Police Story (1985) User Reviews

stunt-filled Hong Kong action-comedy

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 5 November 2017]

Jackie Chan directs this film in which he plays a policeman who, at the film's start, is part of a massive raid that captures a major crime lord. The crime lord's secretary (Brigitte Lin) will be forced to testify against her boss, so the police have Jackie keep watch over her until the trial. That doesn't sit well with Jackie's girlfriend (Maggie Cheung).

What seems like a cute romantic comedy gets a bit darker as the crime lord's henchmen set out to kill both Brigitte and Jackie. There are so many amazing action set-pieces that it's hard to pick which is the best, from cars driving full-throttle downhill through the middle of a shanty town, to Jackie using an umbrella to hang on to the outside of a double-decker bus driving at full speed, to bone-crunching jumps and falls, and a huge action sequence inside a shopping mall.

If the overall story had been a bit more engaging, this might have gone down as one of my all-time action faves. As it is, it's highly recommended for action fans or those who want to know why Jackie Chan spent two decades as one of the world's biggest superstars. This was a huge commercial hit all over Asia, and won multiple awards, making it one of the premiere films in Jackie Chan's career. It has spawned multiple sequels.

Awesome Jackie Chan cop flick!

[OllieSuave-007 · 9/10 · 1 February 2016]

This is a high-energy and awesome cop flick starring Jackie Chan, who plays Hong Kong Detective Kevin Chan. He is framed for murdering a fellow cop by a drug lord and, while having to clear his name, Kevin goes on a mission to capture the druggie while, at the same time, keeping his girlfriend.

Chan displays some of his best martial arts action in this film, with incredible stunt work, daredevil jumps and butt-kicking action. It's good old-fashion fighting skills with no wires and CGI.

The plot is pretty simple, nothing too suspenseful, but it's fast-paced with a mixture of humor and drama. And, the acting is pretty good - fun stuff and dialog coming from Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin. Cheung displays the tenderness in her character while Lin displays more of a feisty personality. And, Bill Tung as the Chief is a lovable and hilarious character.

Highly recommended action film!

Grade A

Great start, brilliant finale, but the stuff in-between

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 16 August 2016]

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.

Possibly the most essential Jackie Chan movie

[DrLenera · 6 October 2003]

It is a great shame that Jackie Chan's eventual emergence as a fully -fledged Hollywood star did not happen much earlier when he was at his physical peak. Of course even now he is pretty amazing,but he IS around 50 now. The Jackie Chan of Police Story would have REALLY amazed the world.

Police Story may not be his best movie but it is possibly the one to watch to get an overview of his abilities and film-making style {one must not forget he directed many of his Hong Kong films}.It is a somewhat uneven but often exhilarating film which mixes cop drama,slapstick comedy and amazing action. The film features opening and ending action sequences which are amongst the best done EVER. The opening has a shoot-out in a shanty town,virtual destruction of the town by cars and Jackie hanging on to a bus with a walking stick. The climax features an incredible fight scene in a shopping mall which is a fantastic combination of martial arts,brawling and sheer destruction,and the final stunt-WOW!

In between the film concentrates more on comedy,some of which slows the pace a little but is simply delightful to watch,such as a scene where Jackie has to answer lots of telephones at the same time {cut from the slightly poor dubbed version which also has a far inferior score},a very funny courtroom scene and even the old pie-in-the-face routine! Some of the humour may annoy those wanting more action but it is as essential to an understanding of Jackie's art as his martial arts and stunts,and here he perhaps perfects his favoured 'everyman' hero,a normal guy who may have amazing martial arts skill but still has relationship problems and is as likely to lose a fight as to win it. Sadly female stars Maggie Chung and Brigite Lin simply exist to be knocked about!

By no means a perfect film,and possibly Project A,Drunken Master 2 or Dragon's Forever might be better films but if you want a sampling of Jackie doing everything he does best,than this is the film to see .It spawned 3 sequels,all of which add to and build on the first one.

Jackie Chan's Masterpiece?

[AwesomeWolf · 10/10 · 28 April 2005]

Version: Universal / Hong Kong Legends R4 DVD release. Cantonese / English subtitles

Once upon a time, five years ago, the world was obsessed with 'The Matrix', and I was perhaps one of the few fifteen year olds left who still believed that 'Terminator' was better than 'Matrix'. I was but a simple teenage boy, looking for a good action movie, and then there was a shining light on a TV station I had never really watched, a little station known as SBS. One night I noticed in the TV guide that a movie starring Jackie Chan - 'Police Story' would be on later. Being fifteen, and having only seen 'Rumble in the Bronx' and 'Rush Hour', I said... "WOW AWESOME" and sat down to watch it, and continually shouted "WOW AWESOME" as the movie progressed. Two weeks later, after SBS had shown the 'Police Story' trilogy, I knew I had found my new favourite actor.

