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Bleeding Steel
Bleeding Steel
from Wikipedia
Bleeding Steel
US theatrical release poster
Traditional Chinese機器之血
Simplified Chinese机器之血
Hanyu PinyinJī qì zhī xuè
Directed byLeo Zhang
Screenplay by
  • Leo Zhang
  • Erica Xia-Hou
  • Siwei Cui[1]
Produced byJackie Chan
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by
  • Kwong Chi-leung[2]
  • Leo Zhang
Music byPeng Fei[1]
Production
companies
Distributed byLionsgate Pictures
United Entertainment Partners
Release dates
  • 22 December 2017 (2017-12-22) (China)
  • 6 July 2018 (2018-07-06) (United States)
Running time
110 minutes[2]
CountryChina
Languages
  • Mandarin
  • English[2]
Budget$65 million[3]
Box office$48.8 million[4]

Bleeding Steel is a 2017 Chinese science fiction cyberpunk action film directed and written by Leo Zhang and starring Jackie Chan.

Bleeding Steel was released in China on 22 December 2017. In the US, Lionsgate Premiere released the film in theaters and on VOD on 6 July 2018.[5][6] The film received mixed reviews and it grossed US$48.8 million and was a box office bomb.[4]

Plot

[edit]

While racing to the hospital to see his daughter Xixi, who has leukemia and whose condition has become critical, Hong Kong Special Agent Lin Dong is informed by his colleague Xiao Su that Dr. James, an important witness, is in danger. Lin stops right outside the hospital, hesitates, and drives off to meet up with Xiao Su and their unit.

Before the unit arrives, Dr. James injects himself with a chemical substance and brings along a mechanical heart with him. As the unit escorts him away, they are ambushed by a squad of men in exotic black armor and high-tech weaponry led by a monstrous-looking man named Andre, who kills off most of the unit and severely injures Lin Dong and Xiao Su. Before Andre can capture Dr. James, Lin Dong pins him against an oil tank using his car. When Andre survives the car's impact, Lin shoots the oil tank, causing a huge explosion. As he lies gravely injured, Lin receives a phone call that Dr. James answers: Xixi has died at the hospital. However both Lin Dong and Andre are later shown to have survived, although Andre's injuries have him turned into a cyborg.

13 years later in Sydney, Australia, author Rick Rogers has recently released a book titled Bleeding Steel about a US Marine implanted with a mechanical heart. A young man named Li Sen, disguised as a female prostitute, pays a visit to Rogers at his hotel, drugs him, and downloads information about the book from his computer. A black-clad woman storms the building and tortures Rogers to reveal the source of his inspiration for the book. While Li Sen hides in the suite's bathtub, the Woman in Black is attacked by Lin Dong, who has also come to find out the same answer. Rogers is killed by the Woman in Black, and the arrival of the police forces everyone to retreat.

The Woman in Black returns to a high-tech airship that serves as Andre's headquarters and briefs him about the failed operation. He identifies Lin Dong and Li Sen from CCTV footage and sends the Woman after the latter, but Li Sen has already fled. Acting upon the data he had taken from Rogers, Li Sen tracks down Nancy, a young woman who is plagued by nightmares about a laboratory where strange experiments were conducted. In order to deal with them, she has been visiting a spiritualist, who in turn told Rogers about the dreams. She is tracked down by the Woman in Black, but is rescued and taken to safety by Lin Dong and Li Sen's combined efforts.

Nancy is revealed to be Xixi, resurrected by Dr. James, who had been working on the genetic enhancement of human beings, and specifically regeneration, to create immortal bioroid soldiers. James fitted Xixi with the mechanical heart and infused her with the chemical substance he had injected himself with, a biogenetic blood substitute, which gave her regenerative abilities. However, Xixi's temporary death had left her with amnesia, and she was put into an orphanage for her own safety, while Lin Dong and his old unit secretly watched over her. Her nightmares stem from James' memories which imprinted themselves on the blood substitute he had injected himself with, and his blood was afterwards used in her resurrection. Andre, a former special forces soldier, was another test subject who infiltrated the project in the service of a prominent Korean arms dealer who wanted to steal James' research and use it for profit. The procedure failed on Andre, leaving his cells to slowly consume him from within, and in revenge he killed the arms dealer and his family. James himself died soon after his operation on Xixi, making her the sole successful subject of his achievements.

