Police Story (Chinese: 警察故事) was made in 1985. The Royal Hong Kong Police Force is planning a major undercover sting called "Operation Boar Hunt" to arrest crime lord Chu Tao (Chor Yuen). Inspector Chan Ka-Kui (or Kevin Chan in some versions) is part of the operation, along with undercover officers stationed in a shanty town. After arresting Chu, Chan's next assignment is to protect Chu Tao's secretary, Selina Fong (Brigitte Lin), who plans to testify in court about Chu Tao's illegal activities. The trial fails due to Selina's tampering with evidence. Though Chu Tao is released on bail, he wants revenge against Ka-Kui, framing him for the murder of fellow policeman Inspector Man. Meanwhile, Selina, realizing Chu's criminality, goes to his office at a shopping mall to download incriminating data from Chu Tao's computer system. Chu Tao and Chan notice this and head to the mall. In the ensuing fight, Ka-Kui defeats all of Chu Tao's henchmen while the police apprehend Chu and the briefcase.
Police Story
Police Story 2 (Chinese: 警察故事續集), made in 1988, featured many of the same actors reprising their roles from the original. The story picks up with Chan Ka-Kui being demoted to a traffic cop for causing so much damage in his apprehension of Chu. Chu has been released from prison on the pretense that he is terminally ill, and Chu and his clan continue to harass Chan and his girlfriend May as Chan gets reinstated to the detective unit when criminal bombers begin extorting money from businessmen. The film marks the last appearance of Lam Kwok-Hung as Superintendent Raymond Li.
Police Story 3: Supercop (Chinese: 警察故事3超級警察), also known as Supercop, was made in 1992. Michelle Yeoh joins the cast, portraying a police officer from mainland China. The story involves Chan and Yeoh's character going undercover to try to break up a drug smuggling ring. The action moves from China to Kuala Lumpur, where Chan's girlfriend May is kidnapped. The film marks the last appearance of Maggie Cheung as May. Michelle Yeoh reprises her role in the spin-off, called Supercop 2. Dimension Films released Supercop in the US in 1996 with some edits to the film, the complete replacement of all music and sound effects, and English dubbing.
New Police Story (Chinese: 新警察故事), made in 2004, is a reboot of the Police Story series. Chan portrays a disgraced detective named Chan Kwok-Wing, who accidentally leads his team into a trap from which he is the only survivor. Drowning his guilt in booze, he is eventually assigned a new younger partner who turns out to have his own secrets. However, they must work together if they are to stop the gang who killed Chan's team a year earlier. The film features younger Hong Kong actors such as Nicholas Tse, Charlene Choi, Charlie Yeung and Daniel Wu. The story features a more dramatic focus, taking a darker and more serious tone.
Chan's drive to top himself is also apparent in the final 20 minutes of "Police Story," during which time Chan and his stunt crew barreled through about 700 pounds (Chan's estimate) of collapsible sugar glass. The most insane stunt during this sequence is a multi-story slide down a vertical pole draped in decorative light bulbs (the bulbs were real, and active since the mall was active and Chan only had so much time to shoot). Bear in mind: Chan attempted this stunt after damaging his spine during a clock tower fall during the filming of "Project A." Chan's "Police Story" pole jump was also filmed a year before Chan sustained a brain injury from falling out of a tree while making "Armour of God." Nevertheless, in one take, Chan shimmied down a pole, burnt the skin off his palms, slammed through a canopy of sugar glass, and chased a stuntman off-camera (there were at least 14 cameras filming Chan at this moment). He then celebrated with a drink with his stunt crew. At 6am.
Chan's unholy dedication is also apparent in swathes of "Police Story 2" (1988), a low-key sequel that takes place right after the events of "Police Story." It's no coincidence that "Police Story" and "Police Story 2" have the best stuntwork in the six-film series since they're the only two films directed by Chan. Kevin Chan returns but this time he's investigating the extortion of a high-profile company by a group of bomb-making crooks. "Police Story 2" is significantly less stunt-intensive than its predecessor, so it gives you more time with Kevin, and his surreally devoted girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung). It also gives viewers more opportunities to revel in Chan's winningly earnest fascination with the Hong Kong police force. He doesn't go as overboard for the cops as Michael Bay does for the US army, but you can see Chan's attraction to the police in several scenes where Kevin and his team track their suspects.
Chan starts making mediocre Hollywood and Hong Kong films two years after he stars in "First Strike." Many of these films are forgettable, though "Who Am I" (1998) and "Gorgeous" (1999) both have their moments. So it's no surprise that "New Police Story" (2004), a grim, narratively-unrelated "reboot" of the "Police Story" series, is underwhelming. Chan plays a disgraced cop who tries to pull his life together after a group of thrill-seeking, video-game-obsessed criminals kill nine police officers under his command. The fact that Chan's opponents are influenced by fads like the X-Games says a lot about how desperate to please "New Police Story" is. Still, as illogical and humorless as it is, "New Police Story" does include a couple of decent fight scenes, and a predictably engrossing performance by Chan.
"Police Story: Lockdown" (2013) is unfortunately more like "New Police Story" than I'd care to admit (stay tuned for a full-length review of "Lockdown"). It is however also one of the first films in a while that actually feels like a "Police Story" film, albeit one starring Old Man Jackie Chan. Chan still clearly admires police officers' sense of civic duty, and unsentimental at-all-costs attitude. And the action scenes in "Lockdown" are also more like street-brawling than the kind of mannered, balletic combat you'll find in Hong Kong action films directed by John Woo and Johnnie To. "Police Story: Lockdown" may be nowhere near as good as the films that Chan made in his prime, but it puts retiree-aged American action stars' recent vehicles to shame.
Parents need to know that Police Story is a standout Hong Kong comedy-action movie starring, co-written, and co-directed by Jackie Chan who must protect a key witness from a drug gang awaiting trial. The movie's (often slapstick) violence incorporates great artistry, comedy, and surprise. Chan and his stunt performers perform amazing stunts with the fight scenes masterfully choreographed and designed to entertain, rather than cause upset or distress. Likewise any gun battles have little blood, focusing instead on the performers' falls. However, a blooper reel during the credits shows stunts going wrong and Chan and his team in pain while receiving medical treatment on set. There is some depiction of drugs, mostly being seen in packages, although a drug dealer does sample an unspecified powder. In another scene, a model lights an opium pipe for a police photo shoot. There are some iffy gags, including a throwaway comment about a jealous girlfriend taking her own life and a "comedic" mix-up sequence involving two women reporting a rape and domestic abuse. The subtitled version has three uses of bad language -- there is also a dubbed version -- including "bastard," "bulls--t," and "ass." Logos for Crystal Spring, Mattel and Barbie are prominent in key scenes.
This is a jewel in the Hong Kong action movie crown and shows its star, Chan, at the top of his game. Part superhero cop, part clown, Chan's police inspector is the perfect character to carry this comedy-action movie. Chan's instinct for when to amaze, entertain, or play the fool is honed masterfully and enables Police Story to throw out surprise after surprise. His (literally) death-defying stunts are gasp inducing and awesome, while the slapstick elements -- such as a cake to the face -- are reminiscent of other great physical comedy performers like Buster Keaton. Rather than being gritty or grisly, Chan's action set pieces are closer to the Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor's joyful dance sequences in 1952's Singin' in the Rain. Show anyone Police Story's bus scene or climatic shopping mall battle and defy them to not both smile and gasp.
(Mike Moffett of Loudon was introduced to Jeremy Levy at an Orange County coffee shop by his friend and co-author Fahim Fazli, a veteran Hollywood actor. The above story came about following a conversation there.) 2ff7e9595c
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