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重案組 (1993)
Crime Story


Reviewed by: cal42
Date: 06/04/2006
Summary: Family-friendly Chan in CAT III shocker!

Inspector Chan (Jackie Chan) is given the task of protecting wealthy property developer Wong Yat-Fei (Law Kar-Ying) when a gang threatens to kidnap him. Unfortunately, the kidnapping succeeds and Chan is left to rescue the magnate with only his partner Hung (Kent Cheng) as support. However, Hung is not all he appears to be, and Chan suspects that his loyalties are somewhat divided…

This is a film purporting to be a true story. It’s a true story only in the way that, say, Brian De Palma’s the Untouchables is a true story – i.e. pretty much the whole thing except the central premise is made up. Even the name of the victim has been quite understandably changed.

This is also a Category III film. I’m not exactly sure of the criteria needed to make a film attain a Cat III rating, but I always assumed it meant that you had to make sure your film made as little sense as possible with plot holes you could drive an articulated lorry through. Words like “Naked”, “Sex”, “Rape” and “Murder” in the title helps as well.

However, Director Kirk Wong’s Crime Story makes sense for the most part, and he must have been rubbing his hands with glee when Jackie agreed to take part after Jet Li declined. Chan gives a strong performance in one of his rare humourless roles, which also sees the usual Jackie Chan style action taking a back seat. Ever since Jackie’s accident in 1986’s ARMOUR OF GOD, he had been trying to branch out into less action-orientated projects to prolong his career (not to mention his life!). However, as was the case with the superb MR CANTON AND LADY ROSE, the general public was not ready to see an action-less Jackie, and this film under-performed at the box office.

The story of the kidnapping works well for the most part, although is fairly implausible at times (the gang resuscitating Wong’s wife with a car jump-start kit for starters!). In some prints, there are captions running alongside the subtitles when a police officer is injured or killed letting you know their name and what happened to them. I don’t know the case well enough to comment on if these events actually occurred, but if they did it seems a little insensitive.

SPOILER
It should also be pointed out that the ending of this film puts a somewhat romantic spin on the end of the real life tale. In the film, Wong Yat-Fei is rescued and given a new identity, never to be seen again. In actual fact, although the case remains unsolved, it is more likely that the man upon whom Wong Yat-Fei is based was killed by his kidnappers.
END SPOILER

Of course this is not one of Chan’s best films, but it certainly entertains and is surprisingly still better than the rather sterile NEW POLICE STORY, which this film is often compared against.

Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: pjshimmer
Date: 02/10/2006

After all these years, I think I may have finally grasped something. Whenever I hear people dismiss Thunderbolt, First Strike, or any of Jackie Chan's other mid 90s films, I generally defend these films because I found them entertaining. However, something happened when I watched Crime Story: I sensed a different kind of energy that could only come from absolute passion for one's work. That is to say, Jackie Chan made this movie because he wanted to, and it shows. The attention to detail in this film is amazing. I learned a great deal about police operations--only to be be told in the ending notes that this film already greatly simplified classified police operations for the screen! Along with the attention to detail, this movie is also highly realistic, taking time to depict minor details that most blockbusters would have skipped, such as realistic uncertainty between the bad guys.

This film is dedicated to the police force and kidnapped victims. It is a good effort. If you have any doubt about Jackie's sincerity, he even sacrificed the romantic appeal! That's right--Crime Story does not feature Jackie enjoying any romance. And that's quite rare for this international star.

What I learned from this movie is the incredible energy behind a sincere project like this. There is less action than most of Jackie's films, and yet it more than made up with its excellent coverage of investigation operations.

[7/10]

Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: xiaoka
Date: 08/28/2005
Summary: Serious Jackie...

A lot of people who reviewed "New Police Story" were /amazed/ that Jackie's latest was a relatively serious crime action/drama and not his normal action comedy routine... those people obviously never saw "Crime Story" - which is 100% serious.

Its been a long time since i saw it last and this time it only had japanese subtitles and the original Cantonese/Mandarin/Taiwanese soundtrack so i missed the some of the details of the plot this time around, but the action is 100% universal - 1993 Jackie was still at his prime, even when he's not jumping and falling for laughs.

There might not be as much action or fighting as the contemporary "City Hunter" or "Twin Dragons", but its got enough to keep you entertained even if you don't pay attention to the case they're investigating.

Note that there's more of the "Police Story/City Hunter" style shoot-em-up action than the "Drunken Master I,II, Twin Dragons, Operation Condor, etc" type fists and kicks, but it has a little bit of everything.

Kent Cheng does a good job as the partner in this one. Now that I look at it again, there are some definite similiarities to Infernal Affairs here.

I was surprised to see the quality/elaborateness of the action sequences too. There are a few big budget scenes that are impressive for the time this was made (rooftop/ ceiling rafter scene, etc). And I think the crime drama stuff still holds up, even if 1993 HK looks a bit dated.

Check it out if you get a chance. New Police Story is more a sequel to this "Inspector Chan" than it is to the Police Story 1,2,3 "Inspector Chan".

