Police Story

Directed and starring Jackie Chan and written by Chan and Edward Tang, Police Story is the story of a detective who is tasked to protect a witness following a drug bust only for things to get complicated as it relates to corruption and bureaucracy. The film is an action-comedy that follows a detective trying to stop a drug lord while enduring all sorts of chaos in his life as a detective and in his personal life as Chan play the role of Inspector Chan Ka-Kui. Also starring Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Bill Tung, Chor Yuen, and Charlie Cho. Police Story is an exhilarating and outlandish film from Jackie Chan.

The film follows a police detective who successfully captures a drug lord as he is later tasked to protect the drug lord’s secretary as a potential witness who might have information to bring the drug syndicate down. It’s a film with a simple premise as writers Jackie Chan and Edward Tang play into the world of a Hong Kong detective who took part in an undercover sting operation as he would become the police force’s poster boy much to the dismay of the drug lord Chu Tao (Chor Yuen) who tries to avoid a prison sentence and salvage his drug operating business. Much of the film’s narrative emphasizes on Inspector Chan Ka-Kui being tasked to protect Tao’s secretary Selina Fong (Brigitte Lin) who is reluctant to become a witness against Tao but a series of unfortunate events makes her question her loyalty to Tao while she would also endure some awkward moments with Chan’s girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung) who believes Chan is cheating on her.

It’s among some of the funny storylines in the film yet it does play largely into Chan’s discovery about the corruption within the police force and their ties to Tao as well as how bureaucratic ideals from the police’s superintendent Raymond Li (Lam Kwok-Hung) is trying to do things by the book much to dismay of some of the cops. Even as Chan has an ally in Inspector Chou/”Uncle” Bill Wong (Bill Tung) who is more about instinct than doing things by the book. The film’s third act doesn’t just play into Tao’s corruptive influence but also how far he is willing to go to protect his empire with Chan being the key target.

Chan’s direction is definitely grand in terms of some of the action set pieces he creates but he also balances it with smaller moments that allow him to display his approach to physical comedy. Shot on location in Hong Kong, the direction allows Chan to use the city as a key character in the film as well as help play into some of the film’s grand set pieces such as the opening sequence at the shanty town where Chan’s character is part of a task force where everyone is undercover and trying not to be seen. Chan’s attention to detail in the wide and medium shots of the locations add to the suspense as well as the close-ups where Chan makes sure that these little details add to what is to come in this extravagant and massive action sequence involving a car trying to chase another through the shanty town that is later followed by Chan’s character chasing a double-decker bus by using an umbrella to hold on to it and later walk down a hill to get in front of it. While Chan knows how to set-up and create these intricate and lavish action sequences, he knows when to break away from the action in order to explore his character and his duties that has him playing up some humor that includes a sequence of his character watching over a small station as he’s trying to cook some ramen and answer the phone numerous times as it’s a comical moment that showcases his mastery in physical comedy.

Chan’s direction also play into intimate and touching moments that has his characters interacting with other characters where he knows how to play up the humor as well as moments that has his character trying to reason with May or Selina where it would involve some comical stunt work. Yet, the film does remain this action-comedy with elements of suspense that includes the climatic mall sequence where Selina uncover files from Tao as his goons try to go after her with Chan’s character trying to protect her. The physicality of the action as well as how each shot is presented has an element where Chan can give the audience an idea of what will happen next in the upcoming shot but also allow so much attention to detail in the action. He also isn’t afraid to repeat a certain stunt but show it in different perspectives as it adds to the stakes of what his character is trying to do. Serving as the film’s action choreographer, Chan maintains a certain rhythm where he and others doing the stunts including his actors get a sense of what is happening as well as play into the dangerous physicality they endure. Overall, Chan crafts a majestic and astonishing film about a Hong Kong detective trying to take down a drug lord.

Cinematographer Cheung Yiu-Jo does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it play into some of the natural look for some of the exterior scenes in the day along with stylish usage of lights for some interior/exterior scenes at night to get an idea of what is happening. Editor Peter Cheung Yui-Chung does phenomenal work with the editing as it is an immense highlight of the film largely due to its usage of rhythmic cuts, slow-motion cutting, and other stylish cuts to create long sequences for some of the humor but also a rhythm in the action where the editing does a lot to establish what is going on and know when it’s time to cut as there is a poetic element to the editing which is crucial to the film’s presentation. Production designer Oliver Wong does amazing work with the look of the police station base as well as a smaller one and Chan’s apartment as well as Tao’s office in the mall.