Jackie plays Chan Ka Kui, a Hong Kong cop who busts a major drug-lord, Chu (Yuen Chor). Chu's secretary, Selina Fong (Brigitte Lin), is being held by the police as a witness against Chu, and Chan is assigned to protect her. Things go bad - reaaaal bad - when Chu's case is dismissed and he decides he wants Fong and Chan dead.

'Police Story' is one of the greatest action movies ever, and certainly one of my favourite Jackie Chan films. It starts off strong, and ends with one of the most incredible action sequences ever filmed. Everything in between is great. However, some of the funny parts may seem a little tasteless to more than a few people...

As a story, this is still one of Jackie's better efforts. For an action movie, the story is pretty good, and Jackie is a much better actor in this than he is in the acting & plot intensive 'New Police Story'. This isn't 'Miracles', but maybe that's a good thing.

'Police Story' is one of Jackie's finest works. It got me hooked on Jackie Chan movies, and should provide a nice start for any potential Jackie fans. The bad news for anyone who sees this first is that Jackie Chan movies don't come much better - 10/10

Awesome!

[JinxsterJones · 10/10 · 29 December 2002]

A winters day, 28th December 1986, two bored 14 year olds hire a movie. "Hmmmm, Police Story, looks interesting", "who is this Jackie Chan?", "never heard of him". Two hours later after watching the film, in a daze, we wanted to know more. 16 years later (and severely out of pocket from collecting JC movies!) the film still grabs me like no other. Ok, maybe I have a soft spot for it as it was my "first" (Cannonball Run doesn't count!!) JC movie, but it is an excellent movie. It has all the classic JC elements, Action, Humour, Action, Heart and ACTION! Some comments say it's dated, it was made in 1985, of course it's dated! But then so must Jaws, Casablanca, Singin' in the Rain and The Godfather!!!!!! Without movies like Police Story where would Hollywood action be today? PS set standards, many a scene has been stolen for use in other movies. To really fully appreciate it you must see it in widescreen, you miss so much of the movie otherwise (yes, he really does fall off the bus going round the corner!). If you haven't already, SEE THIS MOVIE NOW!!!!

First entry in Police Story saga with Jackie Chan as brave and likable cop

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 19 March 2011]

POLICE STORY packs a violent confrontation between Jackie and nasty villain and his hoodlums . This stirring and exciting story about the cop named Chan Ka Kui of the Hong Kong precinct is well played by Jackie Chan . Ka Kui (Jackie Chan) is a Hong-Kong cop who pursues and arrests a drug-lord but he accuses Chan with the killing of another police . Chan as one army man fighting a group of heinous criminals has to clear his name, whilst keeping himself from getting murdered or detained , and keeping his sweetheart (Maggie Chung , famous star of Asian cinema )from leaving him . Chan attempts to protect a witness , the mobster's secretary (Brigitte Lin) who helps him to track down the gang of drug lord. Then Chan looks for vengeance against the ominous villains at a cat and mouse game.

This thrilling movie is crammed of brawls with punch , bounds and leaps , action-packed, breathtaking stunt-work and lots of humor with tongue in cheek. Jackie Chan is top notch as intrepid cop who scores his first big hit by virtually single-handedly capturing and imprisoning a big drug-lord and as always he makes his own stunts like is showed on the final fake-shots. Awesome,incredible stunts and brief comic touches, as usual ; the picture is better constructed than the followings . The lighting-paced storyline slows down at times but frenetic action sequences make up for it. Spotlights movie include Jackie jumping over a bus , furthermore moving fights and brawls at a mall , among others. This is a phenomenal action movie distinguished by nicely cinematography of the spectacular sequences , furthermore contains sense of humor such as subsequent entries. Lousy musical score mostly composed by synthesizer and in the American score is created by J. Peter Robinson . Lavishly produced by Raymond Chow and Golden Harvest Production and professionally directed by Chan. In the various ¨Police story¨adaptations Jackie teamed up to prestigious actresses and parternaires and fine action stars in their own right ,like Maggie Cheung and Michelle Khan . This first version titled ¨Police story¨ directed by the same Jackie Chan is a perfect action film for enthusiastic of the genre; the following was ¨Police story 2 (1988)¨ also pretty violent and with abundant humor touches ; it's followed by ¨Supercop¨ directed by Stanley Tong ; after that it went on ¨Police story IV : Crime story and finally ¨New Police story¨. Rating : Good, the picture has its sensational moments , mostly provided by its agile star, the great Jackie Chan.

