Jackie Chan isn’t quite his usual self in Li Taiyan’s quietly charming story about an Unexpected Family coming together. Ren Jiqing (Chan) is losing his memories due to age. He is often unsure who is whom, and seeing him not rise to the occasion, instead playing a befuddled role, is rather amazing. Instead of turning on the charm, he has to dial back the athleticism we know him for.
It’s easy to sympathize with him when Bufan (Peng Yuchang) drifts into town looking for work, only to be mistaken for the old man’s estranged son, Zhuangzhuang. There’s gentle humour woven into this slice-of-life drama, released during Chinese New Year. The festive backdrop contrasts the passage of time as we watch Jiqing slowly deteriorate. It’s heartbreaking, and even when I caught myself thinking, “oh, he knows,” what follows still had me reaching for the tissue box.
Through this mistaken bond, this elder gets to relive fragments of his better days. We learn he was once a weightlifter who had a falling out with his real son. They separated, and during that time Zhuangzhuang moved on. I’ll avoid spoiling certain details, but it seems the chance for the two to truly reunite may never happen.
As for what Jiqing clings to, I had to chuckle. He puts the new lad to work, training him to be the next strongman while offering life lessons he once taught his own child.
Little Jia (Pan Binlong) helps set this surrogate reunion in motion. He lets the old man believe Bufan is his missing son, and even the neighbours don’t know. They simply accept it. Before long, they settle into a father-and-son rhythm, flaws and all. The connection feels immediate. Bufan may have arrived as a hustler, but he isn’t scheming. He genuinely wants to do right by the man who’s given him belonging as the months pass. His own backstory mirrors that longing. Having lost the grandmother who raised him, he arrives in Wuhan with nowhere left to go, hoping to build a new life. He carries her ashes in his backpack. In that sense, the found family forms from mutual need rather than deception.
Part of what makes the film shine is its portrait of ordinary life outside China’s towering city centres. The story unfolds on the outskirts, away from glass skylines and neon. It’s a world less often shown in mainstream Asian cinema, and this is a welcome change. Quite often, the films that make it overseas are historical or set in far-flung settings. Rarer are grounded modern tales that simply observe daily life. The difference here lies in who understands the truth and who doesn’t. Until that reveal happens, life quietly goes on.
In a way, this release is a different kind of Kung Fu Hustle, minus the martial arts. Instead, we watch Chan embody resilience in old age. He can still lift weights, though not like before. That lost strength ties back to the story of his son, who was meant to win a championship but fell short. Recreating that moment marks the emotional climax of the tale, and we feel the tension alongside them.
What we witness through Auntie Jin (Li Ping), Xiaoyue (Karlina Zhang Jianing), and Jia is a household built from circumstance. Disputes happen, but afterwards they talk things through and remain together. In the end, this unexpected family becomes exactly that, a loving home. At a time when division comes easily, their unity feels quietly radical. Kinship isn’t defined by blood, but by the willingness to stand beside one another through hardship. And by the time long-buried truths surface, where father and son are truly together, you’ll probably weep too.
4 Stars out of 5
An Unexpected Family Trailer
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