New Police Story

(2004) New Police Story (In Chinese with English subtitles) ACTION DRAMA

Anyone expecting this movie to be like his much cheerful, popular "Police Story" movies will be gravely disappointed since with this film being made, it almost appears that he's trying to turn himself out of it by passing the stunts onto someone else other than him. In this simplistic drama film centering on how the character Jackie Chan as a cop again falls to his lowest with the guilt trip and everything when many of his fellow officer colleagues all get shot, tortured and killed from the bad guys is only a tool to showcase Jackie showing his more serious dramatic side. They're are only a few memorable action scenes involving glass (which happened somewhere on the middle)and that's about it- a fast forward button can be used on everything else.

There is always a suspicion when films come out with "New" in the title and particularly here, when you've had variations on the Police Story numbering over the years. Does it mean that the whole franchise has changed completely? Is Jackie Chan trying to pass on the mantle? How different is it really? Well, put it this way. The only thing that has changed is that it's better than the previous instalments.

New Police Story tells of Wing (Jackie Chan), a super-cop who has managed to solve the toughest and roughest cases for the Hong Kong police force. So much so that he gains a bit of cockiness. When a group of young guns led by Joe (Daniel Wu) start a crime spree by robbing banks and gunning down cops for fun, Wing declares that he would catch the criminals in just 3 hours. However, his plans bite the dust as his team are gunned down following a leak of his plans. Wing is knocked into drink and depression and rookie Fung (Nic Tse) come to egg him into revenge.

This film follows the style of the previous Police Story series in that it is gritty and dramatic as opposed to Jackie's comedic style. However, this film is very much darker than the previous ones. The usual stunts are there - including a bus sequence which reminds you of the original Police Story - but each stunt has been brought a new lease of life with some perfectionist choreography. I was impressed by Nic Tse's martial art stunts, which certainly were not easy, but mastered flawlessly. Daniel Wu caps off a very good year for him with a very good performance as the enemy. Credit goes to Benny Chan also, who really has pulled out all the stops for this movie.

This is one of Jackie Chan's best films and following some recent dismal Hollywood attempts, I'm really glad that he can still pull it off, particularly when there is a good script for him.

One to see the old master back at his best.

The new movie from Jackie Chan deviates from his last few American box office duds as he plays a serious and dramatic role as a Hong Kong police officer. This movie is in fact very good.

Don't expect death defying stunts at this point of Jackie Chan's career. There are some short and fast fight scenes but they are not anything you haven't seen before (except in his American movies). This time Jackie's girl is Charlie Young/Yeung, whom came out from retirement to work on this movie. Jackie's partner is Nicholas Tse, who did a lot of his own stunts in this movie.

The story is simple and is not very believable. With that out of the way, you will enjoy Jackie's seriousness in acting. In many scenes you can see his tears (and no one in the theater was laughing).

This is a breath of fresh air from his last few big duds. The thing is Jackie is in total control making his movies in Hong Kong and he can make the movies he wants.

NEW POLICE STORY (Xin Jing Cha Gu Shi)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Sound format: Dolby Digital

A disgraced cop (Jackie Chan) is encouraged by a younger colleague (Nicholas Tse) to pursue the game-obsessed thugs who murdered an entire police squad.

Dark-hearted addition to the "Police Story" series (a 'sequel' in name only) which signals its defiance of old traditions from the very first scene, in which Chan stumbles into an alleyway and pukes copiously before collapsing in a drunken stupor. Director Benny Chan (A MOMENT OF ROMANCE) energizes Alan Yuen's fast-paced script in no uncertain terms, and is reunited with several cast members from his recent blockbuster GEN-X COPS (1999), including Daniel Wu (ENTER THE PHOENIX) as the thuggish gang leader rebelling against a lifetime of abuse at the hands of his policeman stepfather, and teen idol Tse (genuinely charming as the young cop who - literally - picks Chan out of the gutter and restores his self-respect). Charlie Yeung has the thankless role of Chan's much younger love interest, and gorgeous Andy On (so memorable in the otherwise routine BLACK MASK II) kicks butt as a member of Wu's criminal fraternity who defeats Chan in open combat.

The film's tone is much rougher than anything Chan has done recently, established by a harrowing sequence in which he's forced to play a series of 'games' with Wu and his cohorts in order to save the lives of his devastated squad members, and his subsequent remorse is played with great sensitivity by Chan, who becomes overwhelmed by guilt and depression (hence his drunken despair in the opening scene). Action set-pieces are fast and stylized, and there's a memorable climactic showdown on top of the Hong Kong Convention Center, spoiled only by blatant - and intrusive - product placement. Otherwise, this is top-notch entertainment all the way, conceived and executed with genuine cinematic flair.

(Cantonese dialogue)

'New Police Story' shows how top production values, a well-known cast, a fine action director and a great director of photography can turn a pretty moronic screenplay into an entertaining action movie. One way to see the fine job done here is to compare Nicholas Tse's performance here in a pivotal role to the part he played in 'Goddess of Mercy,' an HK movie involving police made in mainland China. In that movie Tse played his role as a bad guy as if he were overdue for a dialysis treatment, unsmiling and shabby looking. In 'New Police Story' he is full of life, playing a key role that initiates much of the action. Charlene Choi, in a supporting role as an HK police woman, also helps keep the action moving (without overdoing the perkiness). If Jackie Chan wants to play serious his role as an inspector whose life has gone on the skids, he has the sense not to overdo it after an early scene where he is so drunk he throws up in an alley. As a star vehicle for Jackie Chan, 'New Police Story' does the job. Next time, though, Jackie should make the villains more believable.