Amongst Jackie Chan's best

[Jack_Yan · 8/10 · 19 June 1999]

Probably Jackie Chan's best film in the 1980s, and the one that put him on the map. The scale of this self-directed police drama is evident from the opening and closing scenes, during which a squatters' village and shopping mall are demolished. There are, clearly, differences between the original Chinese and dubbed English versions, with many of the jokes failing to make their way into the latter. The latter is also hampered by stars who sound nothing like their Chinese originals. In fact, the only thing the dubbing has corrected is the court trial—at the time, trials in colonial Hong Kong were conducted in English, while the original has this scene in Cantonese!

Nonetheless, Chan's fighting style and the martial arts choreography inject humour where possible, so non-Cantonese audiences don't miss much. It's not, after all, the dialogue that makes a Chan flick, but the action and the painful out-takes. The story is easy to follow: Chan plays an incorruptible Hong Kong detective pursuing a gangland godfather (Cho Yeun), and assigned to protect a star witness (Brigitte Lin). The action is superb from beginning to end, and there's not much time to breathe in between. It'll never get you thinking, but what an entertaining, and well strung-together, film. Arguably, this is one of the best martial arts films out there.

CHARLIE CHAPLIN WITH A BLACK-BELT...A STAR IS BORN...CHARMING CHAN DELIVERS & THEN SOME

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 10 September 2021]

Jackie Chan was Born to be a Star, or perhaps more Down to Earth, He made Himself a Star with Hard Work, Dedication, and Determination.

This Hong-Kong Feature became an International Hit with its Death-Defying Daring-Do. Incredible Practical Stunts that most in the Industry would say are Impractical as Jackie Performed and Audiences were Amazed.

As Likeable as any Action Hero, He Delivered a Half-Action, Half-Comedy Extravaganza on a Limited Budget with Unlimited Appeal.

Predictably the Extensive Comedy-Slap-Stick bits are an Acquired Taste, especially Considering the Cross-Cultural Limitations.

Overall, Arguably the Best of Jackie Chan can be Seen here and the Glory is Captured on New Transfers that are as Pristine as it gets in the World of Home HD Video.

One of the Highlights of the 1980's and Action Fans (and their dates) Responded with Overwhelming Praise as He Launched a Stellar Career that Survives to this Day.

Few have Embraced the Love of Craft more than this Dynamo as it is Evident in Every Jackie Chan Movie and His Fans Eat it Up.

Arguably Chan's Best Movie By Far

[wchngliu · 9/10 · 19 January 2008]

Jackie Chan is considered by many film and martial arts movie fans as one of the greatest action stars ever to grace the silver screen and Police Story cemented his reputation as the likely successor to the late, great Bruce Lee. If Enter The Dragon bared the so-called bench mark of Lee's greatness in the 70s, then the same can be said about Police Story and Jackie Chan in the 80s.

Forget about the Rush Hour trilogy, or any of his US efforts- the one film that really typifies Chan's excellence, not to mention kick starting his status as a high kicking, bone-crushing kung- fu talisman, as well as his movie career was this, Police Story- the first in a series of successful cop films, set in mainland, present day Hong Kong.

I've seen many of his efforts- likewise the US-based Rush Hour, Rumble in the Bronx, The Medalian and The Tuxedo to name- and frankly many of them pale into insignificance compared to Police Story. In those movies, we saw a less 'dumbed down' version of Jackie, of whom didn't get the opportunity to utilise his fighting abilities to the maximum, not to mention the fight sequences were no where as good as those in such efforts as Drunken Master, Police Story to name.

The stunts in this movie are extraordinary and are the best featured in any action movie. The shopping mall scene is literally one of a kind and has to be seen to be believed: the flying shards of glass, Chan who is left dangling outside the bus only by his walking stick as a madman frantically drives through the streets of the town, and Chan successfully making usage of all sorts of inanimate objects and prop devices as weapons to fight the bad guys with.

Considering he is known for injuring and breaking every bone in his body and putting himself in harm's way, Jackie's persistence in showing his versatility as a stuntman himself by not relying on one, is somewhat of a testament to his reputation as a kung fu expert. Especially as he has the bruises to show for it. Thus, he has proved that he is no one-trick pony when it comes down to devising and coming up with various and clever looking moves.