Lin Dong takes Xixi and Li Sen to his house, where he locks the young man in his advanced security vault and pays a visit to the spiritualist, who he finds murdered. Xixi runs away to take a flight back to James' abandoned home, where she recovers both her old memories of her father and a bank vault key hidden by James. Following her, Lin Dong reunites with Xiao Su, but before he can reach Xixi, she is kidnapped by the Woman in Black and is brought to Andre's airship and imprisoned in his laboratory. Rejoined by Li Sen, who had managed to free himself, they proceed to the bank vault, where the Woman in Black has been captured by Xiao Su while trying to retrieve the vault's contents: a video camera. Examining the contents of the camera's tape, which details Andre's botched bioroid conversion, Lin and Xiao Su surmise that Andre is dying and he needs Xixi's blood to bestow the regenerative effect upon himself to survive.

Onboard Andre's airship, Andre proceeds to extract Xixi's blood and inject it into himself to restore his body. Lin Dong, Xiao Su, and Li Sen infiltrate the craft and try to break Xixi out but are thwarted by an impenetrable security screen. The trio battle Andre's henchmen, which forces him to join the fight before the transfusion is complete, which gives Xixi sufficient time to fully regenerate and come to her father's aid. Lin and the others cast Andre into the airship's reactor core, which overloads and destroys the lab, but Li Sen is caught in an explosion. Xiao Su and Xixi manage to escape the airship by parachute, but Lin Dong is attacked by Andre before he can join them. Because Andre had accidentally injected Lin Dong with Xixi's enhanced blood during their earlier encounter, Lin Dong gains enough strength to fight him off and rips Andre's heart out of his chest. Without a parachute, Lin jumps off the airship before a final explosion destroys the craft, killing Andre, but Xiao Su and Xixi catch him using their own chute's canopy.

In the aftermath, as Lin Dong, Xixi and Xiao enjoy time together, Lin learns from his colleague that Li Sen was the son of the arms dealer who had sought James' research, and for years he had planned to take revenge on Andre for the murder of his family. Lin also realizes that Li had been a friend of Nancy/Xixi at the orphanage and had acted out of genuine affection for her. In Norway, Li Sen is shown to have survived, offering the tape with James' research to an interested buyer where he then refuses the buyer's offer.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

Village Roadshow Pictures Asia and Heyi Pictures co-produced and co-financed the sci-fi thriller film, Bleeding Steel, starring Jackie Chan, directed by Leo Zhang from his own script.[7] Other cast included Tess Haubrich, Callan Mulvey, Nana Ou-Yang, Erica Xia-Hou, and Show Lo.[8]

Principal photography on the film began on 20 July 2016, in Sydney, Australia.[9][10][11] Filming also took place in Taipei and Beijing, and wrapped up in September 2016.

Release

[edit]

Bleeding Steel was first released in Australia by Perfect Village Entertainment on 15 December 2017 before being released in China by United Entertainment Partners (UEP) a week later, on 22 December. The film was released in the Philippines by Viva International Pictures and MVP Entertainment on 21 February 2018.[12] In the United States, the film was first released by UEP with English subtitles in December 2017.[13] It was later released with an English dub by Lionsgate Premiere on 6 July 2018 in both theaters and video on demand.[14]

Bleeding Steel, though not officially part of the Police Story series, was released under the title ポリス・ストーリー REBORN (lit. Police Story Reborn) in Japan,[15] and used an updated version of the Police Story title song sung by Jackie Chan in the end credits. Unlike the original, which was sung in Cantonese, this version is sung in Mandarin Chinese.

