Original Title: 警察故事
Directed by: Jackie Chan
Cast: Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung. Chor Yuen
Don’t be a cop if you want to live to 100
from the movie
Police Story is an action-comedy with full of large-scale (and also dangerous) stunt actions, which become the trademark of Jackie Chan.
It is the movie of actions: the car chasing through a shantytown in the opening sequence, Chan’s dangling from a double-decker bus, kung-fu style fight scenes, jumping into a pool, the fight scene in a shopping mall, where all characters smash into many glass panes, and the climax, the slide-down a pole covered with electric lights. What really astounds me is that how Chan was totally committed to his stunts and action choreographies and how these dangerous stunts were allowed in the first place.
The comedy part of the film did not appeal to me much. Cake-in-the-face jokes are just silly. The film lacks a consistent and intriguing plot and even lacks aesthetic appeal. But I notice that these not-so-funny scenes can give viewers a short grace period between jaw-dropping stunts.
It is interesting to see how the pars – actions – makes the whole; rather than the whole is composed of parts. The movie itself is nothing but a narcissistic triumph of Jackie Chan, which is highlighted in showing the final scene – sliding down a pole with electric lights – three times from different angles.
Police Story2 (1988)
- Original Title: 警察故事續集
- Directed by: Jackie Chan
- Cast: Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung. Bill Tung
The sequel of Police Story (1985) is generally disappointing. It lacks the tension, wit, and actions of Jackie Chan’s style until the last scene. The film is set just after the previous case. The progress of the plot is ludicrous, comic scenes are not funny, and sponsor advertisements distract viewers. It looks like Chan devotes everything to the last fighting and burning scene at the factory, which is actually very spectacular. The sequel is a good choice for killing some idle weekend afternoon with beer and pizza.
Scriptorium 