Story-wise, there is not much to discuss but what it lacks in narrative, it makes up with its end-to end action and fight sequences. As for the dialogue, well it's not a really huge aspect of the film- which is why most fans of Jackie's and martial arts films are more interested in action, as opposed to the story.

Unlike say The Matrix, there are no wires or CGI, or any form of computer trickery involved. What you see is what you get- and what you get with Police Story is a great Jackie Chan epic, full of action and pulsating stunts.It is miles better than Rumble In The Bronx, Rush Hour and all his other American efforts.

Police Story is an excellent film and one I'd definitely recommend to anyone who is a novice Jackie Chan fan, but of whom are unsure which one they should watch first.

Great Action Film

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 12 March 2013]

A virtuous Hong Kong police officer (Jackie Chan) must clear his good name when the drug lords he is after frame him for the murder of a dirty cop.

My knowledge of Jackie Chan is pretty limited, and I have to confess I have not seen many of his films. Apparently this was his breakout role in action films, and it really is a triumph. The stunts are incredible, the action is superb, and there is a lot of broken glass. I was already fascinated from the beginning, when an entire town is destroyed! The film can be watched in either English or Cantonese. I am not sure how accurate the translation is on the dubbing, but the English is pretty funny. The film itself is supposed to be funny, so I am not saying the dubbing itself is humorous -- I am just curious how closely the words match.

Classic

[fraserkieran · 10/10 · 16 November 2020]

One word classic. Wether its Jackie Chans awesome performance (in both his acting and stunts, this films got easily one of Chans best stunts) this film has it all

Police Story

[jboothmillard · 6/10 · 4 March 2009]

Jackie Chan made many films in his home country of China, and after this martial arts action comedy thriller, directed by himself, he became an international superstar. Basically Jackie is a Hong Kong police officer who manages to catch and arrest a big drug lord, and of course he is not happy, and he sets him up for a murder he did not commit, a fellow cop. Jackie is now trying to clear his name, while chasing the real bad guys, keeping himself for getting arrested or killed, oh, and trying to keep his girlfriend from leaving him, while protecting a female witness. Also starring Brigitte Lin as Selina Fong, Maggie Cheung as May, Yuen Chor as Mr. Chu, Bill Tung as Inspector Bill Wong and Kenneth Tong as Tom. The story isn't exactly something to pay full attention, I personally concentrated more on the great comedy moments, e.g. answering four phones, the fight and action sequences, and of course Chan's agility in death-defying stunts. There is a downside, the English dubbing is absolutely terrible, worse than a spaghetti western, and I don't know why (why he learnt English) Chan couldn't have voiced himself, but if you can ignore this, your in for quite a treat. Jackie Chan was number 41 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars. Good!

oh dear!

[dunny · 3/10 · 24 August 2002]

dated by todays standards, the action scenes are poor and the acting is mainly dodgy. Apart from a few nice stunts from Chan this film has nothing going for it ... its definatly over-rated and may have been groundbreaking at the time of release BUT now its laughable.

Great stunts, some laughs and a reasonably good story start a solid series for Chan

[bob the moo · 13 April 2004]

Jackie is one of the key police officers in a bust that captures big time criminal Koo. As a `reward' he is told to guard Koo's secretary, who has turned states evidence. However Koo's men try to get to them before the trial - the least of Jackie's problems as his girlfriend May storms out when she sees him with Selina. When Koo is acquitted, he frames Jackie for the murder of a cop, forcing Jackie on the run to clear his name and get Koo.

The first film in the successful Police Story series is a fair example of a Jackie Chan film for those who have never seen one - reasonable plot, great action, average acting (potentially bad dubbing) and the comic scenes. However it is not as good as some of the sequels and, just generally, some of Chan's other films. Police Story opens with a great shoot out that culminates in a car chase through a shanty town and a fantastic series of stunts on a bus. From this point on it then focuses on the plot and quiet a few moments of comedy. This works reasonable well but it feels like the comedy and action have been divided up into separate sections. This takes away from the film a little bit.

