MANILA, Philippines?In his latest film, ?Shinjuku Incident,? Jackie Chan goes topical rather than all-action for a change, as he delves into the problem of illegal Chinese immigrants in Japan.

His character in the film, Nick, smuggles himself into Japan as an illegal, just so he can look for his missing love. It turns out that she?s opted for a life of ease as the wife of a Yakuza underlord. But, Nick is too good a man to hate her for long, and eventually focuses on a new romance, and on helping other illegals earn a measure of legitimacy in their newfound home.

Predicament

As you can see, Chan?s character is too true-blue to be believed. But, the film?s focus on the plight of illegals in a foreign land is not for naught, because it does offer up some illuminating insights into their sad and even harrowing predicament.

Counterpointing Nick?s story is the subplot involving a police officer whose life he saves. The cop knows that Nick is a fugitive from the law, but his debt of gratitude makes him want to help the illegal, thus uniting them in a vital way. Also moving is Nick?s relationship with his younger brother, who is fated to endure a lot of pain and torment, making him the film?s most tragic figure.

Nick himself remains relatively honest, but many of his friends end up on the wrong side of the law and reap the whirlwind, as well. Thus does the movie warn viewers that life is full of temptations and contradictions, and only the strongest survive.

?Shinjuku Incident? also devotes a lot of screen time to the Yakuza crime syndrome, showing how its tentacles wriggle into many aspects of Japanese life. In terms of theme and focus, however, these scenes of violent internecine warfare are the movie?s weakest, substantially dissipating the force of the story?s central conflict.

With films like ?Shinjuku Incident,? Chan aims to energize his career as a maturing actor with a less action-oriented thrust and focus. His efforts are commendable, but it could well be that he?s initiated them too late in the day to make a significant difference.

Put plainly, the now fiftyish actor is too mature to play innocent and naive fugitives from the law, and his romantic interludes with actresses half his age are awkward and efforted.

Yes, actors need to reinvent themselves from time to time, but the cinema?s fountain of youth has its limits, so even the iconic likes of Jackie Chan have to shape up?or ship out.

?Notorious?

Thank goodness ?Notorious? does better with its disturbingly cautionary tale about the abridged life and times of hip-hop star, Christopher Wallace aka B.I.G. The film bio exposes the seamy underbelly of the drug and music scene and shows how the controversial hip-hop star was eventually consumed by his own fame and notoriety.

George Tillman?s in-your-face production is peopled by industry icons. Its thematic arc is informed by a disturbing sense that its characters didn?t know the seminal power they possessed, so they were unprepared to deal with its repercussions, both on their private lives and their public personas.

The protagonist?s character is particularly tragic because, in his early years, he appeared to be quite intelligent and promising. In no time at all, however, he was already hooked on drugs, spent time in the slammer, and was already ?researching? the hip-hop lyrics that would enable him to speak for an entire disgruntled and disenfranchised generation.

?Notorious? disturbs and confounds because it?s so graphic in its depiction of the hip-hop scene?s underbelly. After getting past the movie?s shock value, however, the movie rewards viewers with the authenticity of its tone, as well as its telling insights into the vagaries of fame and notoriety, as vivified by its protagonist?s tragic tale.