POLICE STORY PART II (1988)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Anamorphic)
Sound format: Mono

Intrepid Hong Kong police officer Chan Ka-kui (Jackie Chan) battles a gang of criminals who have detonated several bombs throughout the territory as part of an ugly extortion racket.

A disappointing sequel, POLICE STORY PART II is very much the mixture as before. The action scenes are as spectacular as ever - most notably an eye-popping fight in a children's park, and the climactic showdown in an abandoned factory - but the script (credited to Chan and Edward Tang) is weak and uninvolving, and the characters are basically stick-figures, broadly played by an otherwise talented cast whose collective hamminess serves merely to dilute the impact of some pretty violent set-pieces. The stuntwork is first-rate, but the movie is a lightweight affair.

Clearly growing in confidence as a director, Chan accomplishes a number of genuinely striking visual flourishes (the child's ball in the bomb-rigged shopping complex; the slow fade from day to night whilst Chan and girlfriend Maggie Cheung remain seated at screen-left, contemplating their relationship in silence, etc.), demonstrating a level of maturity that would culminate the following year in his bravura Capraesque comedy-drama MR CANTON AND LADY ROSE (1989). Here, as ever, the fight scenes are lively, creative, beautifully staged, and very, VERY fast - blink, and you'll probably miss several kicks and dozens of punches!

Of the cast, Chan has charisma and charm to spare but not much range as an actor, and Cheung is mere decoration, demonstrating little of the talent that would distinguish her subsequent career (FULL MOON IN NEW YORK, CENTER STAGE, etc.). Bill Tung is rather wasted as Chan's lovable superior, and there are cameo appearances by Chor Yuen (a longtime Shaw Brothers director, and chief villain in the first POLICE STORY), industry veteran Wu Ma (most famous for his recurring role in A CHINESE GHOST STORY and sequels), future heartthrob Ken Lo (THE RED WOLF), and an early appearance by Lau Ching-wan, now widely recognized as one of HK's finest actors. Watch out for stuntman Benny Lai as a deaf-mute villain who steals the show with his superb fighting skills, particularly during the climactic face-off with Chan. Production values are solid, as usual, with typically expansive scope photography by Cheung Yiu-jo and expertly-crafted editing by Peter Cheung, both of whom performed similar duties on the original POLICE STORY in 1985. Followed by POLICE STORY III - SUPER COP (1992).

NB. This review is based on both the original HK version of the film (101 minutes) and Chan's preferred longer cut (121 minutes), now available on DVD in HK. The re-edited, re-scored version released in the US in 1998 under the abbreviated title POLICE STORY 2 is best avoided.