The plot is pretty solid for a Jackie Chan film (by recent standards this is a masterpiece of writing!) although some of the dialogue doesn't quite fit. The moment where Jackie is forced on the run by the police is a bit hammy and the `you don't see us as people' rant just doesn't seem like Jackie. Of course part of the problem with this is the dubbing in the version I watched - I just don't understand viewers who would sooner see a really bad dubbing job than watch a subtitled version! The cheesy American voices here do detract from the performances and I found it difficult to judge some of Chan's comedy lines when they were being delivered by another person in a very flat way. However he still has presence and his physical work is great. Special mention to the stunt men here also, there are a lot of great falls (including a dive from a bus top) that must have hurt - I don't care who you are! Tung's Uncle Bill has fewer funny lines than I'm used to but he is still funny. The female cast are pretty wasted with both Lin and Cheung on screaming duty for the majority of the film (and most grating it is too!).

The film ends on a rather strange shot but set up an angry cop that Chan never really convinced me as - a personae that just seemed to be dropped in the later films in the series, but the overall film is still very enjoyable. The plot is good even if the acting isn't and the action involves plenty of amazing routines and stunts - it's just a shame that the action and comedy were very fragmented, it disjointed the film.

My second favorite Jackie Chan movie

[dee.reid · 10/10 · 21 December 2006]

My favorite Jackie Chan movie will always be "Drunken Master" (1978), followed by this film from 1985, "Police Story." In it, Chan plays a Hong Kong super-cop who busts a notorious crime lord and his gang, and is then assigned to protect the man's girlfriend (Brigitte Lin) so that she can turn state's evidence. As the story goes on, the gangster sends his goons to dispatch Lin, but Chan takes matters into his own fists and feet, while keeping girlfriend Maggie Cheung at bay. Like "Drunken Master," "Police Story" has many of the signature stunts and over-the-top martial arts/action choreography that Chan has become famous for, climaxing in a battle royal at a crowded shopping mall. In his role as director, Chan exceeds in excellence, giving a charismatic and funny performance that accentuates the action. While light on the overall slapstick humor of "Drunken Master," at heart "Police Story" is just that, a police story, a gritty cop-thriller that would be oft-copied over the years to come.

10/10

Police Story can actually compete with the all-time great action flicks.

[lovemichaeljordan · 9/10 · 9 March 2023]

The last 20 minutes are probably the best 20 minutes of any action movie of all time. This is possibly one of the greatest action movies ever. Hong Kong has produced a lot of great action movies, but not many of them can actually compete with the American movies that actually have substance. This movie features action so great that it can actually compete with the all-time greats.

How can a human move this way? It's insane and awesome to see Jackie fly around on the screen. He has complete control over his body and can move in ways that one shouldn't even be able to.

It's a really good movie with a perfectly okay plot. Some of the absolute sickest stunts ever and completely mindblowing choreography. The fight scenes are bizarre and you are completely amazed when you see them. Perfect mix of humor and action. Everyone who has participated in the film is insanely talented. It's insanely powerful to see that everything is real. That's what's great when all the actors are so talented that you don't have to make a lot of fast cuts and you can keep a camera angle longer so you can see how fast they move and what they do. In other crap movies like the Bourne trilogy, Bourne doesn't come across as some superhero like Jackie Chan does. The Bourne trilogy just does a lot of ugly quick cuts with shaky camera so you can't see what's going on.

Definitely one of the best Jackie Chan films ever made in the history of Jackie Chan films.

[davidslicer · 7/10 · 18 October 2000]

Police Story is arguably one of the best works by the master of action himself.Compared to other action films,Police Story makes Schwarzenegger and Stallone look like beginners.The stunt scenes are well cheorgraphed and the action scenes are superb.If New Line Cinema has any sense,they would release this in theaters.

No single boring scene

[yellowtail_tuna · 9/10 · 30 May 2020]

This is the film about the police chasing a criminal organization. In an shoot-out between the police and the mobs, an officer Chan, played by Jackie Chan, captures their secretary Selina. After failing to arrest their boss, the police detain Selina as a potential witness against him, and order Chan to guard her.

But such a plot exists only to give reasons to their actions. Chan hangs at the side of a runnning double-decker bus by an umbrella, because the boss tries to flee. Chan fights funnily with a fake assassin in Selina's apartment, because he needs to make her more cooporative. Indeed this film has no single boring scene. No single scene that exists only to tell what is happening. They always have something that makes you excited or laugh.

It is the type of movie that it is fun to imagine what it looked like behind the scenes. Created in the 80s, they had no computer, no green-screen compositing. Everything you see is what they actually did. They must have practiced every step of the fight sequences. They must have made preparation for every dangerous stunt. Imagine your job is to build a shanty town for days, only to be destroyed in a one-minute car chase.

The center of the film is, of course, Jackie Chan as Chan. His role is rather a humorous and bumbling young officer than a superhuman martial artist. He tries to skillfully take advantage of women, and end up being paid back for it. I like him, because he is a simple man who knows nothing we don't know, thinks nothing we don't expect.

