Ride On (2023)

Ride On feels like a love letter to the unsung bruises behind movie magic, with Jackie Chan bringing a weathered warmth that turns every punchline and pratfall into something earned. It’s an action-comedy that moves with the easy rhythm of classic Chan—clever physical gags, scrappy brawls, and that unmistakable charisma—but it’s also quietly tender about pride, aging, and the bonds we refuse to sell off when life gets desperate. The film’s affection for stunt work gives the set pieces a nostalgic glow, while the father-daughter tension adds real emotional weight without drowning the fun. Fair warning: it leans into sentiment and includes some rough stunt-injury moments and a couple of broad gags, but if you’ve ever admired what performers risk for our entertainment, this one lands with a surprisingly big heart.

Ride On is clearly trying to be a loving tribute to stunt performers while also giving Jackie Chan a late-career, father-and-daughter tearjerker with a loyal horse at the center. When it sticks to that mission—practical action, old-school physical comedy, and the genuine warmth between Chan and the animal—it can be charming and even quietly moving. The problem is it leans hard into melodrama and “please cry now” beats, with pacing that drags and tonal whiplash where broad gags sit awkwardly beside serious injury talk and family fallout. If you want a tight, consistently funny action-comedy, or you’re sensitive to animal-in-peril tension and manipulative sentimentality, this may test your patience; if you’re here for Chan nostalgia and a heartfelt ode to the craft, it’s easier to forgive its clunky stretches.