Overall not a bad movie, not as groundbreaking as his earlier movies, but far superior to his mid-to-late-90s-stuff (First Strike, Who Am I, Mr. Nice Guy, etc). ;-)

Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: Arshadnm6
Date: 04/21/2005
Summary: Jackie Chan's first swipe at a serious movie, hmmmmmmm!!........

Eddie Chan (played by Jackie Chan from ‘Project A part I and II’ and ‘Miracles’) is a over-dedicated and talented but troubled policeman fighting police corruption whilst being embroiled in the kidnapping case of a wealthy businessman where his release depends on the payment of a large sum of money to various international bank accounts by his wife. His partnership with another superior policeman (played by Kent Cheng from ‘Carry on Hotel’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in China I and V’) develops into a game of cat and mouse as both of them are sent to Taiwan under confidential information of the kidnappers whereabouts. As it becomes apparent to Eddie Chan than his partner may be a double-agent with ulterior motives in the exchange of the kidnapped victim, he decides to piece together the clues and the research the background of the policeman to reveal an undercover plot which could be disastrous for both the kidnapped victim and police alike. This feature also includes Mars as a policeman (well-known from other Jackie Chan collaborations as a part of the ‘Jackie Chan Stuntman Team’ in ‘Project A part I and II’), Christine Ng as the corrupt policeman’s lover (also in ‘Rush Hour’ and ‘The Storm Riders’) and Ken Lo as part of the kidnapping group (also in ‘Police Story II and III’ and ‘City Hunter’).

This movie tries to be serious and showcase Jackie Chan’s ability to adapt his style to this type of acting. However, Jackie Chan still looks unconvincing as a serious hard-boiled cop and has difficulty expressing this since Kent Chan is always beating him at his own game and never giving any space for him to shine in this area. Furthermore, one of the major disappointments of this movie is that the camera is always pointed at Jackie Chan throughout the movie making the other actors seem like co-stars as they have no opportunity to develop their paper-thin appearing characters. Although the backdrop for this movie was serious, it carries a comical feel reminiscent of Jackie Chan’s previous works. Otherwise, the mystery action-thriller would have done everyone justice except for the superior martial arts and impossible stunts performed by his truly, Jackie Chan. This failing was not in any way due to an over-worked Jackie since he had the experience and time available as Kirk Wong (from ‘Twin Dragons’ and ‘The God of Gamblers 2’) directed this movie. Perhaps he may have been surrounded by too many comedians.

The real shame about the earlier hard-hitting image portrayal of Crime Story (in its trailers) is that it was supposed to be based on a real-life happening and carries the message of never-ending police work invested into and deaths caused by these kidnappings as a result. The sets were carefully designed to make it feel like a big-budget movie (which was somewhat unnecessary considering the lesson behind it all) and it does carry a few twists and an excellent storyline with plenty of subplots. After this pitfall, Jackie Chan never again attempted to do a serious except for the cool youthful-cultured ‘New Police Story’ and probably speaks for itself in regard to audiences dismissals in many other reviews such as this one. This film is not a drama and is inferior to Jackie Chan earlier ‘Police Story’ series in almost every way possible. Generally, the title of the movie ‘Crime Story’ says more about this movie that can be said in this whole review.

Overall, there is nothing seriously wrong with this movie and should not be discarded without being given the opportunity to be watched first. However, it does not develop on anything particular other than that can be expected from Jackie Chan to offer to audiences!

Overall Rating: 7.2/10

Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: mrblue
Date: 09/19/2003

Chan stars as detective Eddie Chan, a hot-headed cop who is assigned to protect a slumlord (Law) who has been receiving death threats. When Law's wife is kidnapped, Chan teams with the shady Hung (Cheng) to track her down. Based on a famous Hong Kong kidnapping case.

I originally picked up Crime Story thinking it was going to be another goofy cop action/comedy like Police Story. Boy, was I wrong. This is definitely one of Chan's most serious movies to date. The films kicks off with a couple of cops getting into a shootout with some would-be kidnappers, with Eddie rushing to their aid. He arrives too late and finds them shot up. Not the small squib type, but the covered in blood John Woo style. It's quite a change from his other movies where the violence always had a comedic edge to it. When people get hurt in Crime Story, it shows; there's no cartoony ability of the wounded to get up and fight again. Chan reflects this in his portrayal of Eddie Chan. While he's not up to the level of someone like Danny Lee with his portrayal of a serious cop, Chan puts in a suprisingly good performance.

If you're expecting a lot of kung fu action here, then you'd better look elsewhere. Save for a fight on the rigging over a stage, Chan turns in his fists of fury for a six-shooter in Crime Story. The gunfights aren't extraordinary, but they are fairly exciting, and the finale reminded me a bit of Hard-Boiled (saving a kid from a burning building).

A different side of Jackie Chan that's worth checking out.


Reviewed by: Chungking_Cash
Date: 01/26/2003

The first installment in director Kirk Wong's cop trilogy proved an atypical choice for Jackie Chan who reluctantly signed on as an emotionally rattled inspector on the trail of a kidnapped real estate mogul. Based on an actual incident "Crime Story" unfolds at a breakneck pace and is somber to the core with the film's star eschewing cuteness at all costs (gung fu not withstanding). Audiences may feel awkward during the first reel of "Crime Story" when they realize Jackie's not kidding, nonetheless, this is one of the entertainer's best pictures though it's certainly not for everyone.