Costume designer Ginger Fung does nice work with the costumes from the stylish and posh clothes that Selina wears early in the film to the more casual look that Chan wears. The special effects work of Ng Kwok-Wa does fantastic work with the special effects in helping to create some of the set pieces and in some of the stunts that are created. Sound recordist Shao Lung Chou do superb work with the sound in capturing the atmosphere of the locations as well as the realism of the way fists and kicks are presented during some of the fight scenes. The film’s music by Michael Lai is excellent for its mixture of bombastic orchestral music for the action as well as some woodwind-inspired themes for some of the comedy as it also has bits of rock and electronic while Lai co-writes the theme song with lyrics by James Wong which is sung by Chan.

The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles from Tai Po and Wan Fat as a couple of goons working for Tao, Lau Chi-wing as a prosecutor, Kent Tong as a rookie detective in Tak who is frightened by his first assignment in the attempted bust on Tao, Kam Hing Yin as a police inspector Chan doesn’t get along with, Charlie Cho as a gangster named John Ko, and Fung Hark-On as Tao’s lead henchman Danny Chu Ko who tries to stop Chan from going after Tao and leads the attempted attacks on Selina. Lam Kwok-Hung is terrific as superintendent Raymond Li as a police official who runs the Hong Kong police force as he is someone by the book that is trying to make sure things go right as he has to answer to superiors who expect a lot from him. Bill Tung is superb as Inspector Chou/Uncle Bill as a top police official who is an opposite of sorts for Li as he is more about instinct and action yet also knows how to get things done as he acts a mediator between the police and Li.

Chor Yuen is fantastic as the drug lord Chu Tao as a man trying to run an empire in Hong Kong as he hopes to expand and gain power yet finds himself in trouble as he has to deal with Chan as well as Selina whom he believes he can no longer trust after she got arrested. Maggie Cheung is excellent as Chan’s girlfriend May as a young woman who puts herself in moments that are awkward as she thinks Chan is cheating on her while she would also later help him trying to find Selina and to stop Tao as she also does some unique stunt work. Brigitte Lin is brilliant as Selina Fong as Tao’s secretary who reluctantly becomes a witness against him as she tries to continue working for Tao until she realizes that she is in greater danger where she decides to help Chan in getting Chao arrested for good as she also endure some intense stunt work.

Finally, there’s Jackie Chan in an incredible performance as Sgt. “Kevin” Chan Ka-Kui as it’s a performance filled with charisma, intensity, and humility as it has Chan displaying his many gifts for combining action and comedy where he can put himself in funny and dangerous situations while also prove that his character is someone that is trying not to get into fights but is forced to defend himself and win. It is a quintessential performance from Chan who provides the archetype of what an action hero should be but also one that can do comedy that owes a lot to the silent film stars of the past and make something new out of it as it is a performance for the ages.

Police Story is a magnificent film from Jackie Chan. Featuring a great ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, top-notch set pieces and stunt work, incredible editing from Peter Cheung Yui-Chung, an engrossing music soundtrack, and Chan himself doing all sorts of crazy stunts and comedic moments. The film isn’t just a standard bearer of what action-comedy should be but also a film that never takes itself seriously while being a showcase for one of cinema’s great film stars in Jackie Chan. In the end, Police Story is an outstanding film from Jackie Chan.

Jackie Chan Films: (The Fearless Hyena) – (The Young Master) – (Dragon Lord) – (Project A) – (Armour of God) – (Project A Part II) – Police Story 2 – (Miracles (1988 film)) – (Armour of God II: Operation Condor) – (Drunken Master) – (Who Am I?) – (Jackie Chan: My Stunts) – (1911) – (CZ12)

Related: (Supercop) – (Once A Cop) – (Crime Story) – (Police Story 4: First Strike) – (New Police Story) – (Police Story 2013)

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