Review of New Police Story

Introduction

Why`d you do it Jackie Chan, why did you go to Hollywood? It`s an easy question to answer of course. Gaining a larger audience, bigger budgets and of course a heftier pay packet makes it a simple decision. But Hollywood just hasn`t known what to do with Jackie Chan. He`s invariably been cast in buddy movies, where a US actor supplies the wit and the wisecracks, while Jackie provides the stunts and the action (albeit constrained by that pesky risk averse Hollywood mentality). Always a comedy, each film is wearyingly predictable. Throw together two opposites for a little culture clash comedy, add some sneering (usually British) bad guys to receive a good walloping, coat liberally with CG and wirework, and you have a by the numbers Hollywood Jackie Chan flick. They forget that Jackie Chan as an actor has more than one facet, can carry a movie by himself, and it can even be said that he single-handedly revitalised an ailing Hong Kong film industry. In the early eighties, Hong Kong cinema was in something of a rut, with a constant output of kung fu movies with a rarely varying theme, just as moribund as the Hollywood description I gave earlier. Half a movie of period kung fu comedy and master and student antics would be interrupted by a villain, who would kill said master, leaving student to seek revenge by the end of the film. Then in 1985, Police Story was released. A contemporary crime thriller, with Jackie Chan as a crusading cop, this was fresh, original and exciting, and Hong Kong cinema was irrevocably changed. Arguably this was the apex of Chan`s career, it was certainly the film with which he made his mark. Sequels inevitably followed before Chan made the move to Hollywood.

In 2004, Chan returned to Hong Kong cinema, and he returned to the very brand that started it all, with New Police Story. (This isn`t to be confused with Crime Story, which in various territories is also known as Police Story IV, or New Police Story) However, approaching his half-century, the question now is, can Jackie Chan still supply the intensity of action and suicidal stunts with which he began his career? Can he keep up with the energetic young Turks, who co-star in the film? Hell Yeah!

Senior Inspector Chan Kwok-Wing is a washed up drunk, spending most of his evenings in the gutter, watching his life vanish down the drain. It wasn`t always so. One year previously, he was a success story, arrogant in his abilities, who never failed to get his man. Then a gang of extreme sports loving bandits hit the Bank Of Asia. But they weren`t in it for the money, they loved to challenge authority, and Wing`s boast that they would be in custody in three hours was just the challenge they thrived on. Wing`s team received a tip that pointed to their hideout, but it was a trap, one that left Wing distraught, humiliated and isolated.

Now one year on, he`s pulled out of the gutter by Frank Cheng. Frank is his new partner, and the case is still open. While Frank is eager, the rest of the department doesn`t share that feeling. Besides, Wing is in no shape to conduct an investigation. Before he can face the criminals that tore apart his life, he has to exorcise some personal demons, as well as face the facts of what truly happened that fateful day.

Video

This is the best HKL disc I have seen yet, and that`s saying something. Hong Kong Legends are renowned for breathing new visual life into battered old classics. New Police Story certainly doesn`t warrant any of that treatment, but compared to other contemporary films like Seven Swords or Initial D, it`s in another league.

The 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer is crystal clear, the image is pristine and the cinematography and fight choreography looks absolutely gorgeous. I noticed one moment of compression during the opening credits. There is one moment of macro blocking in a dust filled, dark and misty scene, and only the finest of aliasing that indicates the limitations of the DVD format are visible. If you`re looking for a Jackie Chan reference disc, this is it.

One again a Jackie Chan film pushes the envelope in what can be accomplished on screen, another reminder that in Hong Kong cinema, life insurance is something that happens to other people. This being a modern film, it wouldn`t be complete without CGI and wire work, but there is less of it that you would expect. One moment early on seemed to me a dead cert CG composite, until I saw the making of, which showed the scene being shot for real. This is a film where there is nothing wrong in dropping leading cast members off a 47-storey building, with only a rope for comfort, and taking 17 takes to get the shot right.

Audio

You get a choice of DD 5.1 and DTS Cantonese, as well as a DD 5.1 English dub with New Police Story. The surrounds are put to use conveying the bone breaking action, the thunderous gunfights, and the moments of quieter ambience. The dialogue is clear, and the music, though unmemorable, suits the film well.