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: Inner Strength
Date: 01/12/2002
Summary: VERY GOOD

First of all, if you are one of these Jackie fans, don't bother with this. This is a serious insite to police corruption in Hong Kong, not an action comedy.

Finally Jackie Chan comes back with a good movie, after the previous few had flopped, like the Police Story sequels. At the time, it looked like he was proving that he had changed for the better and was taking up more serious roles, but that didn't last long!

He plays an honest cop, who is out to expose the truth about Kent Cheng, who is corrupt. A lot of people get killed here, and for once you actually believe what is happening on the screen.

This is one of the last GOOD movies Jackie Chan ever did, and despite what his fans might think, I don't think he ever did another that got anywhere close to as good as this afterwards.

Rating (out of 5): 4.5

(This rating is based on the year & genre, so don't think it's based as a comparison on new releases etc.)


Reviewed by: Sydneyguy
Date: 05/05/2001
Summary: Pretty good

A Jackie Chan movie where it's COMPLETELY serious!! No comedy here!!
I wont say much since there are so many reviews but if you want to see Jackie playing a SERIOUS character, this is one of the few you will!!

7/10



Reviewed by: resdog781
Date: 08/24/2000
Summary: A movie starring Jackie Chan

Let me explain to y'all something: There are "Jackie Chan movies" and "movies starring Jackie Chan". "Jackie Chan movies" you know and love: They're the ones with all the outrageous stunts and goofy humor that has become Jackie's trademark, including "Drunken Master 2", the "Police Story" series, etc. "Movies starring Jackie Chan" are movies that simply star Jackie Chan. Jackie does some nice things in it, kicks somebody's ass, and the movie's over. These included all of Jackie's American films, like "The Protector" and *ugh* "Rush Hour". This was one of those films.

Not to say it wasn't any good. It just lacked all the goofy humor and over-the-top action that a "Jackie Chan movie" would have. This was based on a true story about the kidnapping of a HK businessman and the investigation that followed. In real life, the businessman was never found. The action was okay. But it was too intense...Too...."Un-Jackie-like". If you catch my drift. There was no humor, and Jackie played this movie with all seriousness. Kent Cheung has another great role as the corrupt cop behind the businessman's kidnapping.

Not that it wasn't good, but this movie just wasn't a "Jackie Chan movie" in my mind.


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/21/1999

Jackie Chan's most serious film is very well made and Jackie gives a pretty good performance. Not really for fans of Jackie's movies.

(7/10)

[Reviewed by Andrej Blazeka]


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

Inspired by a true case, this is maybe one of the best Jackie Chan's films but it's not a good Jackie Chan movie. Do you follow me? Let me explain... If you want to see a good film starring Jackie Chan then you have to see this film. But if what you want to see is a Jackie Chan vehicle with plenty of crazy stunts and humour then this movie might disappoint you. To my point of view, a film like RUMBLE IN THE BRONX is a good example of a good Jackie Chan film (plenty of action scenes) but the movie itself was not very good (the bad guys are unintentionally ridiculous, the plot is to a level of a Bud Spencer flick, etc). When on the other hand a film like CRIME STORY is very well written but is more focused on the intrigue than on the action pieces. Don't worry, there is a few scenes a-la Jackie Chan but they occurs in the second half of the picture. The directing is top notch and the acting is very good as well (especially Jackie Chan who does the best than he can in a very serious role).

[Reviewed by Martin Sauvageau]


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

Corrupt Hong Kong police detective Hung joins several powerfulmagnates from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan in a plot to kidnap Hong Kong billionaire real estate mogul Wong Yat Fei. But Inspector Eddie Chan (Jackie Chan), known for his loyalty and brilliance, is assigned the case. Hung volunteers to be his partner in order to lead the investigation astray. The investigation takes the pair to Taiwan, and Chan begins to suspect his partner may be one of the kidnappers. As Chan continues to hunt down suspects and gets closer to solving the case, Hung tries to kill Chan. Chan apprehends Hung. In an explosive climax in a burning building, Hung unsuccessfully tries to escape from Chan. Before he dies, Hung tells Chan where Wong is being hidden. Wong is rescued by the police, and begins a new life in a foreign country. This film is based on the true story of the kidnapping and disappearance of Hong Kong real-estate magnate Wong Tak Fai.

[Reviewed by Rim Films Catalog]


Reviewed by: spinali
Date: 12/08/1999
Summary: NULL

A well-photographed and -edited drama, (apparently based on fact), in which Jackie Chan plays a hot-blooded police inspector fighting police corruption on his way a cadre of ruthless kidnappers. Sweating, elephantine Kent Cheung plays the corrupt cop. The plot's hardly less exciting for being hackneyed, especially when you consider the cool, down-scale stuntwork and incendiary finish. Jackie picked up an HK oscar for his performance.

(3.5/4)



[Reviewed by Steve Spinali]

Reviewer Score: 8