I also like Selina, May, and any other characters. I feel it is kind of silly to talk about their acting skills or something. They run, jump, flail, and shout with all their strength, devoting themselves to making the scenes exciting. It is good enough for me.

A pretty good Jackie Chan movie

[udeaasykle · 6/10 · 8 February 2004]

What i love about this movie is that all the stunts you see are real. No Hollywood factor about it. When you, as an actor are willing to slide down a pole thus burning off all the skin on your hands doing it, just to make a movie, then you know it is gonna be good.

Yet another Police Story review!

[SamuraiNixon · 10/10 · 29 July 2010]

French film-maker Jean-Luc Godard once said that the best criticism of one film is to make another. Jackie Chan was so dissatisfied with his experience on the cop drama The Protector, his second staring lead in an American film that he decided to make his own Police Story under his underused vanity label Golden Ways Films Ltd. In Hong Kong, he would have much more control over script, stunt coordination and direction that if he was going to flounder it would be on his terms. The result of his efforts is one of my favorite action films as well as Jackie's personal favorite amongst his modern fare.

Jackie Chan plays Chan Ka Kui a model Hong Kong cop who gets involved in a police procedural code-named Operation Boar Hunt to take down a triad led by Chu Tu (prolific director/actor Chor Yuen). This operation begins in a shanty town specifically built for the film. The detail is extraordinary in the design and like everything created for an action film it is short-lived. In one of the most awesome car chases I have ever seen (up there with Bullitt and The Blue's Brother's mall scene) Chu Tu after being cornered by the police decides to drive through the hovels instead of being captured and Chan decides to chase after. The juxtaposition of having the camera in the vehicle and long shots in which stuntmen are scurrying to avoid being hit (several stuntmen were injured in this scene) are sagacious in displaying the maelstrom of destruction. That and it's pretty dang cool.

Most films would have given a respite after that tumultuous scene of car and house derby but as soon as Chan finishes the car chase he goes into foot mode while running after a double-decker bus that Chu Tu and a few of his cronies hijacked. As he catches the bus he is literally hanging by an umbrella and holds unto the outside of the bus while trying to climb his way in while fighting people who do not want him aboard as well as dodging traffic as the bus speeds along. Two of the stuntmen got hurt at the end of this scene where Ka Kui forces the bus to stop and as they flew out of the top windows they were supposed to land on top of the car that was stopped in the middle of the road but the momentum of the brakes as the bus rocked backward after stopping made them undershoot the stunt and land on the road.

Police Story has a stronger storyline than most Chan movies. After the arrest of Chu Tu, Inspector Li sets up his secretary Selina Fong (Brigitte Lin) by letting her go free of all charges to try to pit her against her boss. Ka Kui is assigned to protect her (several scenes of this scenario were cut out of the film). This causes problems with his girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung). Chan tries to trick Selina into trusting him by pretending to save the day when Mars attacks Selina in her apartment. What ultimately happens because of this is predictable but this is a mere trifle.

The comedy is underrated in this film. There is a great sequence in which Jackie is assigned to the Sha Tau Kok Police Station, a rural area in the north eastern corner of Hong Kong, after he completely messes up the prosecution of Chu Tu. He deftly tries to answer several phones and juggle several conversations at the same time while not being really successful in solving any of them. Like Project A, his influence by silent film comedians is shown in how he performs this skit with physical perfection. This scene is so sublime I cannot fathom why this was missing in older American prints. I also enjoyed where Jackie does this beautiful car-slide stunt by doing the ultimate parallel parking by sliding the car parallel into a spot barely bigger than the car.

Another highlight of this film is the final sequence named "glass story" by the stuntmen. It takes place in a mall where Jackie has cornered Chu Tu and his cronies. It is 10 minutes of excellent martial arts, stunts and action. Some of the highlights is great fights by Jackie with clothes racks, Brigitte Lin doing her own fighting, Chan doing a jump into moving stairs, lots and lots of broken glass and the famous multi-story slide down a pole. Jackie severely burnt his hands on his slide down, partially attributed to the wrong voltage being set on the lights attached to it and it is also mentioned on his own autobiography that he injured his spine and hip on that drop. This is doubtful because on a camera with an alternate angle from the floor (shown in deleted footage) shows him bouncing up after the fall and slugging a stuntman (and according to Fung Hak-On hurting him). If you have ever had a back injury you usually do not do get up after it happens or beat up your stuntmen.

