Police Story (1985)
Reviewed by: Libretio on 2005-10-22
Summary: One of the jewels in Jackie Chan's crown
POLICE STORY (1985)

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 [1984] and MR CANTON AND LADY ROSE [1989] - 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 [1989]). 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 "Police Story" series) 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).
Reviewer Score: 5