Reception

[edit]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 22% based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 3.6/10.[16] The South China Morning Post compared Bleeding Steel to previous films starring Jackie Chan, stating "with this one he hits a new low in terms of the nonsensical garbage he is willing to put his name to".[17] The review specifically noted the lack of "action, humour or logic", finding the film "packed with risible English dialogue and even worse performances, the film feels like a lazy, contemptuous cash grab from start to finish".[17] Variety declared the film a "corny cyberpunk pastiche" that would appeal "exclusively to kids".[2]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Bleeding Steel (Chinese: 机器之血; : Jīqì zhī xuè) is a 2017 Chinese science fiction action film written and directed by Leo Zhang. The film stars as Lin Dong, a police inspector who uncovers a biochemical implanted in his long-missing , prompting him to ally with a to unravel a tied to a sinister criminal organization and genetically enhanced adversaries. With a runtime of 109 minutes, it blends elements, high-octane stunts, and futuristic thriller tropes in a narrative spanning modern and experimental technologies. The supporting cast includes as the hacker Leeson, in dual roles as Nancy and Chi Chi, Erica Xia-Hou as Susan, as the antagonist Andre, and as the Woman in Black. Produced on a budget of $65 million, Bleeding Steel was a co-production between China's Heyi Pictures and Australia's , marking the largest-budget Chinese film shot in at the time, with principal photography occurring in and featuring landmarks like the . It premiered in on December 22, 2017, before a limited U.S. theatrical release on , 2018. Critically, the film received mixed to negative reviews, praised for Chan's charismatic performance and action sequences but criticized for its convoluted plot and uneven pacing. It holds a 24% approval rating on based on 17 reviews. On , it scores 5.2 out of 10 from over 11,700 user ratings. Commercially, Bleeding Steel grossed $48.8 million worldwide, with the majority ($47.6 million) from the Chinese market, falling short of its substantial . Despite its underperformance, the film exemplifies Chan's efforts to explore genres later in his , incorporating innovative and themes of and identity.

Synopsis

Plot

In 2007, special forces agent Lin Dong races to a Beijing hospital where his young daughter Nancy is undergoing experimental surgery for terminal leukemia. En route, he is urgently diverted to safeguard Dr. James, a brilliant scientist who has pioneered "Bleeding Steel," a groundbreaking nanotechnology implant designed to achieve human immortality by fusing organic biology with advanced machinery, enabling rapid cellular regeneration and indefinite lifespan extension. During a fierce assault by armored mercenaries seeking to seize the technology, Dr. James and his team implant the device into Nancy as a desperate measure to save her life; however, the procedure triggers a catastrophic reaction, halting her vital signs and simulating death, while Lin Dong is compelled to eliminate witnesses and assume a covert protection role. Thirteen years later, in —a sprawling metropolis of neon-lit skyscrapers and hidden tech undercurrents—Lin Dong, now undercover as a cafeteria worker at Nancy's to secretly protect her, continues to watch over his daughter, who has induced by the implant's side effects, including severe identity fragmentation that erases personal memories to prevent psychological overload from the human-machine integration. Nancy, unaware of her origins and believing herself an orphan, befriends Leeson, a resourceful and thief augmented with cybernetic implants for enhanced neural processing and data manipulation. As assassins in high-tech exosuits—loyal to rogue agents like the cybernetically enhanced enforcer Andre exploiting Bleeding Steel for profit—hunt Nancy to harvest the implant's core sample, Lin Dong shadows and defends her, gradually piecing together the antagonists' plan to reverse-engineer it for creating enhanced soldiers capable of withstanding extreme damage. The pursuit escalates through Sydney's underbelly, from crowded markets to elevated rail lines, as Lin allies uneasily with Leeson to evade the killers, including Andre and his lethal operative known as the Woman in Black. Revelations unfold about the implant's dual nature as both lifesaver and curse—its nanites "bleeding" metallic reinforcements into the bloodstream for self-repair but risking total neural dissolution—and the antagonists' scheme for global domination. In the climax atop the House's skeletal struts amid a , Lin Dong confronts Andre in a brutal , protects Nancy from extraction attempts, and sabotages the Bleeding Steel prototypes, ensuring the technology's destruction while forging a fragile with his long-lost . Jackie Chan's portrayal of Lin Dong embodies the transformation of a devoted father into a relentless driven by paternal redemption.