This movie not only influenced the Hong Kong action picture, it would also influence American action pictures. Sylvester Stallone would use the bus scene in Tango and Cash, several early scenes were copied in Rapid Fire, Brett Ratner took so much from this film in making Rush Hour (self-admitted in commentary in Rush Hour and Dragon Dynasty's Police Story DVD) and countless other action choreographers and directors would be directly or indirectly affected by this work. This movie was created because of the visionary ideas of Jackie Chan and the backbreaking effort of Sing Ga Ban – Jackie Chan's Stuntman Association and their every increasing effort to out due a rival stuntman association led by Sammo Hung. Their backbreaking effort helped make this a hit (26 million HK dollars; Best Film for the Hong Kong Film Awards) and became the favorite of action auteur directors everywhere.

Landmark entry in Jackie Chan's filmography

[Libretio · 6/10 · 18 February 2005]

POLICE STORY (Jing Cha Gu Shi)

(USA: Jackie Chan's Police Force)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Anamorphic)

Sound format: Mono

Heroic Hong Kong cop Chan Ka-kui (Jackie Chan) attempts to clear his name after being framed for murder by a villainous drugs lord (Chor Yuen).

Seven years after establishing himself as Asia's most popular movie star in Yuen Wo-ping's DRUNKEN MASTER (1978), and six years after Tsui Hark revitalized the Hong Kong movie industry with his groundbreaking debut THE BUTTERFLY MURDERS (1979), Jackie Chan directed and co-wrote POLICE STORY, part of a series of widescreen extravaganzas he had popularized at the HK box-office. Despite a chaotic script process (co-writer Edward Tang - whose credits include some of Chan's biggest hits, including PROJECT A and MR CANTON AND LADY ROSE - was notorious for his fast-and-loose writing methods), POLICE STORY represents an effective marriage of narrative cohesion and state-of-the-art stuntwork. Opening with a spectacular drugs-bust during which an entire shanty town is demolished, the movie follows Chan's attempts to rout the sneering villain (played to the hilt by veteran writer-director Chor) whilst struggling to protect a vital prosecution witness (Taiwanese beauty Brigitte Lin) whose testimony can put Chor behind bars forever. Cue lots of action and comedy, culminating in a shopping-mall showdown which ranks as one of the finest hand-to-hand combat sequences in HK movie history.

Chan and his stunt team (choreographed here by Chow Yun-gin and debut action director Wong Kwan) use their incredible gymnastic/balletic prowess to stage a series of furiously-paced fight scenes in which the gunplay of traditional Chinese crime thrillers is replaced by old-style martial arts in a contemporary setting. Similar skills are employed for a number of comic set-pieces which dominate the film's (less effective) middle section, particularly an extraordinary sequence in which Lin is 'terrorized' by a 'mad knifeman' (played by longtime Chan associate Mars) who is actually a fellow police officer hired by Chan to frighten the reluctant Lin into accepting his protection. Throughout, the film is distinguished by world-class cinematography (by Cheung Yiu-jo) and editing (Peter Cheung), the key technical components of virtually all HK action movies.

Given the slew of crime dramas which have followed in its wake, POLICE STORY may have lost some of its novelty value over the years, but the film's influence on international cinema has been profound (beginning with the notorious 'bus' scene in TANGO & CASH). On its own terms, however, the movie charts an overly predictable course and suffers from abrupt shifts in tone - from drama to comedy and romance, and everything in-between - before lurching into darker territory for its show-stopping finale. Never much of an actor's director, Chan simply encourages his talented cast (including Lau Chi-wing as a slimy defence lawyer, and much-loved character actor Bill Tung, a well-known racing commentator in HK and stalwart of the first three "Police Story" movies) to stand their ground amidst all the flashy pyrotechnics. But while the stuntwork delivers a genuinely visceral impact, the film is undermined by one-dimensional characters and a lack of emotional conviction. Nevertheless, it won Best Film and Action Choreography trophies at the 1986 Hong Kong Film Awards, and was nominated in five other major categories, including cinematography and editing. Followed by POLICE STORY PART II (1988).

(Cantonese dialogue)

An easy contender for Jackie's best movie

[Leofwine_draca · 10/10 · 12 October 2016]

Top-notch outing from director and star Jackie Chan at the peak of his powers, offering a plot which allows Chan to create a well-acted and likable character, superb action sequences - I mean, they really are the best here I've ever seen - a memorable supporting cast, and excellent production values. The film opens with a major fast-paced shoot-out, which is followed by an amazing stunt involving a number of vehicles rolling down a hill and demolishing a shanty-town in the process; for sheer visual spectacle this takes some beating. The set-piece is followed by a chase involving a bus which has a nice pay-off. Finally the action finishes and the viewer can take a breather whilst the plot evolves.

