen".
Credit was given to the stunt choreography and the acting partnership of Jackie Chan and Louis Koo, although some reviewers were disappointed in the absence of Sammo Hung.^[30] The plot of ''Rob-B-Hood'' received mixed reviews: some found it concise, hilarious and touching,^[31] whereas others criticised it for being unoriginal, similar to that of ''Three Men and a Baby''. Several reviewers found the subplots involving the antagonists' families redundant, detracting from the main story and making the film tediously long.^[32][33]
Jackie Chan was praised for his decision to play a bad person in ''Rob-B-Hood''. Andrew Sun of South China Morning Post stated "one of the best things Chan can do for his flagging movie career is to play a heavy – a nasty, scum-of-the-earth antagonist, since you don't always have to play a hero to be a hero." Sun emphasised the need for Jackie Chan to show flexibility in his roles, citing a number of actors that have thrived by playing the occasional villain.^[34]
''Rob-B-Hood'' grossed HK$1.2 million the day it was released in Hong Kong. In China, the film topped the box office during the four day National Day holiday weekend, grossing ¥8.9 million.^[35] It went on to top the Chinese box office in October with box office figures exceeding ¥90 million. ''Rob-B-Hood'' performed well in Southeast Asia, grossing US$404,000 in Singapore, US$400,000 in Malaysia and US$604,000 in Thailand during its first four days.^[36] In total, ''Rob-B-Hood'' had a worldwide gross of US$20,434,179 despite not being released in North America and most of Europe.

References

1. Interview with Benny Chan
2. Collection of reviews of Rob-B-Hood by various papers according to Sina
3. Jackie Chan: From action maestro to serious actor
4. Jackie Chan states he can't play the role of a bad person (成龙：我不能演大坏人)
5. Jackie Chan and Gao Yuanyuan share their thoughts after filming (《宝贝计划》关机 成龙高圆圆畅谈感受)

6. Interview with Director Benny Chan (專訪《寶貝計劃》主創 導演陳木勝談新片)
7. Jackie Chan has written the plot of the new film, and plans to co-star with Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao (成龙：自己完成新片剧本 将与洪金宝元彪再聚首)
8. Rob-B-Hood Film Review
9. For the first time, Chan plays an unconventional role in his newest comedy (成龙首次尝试反派 联手陈木胜再拍动作喜剧)
10. Chan's not such a bad guy
11. Chen Baoguo returns to the big screen in Rob-B-Hood(陈宝国重新回归大银幕 《BB计划》演黑帮头目)
12. Rob-B-Hood review
13. Louis Koo is particularly fond of Jackie Chan (古天乐向影帝偷师学做人 尤其敬佩成龙)
14. Jackie's bundle of joy
15. Jackie Chan plans to collaborate with Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao (成龙：自己完成新片剧本 将与洪金宝元彪再聚首)
16. Production of Project BB has begun (《宝贝计划》开镜 成龙古天乐高圆圆出席)
17. Jackie Chan celebrates the completion of filming in Beijing (北京关机 成龙：我不能演大坏人)
18. Rob-B-Hood Movie Information
19. Picture of Jackie Chan during the night shooting at Ocean Park
20. The Final Scene of ROB-B-HOOD (aka. PROJECT BB) at a Hong Kong Prison
21. Picture of Jackie Chan while filming Rob-B-Hood in Ocean Park
22.
23. Two actors changed the script by kissing each other on the street (两猛男改剧本演激情 成龙与古天乐当街拥吻)
24. Over 100 guests sang Jackie Chan's birthday song on set (成龙52岁生日片场度过 百人唱生日歌庆贺)
25.
26. Stunt mishap sends Jackie to Hospital
27. Jackie Chan at premiere of Rob-B-Hood
28. Jackie Chan's Rob-B-Hood DVD now available
29.
30. Rob-B-Hood film review
31. Rob-B-Hood creates both laughter and tears (《宝贝计划》一场欢笑一把泪)
32. Jackie Chan now has a diaper-disaster movie to his name
33. Rob-B-Hood review Paul Fonoroff
34. Hollywood East Andrew Sun
35. Rob-B-Hood performs the best at the box office during the Golden Week (《宝贝计划》票房飘红 黄金周国产电影成牛市)
36. "Rob-B-Hood" has million opening session