Throughout the 2000s, Jackie Chan starred in his own animated TV show that offered something completely different from his signature action movies. Known worldwide for his martial arts abilities and slapstick comedy skills, Jackie Chan has become recognized as a movie icon, having starred in more than 150 domestic and international productions in a career spanning more than 60 years. Chan has received multiple accolades for his contributions to the entertainment industry, including an Honorary Academy Award, two Guinness World Records, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Having trained in martial arts from a young age, Jackie Chan's most recent movies have shown his skills as a voice actor, having lent his voice to movies such as the Kung Fu Panda franchise, The LEGO Ninjago Movie, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Jackie Chan was also featured in the animated television series, Jackie Chan Adventures, which offered something different to what audiences had previously seen in his movies.

Jackie Chan Adventures Was A Creatively Meta Cartoon About Jackie Chan

The Series Contained Many Clever References To Jackie Chan's Career

Created by Duane Capizzi, Jeff Kline, and John Rogers, Jackie Chan Adventures is set in a fictional world where Jackie Chan lives a quiet life in San Francisco as an archaeologist. When he discovers a magic talisman in a shield during one of his expeditions, Chan finds himself being reluctantly recruited by a secret government agency called Section 13, to prevent the Dark Hand from acquiring the Twelve Talismans that have the power to destroy the universe. With the help of his family and friends, Jackie Chan battles against supernatural forces in a fight to save the world.

Jackie Chan Adventures was released during the early stages of Jackie Chan's movie career in America and was created to highlight his talents as a martial artist in a light-hearted and fun manner to younger viewers (via Chan's intense stunts and his movies; several episode titles parody some of Chan's best-known movies, including Shanghai Moon and Project A. Throughout the series, Jackie Chan appeared in live-action to answer questions and offer insight into Chinese culture and mythology.

Is Jackie Chan Adventures Any Good? How The Cartoon Has Aged 25 Years Later

The Series Ran For Five Seasons, From 2000 To 2005

During its original run, Jackie Chan Adventures was praised for being an interesting and entertaining way to introduce Jackie Chan to a new generation of viewers. The series had likable characters, some fun storylines, and blended world mythology with the themes of action and mystery. Jackie Chan Adventures ran for five seasons and inspired books, comics, and a video game released on both Game Boy Advance and PlayStation 2. Jackie Chan received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for his work in the series.

25 years after its release, Jackie Chan Adventures is still regarded by viewers as an underrated animated classic that deserves more recognition. It proved very successful in increasing Jackie Chan's popularity in America and humorously displayed his fighting and comedy skills differently than was seen in some of Chan's funniest martial arts movies. The series' success also inspired the unrelated Chinese animated series, All New Jackie Chan Adventures, released in 2017. While Jackie Chan Adventures was quite unique in its depiction of Jackie Chan's martial arts skills, it proved just as enjoyable as his movies and helped introduce him to a new audience generation.

Sources: Syfy