Cast

The cast of Bleeding Steel features an international ensemble, blending prominent Chinese actors with Australian performers to enhance the film's global scope and cross-cultural appeal. leads as Lin Dong, a Hong Kong-based agent and devoted father tasked with safeguarding his daughter amid a conspiracy involving experimental . Chan's portrayal emphasizes his signature action-hero prowess alongside a more vulnerable paternal dimension, marking a departure toward emotional depth in his later roles. Show Lo plays Leeson (also known as Li Sen or Sen Li), a clever street and thief augmented with cybernetic implants that enable him to engage in digital and physical tech-based skirmishes. Nana Ouyang portrays Nancy, Lin Dong's daughter who received the Bleeding Steel implant as a child to save her life from , now suffering from and fragmented memories as a , anchoring the narrative's exploration of identity and legacy. In key supporting roles, Erica Xia-Hou appears as Susan, a fellow operative and Lin Dong's reliable partner in the high-stakes protection detail. embodies Andre, a brutal cybernetically enhanced enforcing the interests of a shadowy . Tess Haubrich is cast as the Woman in Black, a determined figure spearheading the hunt for the film's groundbreaking implant technology. Kim Gyngell rounds out the principal antagonists as Dr. James, the innovative yet controversial scientist responsible for developing the life-extending implants at the story's core.
ActorRoleDescription
Lin DongSpecial agent protecting his daughter from biotech threats.
Leeson/Li SenHacker/thief with cybernetic aids for tech confrontations.
Nana OuyangNancyLin Dong's daughter with the life-saving implant and .
Erica Xia-HouSusanLin's partner in the mission.
AndreRuthless mercenary enforcer with enhancements.
Woman in BlackMilitary leader chasing the technology.
Kim GyngellDr. JamesScientist behind the implant innovations.

Production

Development

Bleeding Steel marked director Leo Zhang's debut in the genre, following his 2012 Chrysanthemum to the Beast. Zhang co-wrote the with Siwei Cui and Erica Xia-Hou, crafting a that blended high-octane Chinese action sequences with Western influences reminiscent of 1980s techno-sci-fi thrillers. The project originated under Jackie & JJ Productions, Jackie Chan's production company, where Chan served as both lead actor and producer, emphasizing themes of immortality through advanced and cybernetic enhancements. Development accelerated in early 2016 with the involvement of co-producers and Heyi Pictures, who co-financed the film and positioned it as the largest-budget Chinese production ever shot in , with significant allocation for visual effects-driven sequences. Pre-production included planning for intricate action set pieces integrating Chan's signature s with futuristic elements, such as the "bleeding steel" concepts. One notable challenge during development was harmonizing Chan's insistence on practical work—including high-risk sequences like jumping from the —with Zhang's emphasis on plot-driven sci-fi storytelling and elaborate VFX integration. Ahead of starting in July in .

Filming

Principal photography for Bleeding Steel commenced on July 20, 2016, and wrapped in September 2016, spanning approximately three months. The production was divided between exterior shoots in and interior scenes in , reflecting the film's blend of international settings and futuristic narrative. Filming in captured the cyberpunk aesthetic through key sequences, including high-stakes action on the and harbor chases, leveraging the city's iconic landmarks for dynamic visuals. In and , shoots took place in locations such as , , and Xingan (), including pursuit scenes. The stunt coordination emphasized Jackie Chan's signature hands-on approach, with the actor performing his own high-risk maneuvers, including a fight sequence atop the sails, 67 meters above ground, alongside co-star . Chan, at age 62, insisted on executing main set pieces personally to maintain authenticity in the action choreography. Practical effects were integrated for cybernetic enhancement sequences, complemented by CGI to depict and other speculative visuals, creating a seamless fusion of physical stunts and digital augmentation. Technical production utilized XT cameras equipped with Angenieux Optimo lenses, achieving a 2.39:1 for the standard release and 1.90:1 for the 3D version, which supported the high-contrast aesthetic. Coordinating an international crew presented challenges, particularly in navigating Australian production regulations and safety protocols for high-risk stunts, alongside incentives and local employment requirements to facilitate the China-Australia co-production. The production highlighted in the stunt work.

Release

Distribution

Bleeding Steel had its wide theatrical release in on December 22, 2017, distributed by United Entertainment Partners and , coinciding with the holiday season to capitalize on peak audience attendance. The film's international rollout began simultaneously in select markets including the , , , and on the same date, with further releases in the on December 28, 2017. In the United States, handled a limited theatrical and video-on-demand release on July 6, 2018. Globally outside , distribution rights were acquired by , facilitating strategy across various territories including and , where releases occurred progressively into 2018. Marketing efforts centered on highlighting Jackie Chan's signature action sequences and the film's aesthetic, with official trailers released in multiple languages to emphasize high-stakes stunts and futuristic visuals. These promotional materials, including a U.S. trailer debuted by Lionsgate in May 2018, were distributed via online platforms and social media to build anticipation in key markets. The strategy also included IMAX screenings in to enhance the spectacle of the film's . Regional variations in the release included adjustments for local ratings and formats, such as an R rating in the U.S. for and , while maintaining a broad in Asian markets. Initial box office performance in indicated strong opening weekend earnings, underscoring the effectiveness of the holiday timing.

