Tacticalin
An absolute waste of money
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Jerrie
It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...
BA_Harrison
Jackie Chan stars as tough police inspector Chan Ka Kui, who is determined to bring Hong Kong drug lord Chu Tao (Yuen Chor) to justice, but who finds himself having to clear his own name when he is framed for the murder of a corrupt cop. Helping Chan to put things right is Chu Tao's secretary Selina (Brigitte Lin), but her presence doesn't sit well with the inspector's jealous girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung).Police Story is widely regarded as being amongst Jackie Chan's best films, but while it undeniably showcases some of the star's most incredible fighting and stunt-work—opening in spectacular fashion with the destruction of a hillside shanty town during a car chase, and closing with a jaw-dropping shopping mall showdown in which no pane of glass remains un- smashed—the simplistic plot and frequent Chaplin-esque comedy routines prevent it from being one of my favourites. Chan is renowned for his trademark blend of kung-fu and comedy, but in this case it seems out of place amidst the organised crime, murder and shooting.6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for the eye-watering moment three men fly through the top window of a double-decker bus and hit the ground in a most painful manner.
Robert W.
This is my first foray into the Hong Kong world of film. I have never seen a Bruce Lee film or any of the crazy Kung Fu films you hear so much about. So I don't know if Police Story is a representation of the genre. Apparently it was vastly considered one of the best Chinese films but there are certain aspects of this movie that are just bad bad bad. Granted the film is voiced over in English which is brutally awful but even still the film feels more like a comedy until the last 15 minutes or so during the final battle. There are a few good action scenes but there are far more ridiculous comedy scenes. I do greatly respect the stunts and acrobatics in the film. I have always known Jackie Chan was a brilliant martial artist, choreographer, and stuntman and certainly he does some insane stuff in this movie. That is really what makes these films is when there is action, it is amazing what they do. Police Story has a decent, typical story but it is completely marred by the ridiculous campy scenes and yet when the credits rolled, I'll be darned if I wasn't somehow drawn into the ridiculousness. After the harrowing final fight I wanted to jump into the sequel and despite how off balance the humour was, it seemed to work.Jackie Chan co-wrote, co-directed and stars in the film proving furthermore how talented he is. He certainly has a quality about him on screen and he's versatile because he pulls off the campy comedy but turns the end into a viable vengeance fuelled action scene. He is really the only character who gets any sort of development. Brigitte Lin is downright annoying (her voice over actress doesn't help) as the witness Chan has to protect. She is the personification of a helpless damsel in distress. Maggie Cheung plays Chan's girlfriend and really despite being top billed she has a very small role that only becomes significant towards the end. They have okay chemistry considering what a small role she has. Bill Tung and Kwok-Hung Lam are ludicrous as Chan's bosses on the police force. Lam looks like he is about 14 years old and yet is barking orders like a senior cop. Again, the voice overs for both of these actors is really bad which doesn't help but even their body language and expressions just make you laugh at them which maybe is the point I don't know. Yuen Chor is decent as our villain. I wouldn't say he's very villainous but he looks the role of a high powered mob guy and he makes a decent adversary and as with any good Kung Fu movie he has a legion of thugs to fight.I think I just don't understand the genre very well. I mean this film was a huge success in China, given all sorts of awards and I see it as a lesser than B-Movie. Its just so silly and campy and ridiculous but as I said when it was all over I was morbidly entertained and found myself thinking about the silliness and how enjoyable it was. Maybe I have found a new genre to look into. Its a bizarre way of film making because to me, coming out of mainstream Hollywood, the comedy is oddly placed and the film seems to change directions multiple times. When they do a stunt, it is a huge ordeal (the pole sliding stunt when Chan apparently hurt himself quite badly) is shown three times in succession because they are so proud of it. They destroy an entire village in the first fifteen minutes and yet then they go off on a comedy tangent that is too ridiculous to even make sense. I don't know if I loved this or hated it so I have to go up the middle. I think if you're a Hong Kong film lover than this is likely exactly what you're looking for. 6/10
dworldeater
In my opinion Police Story is Jackie Chan's best movie all around and mandatory viewing for anyone that considers themselves a fan of martial arts and action films. After not really hitting it off with director James Glickenhaus and The Protector not exactly setting the world on fire at the box office, Jackie really felt he had something to prove with his own cop/action film. As producer, director and star Jackie put his heart and soul into this production and by doing so he made the perfect movie vehicle for himself, as well as a classic action film that went through the roof at the box office in Hong Kong. Police Story also gained international interest from audiences that The Protector failed to generate. Nothing against James Glickenhaus. I'm a fan of his as well and I personally love and champion his grindhouse vigilante classic The Exterminator. Anyways, Jackie Chan is a cop working on a case of a ruthless drug dealer. He also is assigned to protect a prosecution witness, Selina(played by the gorgeous Taiwanese model turned actress Brigette Lin) from dope pushing goons. It is ironic Brigette is the damsel in distress, as I am used to her dispatching hundreds of people in her swordplay films. Brigette, as always did a great job. Another stunning and very talented actress, Maggie Cheung is Jackie's love interest and girlfriend. After watching Police Story, as well as many of Jackie's other films it is a miracle he is still alive and not in a wheelchair. Police Story set the bar for the insane action and stunts Jackie would employ in his subsequent films. As far as the tone of the film it changes throughout the film from pie in the face slapstick to serious drama, with tons of fighting and death defying stunts. Director/producer/actor Jackie made it work and created a great franchise as well. Overall, Police Story (and its sequels) is always a fun film to revisit and like I said mandatory if you consider yourself a fan of Jackie's or the action genre. Also, Jackie shows his talent as a vocalist by singing the theme song of the movie!
bbickley13-921-58664
I was a teenager when Jackie Chan finally hit it big in America. I went to go see all his American releases and feel in love with the super star that does all of his own stunts. It wasn't until later when I grew up that I watched all his older stuff, which I feel is much better.The biggest difference between his stuff when he was known in America and the stuff when he was just the biggest star in China, is that the stuff he made during his international sensation era was that he was trying hard to appeal to a grander audience. He would do cartoonish films that both adults and kids could see without censorship. Thought these movies where just as entertaining for it's action scenes and stunt work, it's missing something, drama.The stunt work was so intense on this film that it added to the drama of the film. Jackie Chan plays a cop determine to take down a true bad guy and rather than showing this determination by crying on cue, Jackie and his legendary stunt team did it through the action. Jackie hurt himself in order to show officer Kevin Lee's determination to stop the villain.I seen the movie a few time and every time the stunt work just makes me curl. When Jackie gets his head pushed into a glass wall, I felt it. when he was getting jumped by a gang, I felt it. when he was in his car driving down the hill crashing into sheds, I felt it and it hurt.This early work of Chan was nothing but extreme an absolutely must see if you love action movies