Like most modern-day successful Chan films, the film takes the structure of having a major action event followed by some plot furthering, then of course the physical and fast-paced humour that Chan always inserts into his films. Most of the comedy here comes from Chan being given the job of Brigitte Lin's bodyguard, and the scrapes and pitfalls he falls into as he tries to win her affections. The light-hearted, good-natured humour is fun and pleasant to watch, which makes a change from the cruel and often offensive humour seen in modern cinema. Then suddenly we're back into the thick of the action, with Chan doing some amazing stuff like taking on a gang of bad guys, kicking people through car windscreens and hitting someone so hard with a car door that it flies off! Things eventually become more serious when Chan finds himself framed and is forced to take his own superior hostage to escape. Then the action moves to a shopping mall, where you better hold on to your hat because the conclusion is one of the best ever filmed. An action-packed odyssey of incredibly dangerous back-breaking stunts, physical humour, super-fast martial arts moves, and more breaking glass than you can shake a stick at. POLICE STORY definitely holds the record for "most glass broken in a film, ever" and the bone-crunching finale is the stuff that action fans' dreams are made of. The lack of special effects and the work of the stunt team add to the excitement, putting you into the thick of the action so that you really feel every blow.

Chan is, as I mentioned before, at the peak of his game and his character a real revelation. He plays a straight-forward, occasionally bumbling everyday kind of character and this is a major strength for the film, because you end up feeling closer and more in league than if he was some kind of superman a la Schwarzenegger. The supporting cast is strong and blessed with memorable performances, especially the overacting superiors and the two girls caught up in the fray, Brigitte Lin and the beautiful Maggie Cheung, who has a smaller supporting role and is a little wasted (by that I mean in terms of her role, not that she's on drugs). Once again there are memorable stunts (the famous "pole slide" being the best, quickly followed by the bus routine) and all kinds of physical movements which are delightful. A magnificent action-cum-comedy-thriller which taught Hollywood a thing or two, but which stands light years ahead of most contemporary American fare.

Watch for the stunts!

[ThomasColquith · 7/10 · 7 August 2022]

I just saw "Police Story" for the first time. I'm surprised I had missed this one until now as I have seen a lot of Jackie Chan films and this is one of his better ones. The story becomes somewhat ludicrous by the end as it often does in Chan films but it is a mostly riveting time due to the action scenes and stunt work. And there is the inimitable Jackie Chan humor interspersed as well. It was also nice to see some of the characters such as the girlfriend more well developed than usual. My rating: 7/10, worth watching.

Very Disappointed

[iKickstand · 3/10 · 11 March 2006]

Being a big Jackie Chan fan, and trying to watch as many martial arts films lately, I was looking forward to seeing Police Story as I have heard a lot about it being arguably his best film. So I thought I would buy this film last week, to finally see what all the fuss was about. After watching it, I still don't know.

I will first start with the films highlights (yes, it does have a few). The opening bus/umbrella scene was very well done, and is a classic example of vintage Chan. That whole beginning scene wasn't bad, and remained entertaining at the very least. It was after this opener was over, when the film started to go down hill. What we have during the middle of the film, is just a lot of nonsense which included needless and boring dialogue and a totally stupid (but although slightly amusing) scene where Chan pretends to be fighting off an unconscious intruder. I think I remember one very short and average fight scene in this middle of this somewhere, but the majority of the film is just padded out rubbish that didn't keep me interested at all.

Which brings me to the last 10 or so minutes of the movie which involved a lot of glass being smashed in a shopping centre. While this did keep me interested (mostly because something was finally happening after all that nothingness) I did still find it a below average climax to a Jackie Chan film that I am used to. The main films highlight for me, came when the film was over during the credits as we say Jackie's first trademark out-takes session which was amusing and nice to see included. But overall, this didn't make up for my disappointed and the money I had wasted on this DVD purchase. I'm just glad I didn't buy the special edition..

I know a lot of people will disagree with me, and who knows, I may really enjoy this movie on a second viewing (that does happen a lot actually). But I think a lot of my disappointed from this movie was due to the amount of praise and build up I had heard before watching it. I think you would enjoy it more going in with an open mind having not heard any previous reviews or comments on its quality. But I still prefer most of Jackies later films.