Home media

B leeding Steel became available on digital platforms in the United States through iTunes, , and beginning in July 2018, following its limited theatrical run. In , the film saw a VOD rollout on iQiyi shortly after its December 2017 theatrical debut, providing early home access to domestic audiences. The digital release facilitated broader , allowing viewers to rent or purchase the film in standard definition and high definition formats. Physical media releases followed the theatrical window in various markets. In the , Lionsgate issued the DVD and Blu-ray on August 21, 2018, with the Blu-ray offering video, 5.1 audio, and optional English subtitles for the Mandarin . Streaming availability expanded in subsequent years, with the film added to in select regions in 2019 before being removed from the service in some markets. As of 2025, Bleeding Steel is accessible for free ad-supported streaming on and in the , while remaining available on in China for subscribers. These platforms have contributed to the film's ongoing visibility, particularly for casual viewers seeking no-cost options.

Reception

Critical response

Bleeding Steel received mixed reviews from critics, earning a 24% approval rating on based on 17 reviews, with the site's consensus describing it as a that "features all the zesty fights, slick effects and goofy one expects from a family movie, while straining to keep its sci-fi elements coherent." On , it holds a 5.2 out of 10 rating from over 11,700 user votes. Critics frequently praised the film's action sequences and Jackie Chan's enduring stunt work, despite his age. In a review for , Simon Abrams highlighted a standout scene of Chan dangling from the as an example of his "still impressive, despite his age and many injuries, comedic and athletic skills," rating the film 1.5 out of 4 stars. commended director Leo Zhang for delivering "old-school thrills" through a variety of set pieces, including cafeteria brawls and large-scale . Variety echoed this, noting the "zesty fights" and "dynamic Hong Kong-style combat" that provide Hollywood-level pacing. Some Chinese-language reviews, such as one from the , appreciated the cultural fusion in the Australian-Chinese co-production and its diverse cast, though overall sentiment remained tempered. On the negative side, reviewers widely criticized the convoluted plot, uneven pacing, wooden dialogue, and underdeveloped sci-fi elements, including the cloning and cybernetic twists. The New York Times described the narrative as a "goofy plot" that is "too complicated, and dumb," with unclear motivations and family dynamics, ultimately failing to deliver on its promised space adventure. Abrams in RogerEbert.com called the story "plot-light" and tonally inconsistent, shifting randomly between sci-fi and slapstick without resolution. Variety pointed out the "corny cyberpunk pastiche" and over-reliance on CGI, which diminished the perceived risk in stunts and made Chan's dramatic performance seem "cheerless." Complaints about poor CGI quality were common, with IMDb user reviews often citing "bad green screen" effects as detracting from the action. Notable quotes captured the film's divisive nature, such as Variety's observation that it "features all the zesty fights... one expects from a family movie" but strains under its narrative ambitions. A harsher take came from aggregated reviews, labeling it "a cartoonishly crazy, completely nonsensical action flick that is torturous to behold, and well below Chan's caliber." Audience reception was slightly more favorable, with a 25% score on from 272 ratings, valuing the entertainment in Chan's stunts despite the flaws.

Box office

Bleeding Steel had a reported production budget of $65 million. The film grossed $48.8 million worldwide, falling short of recovering its costs theatrically. China served as the leading market, accounting for $47.6 million of the total, or approximately 98% of earnings. It debuted strongly there on December 22, 2017, earning $30 million over its opening three days amid competition from domestic releases like Youth. Jackie Chan's involvement drove initial Asian interest, but the film saw rapid declines in subsequent weeks. Internationally, performance was weak, with just $1.2 million collected outside across various markets including ($49,000), ($35,000), and ($151,000). A limited U.S. release on July 6, 2018, in three theaters by Lionsgate generated negligible revenue, under $100,000. Factors contributing to the modest global results included competition from other blockbusters and mixed critical reception impacting audience turnout. Long-term earnings included additional revenue from home media, with U.S. DVD and Blu-ray sales estimated at $1.8 million, though global ancillary income likely exceeded this figure; the film ultimately did not break even through theatrical runs alone.

References

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