It`s worth mentioning the English dub, as it is quite different from the usual dubs that grace Hong Kong films. Most of the Gen-X cast are fluent in English, with backgrounds in Canada and the US, so they wind up looping their own English lines. Similarly, Jackie Chan provides his own English dialogue. What`s odd is that nearly everyone else has an American accent in the dub, with the sole exception of Jackie. To say it sounds peculiar is an understatement. Translated English subtitles are provided of course.

Features

Where`s Bey Logan when you need him? In America reworking his classic Jackie Chan movie commentaries for the Weinsteins, that`s where. Only the American audiences have to put up with Brett Ratner in the co-commentator chair as well. There`s something poetic about that. Regardless to say, New Police Story is a film that desperately needs a commentary, and it hasn`t got one. All that you will find on disc 1 is a collection of trailers for HKL`s other Jackie Chan product.

Disc 2 contains the bulk of the extras then, beginning with 4 theatrical trailers, one of them for the UK.

The Interview Gallery begins with a 20-minute chat with Benny Chan, director and producer of this film. He talks about his career, the movie, and the cast. Most notably he mentions a Directors Cut with a runtime of 3 hours, which brings us to a second notable absence from this disc, the deleted scenes.

Exclusive to the UK release is a Star Attraction featurette, which has interviews with Daniel Wu, Nicholas Tse, Andy On, Coco Chiang and Charlie Young. This lasts 20 minutes and as it is in English, lacks subtitles. They talk about the film, and working with their hero Jackie Chan.

The Making Of New Police Story lasts 16 minutes and does what it says on the tin. Behind the scenes footage and interviews with the cast and crew abound, including a chat with the elusive Jackie Chan.

The final section is the Behind The Scenes gallery, which presents 18 featurettes that run for a total of 60 minutes. There is a Play All option should you wish. This comprises b-roll footage that takes us behind the filming of the movie, including some of the awesome fights and stunts. Subtitles are variable here, and as there is no voiceover, you`ll have to work out the context for yourself.

Conclusion

Jackie Chan returns to Hong Kong cinema with a landmark performance in a film that shows that the veteran actor has lost none of his speed, agility and intensity, while taking him to a new level dramatically. At an age when most of us are looking longingly at rocking chairs, and a pipe and slippers, he`s still outstripping his co-stars, and proving that he`s still at his peak. This movie reinvents the Police Story franchise, bringing it up to date and infusing it with a young fresh cast. This could so easily have been Police Story: The Next Generation, but it remains unmistakeably a Jackie Chan film. If you were thinking that it would be a passing of the torch, well by this evidence, Jackie isn`t ready to loosen his grip just yet.

Story, action, stunts, humour, and drama, New Police Story has it all. And like all good sequels, it does something new, instead of merely serving as a remake. This is the best dramatic performance I have seen from Jackie Chan so far, as he plays a battered and defeated cop, wallowing in despair and staring at the world through an alcoholic depression. We`ve seen Jackie Chan the clown, the martial artist, the angry young man, and the underdog, but this is the first time we see him as a loser, and he brings tremendous sympathy and realism to the role. This is a man who has given up, and it`s up to his new young partner to motivate and redeem him. As such it is Nicholas Tse who takes on the traditional Chan role of optimistic go-getter. He`s the one with the bright outlook, always ready with a wisecrack, and quick of wits. There are moments where the director milks the melodrama, but the performances can`t be faulted.

This film also adds a new dimension by combining kung fu action with extreme sports. The antagonists in this film are the disaffected Generation X, whose crusade of terror is motivated by apathy and disaffection. The leader Joe (Daniel Wu) is motivated by his own home life, and this film paints a more rounded character rather than a cardboard villain. Despite the sheer malice and violence that the group revel in, the film manages to evoke sympathy for them as well. Also this Police Story is up to date with the villains using the latest in technology to pull off their heists.

Action fans won`t be disappointed, as Jackie is still at his peak, and pulling off stunts that would have gods quailing. The fight sequences are fast, frenetic and choreographed with that freewheeling mayhem that Chan is renowned for. As mentioned, this is a film that sees the latest generation shine, and some may be disappointed in that Jackie doesn`t bear all the burden of the action alone. However, the fight sequences are awesome, and if an heir to Jackie Chan does become apparent in this film, it`s Andy On, whose screen presence matches Jackie`s in their stunning climactic fight.

The thing I love about the later Jackie Chan film is that they pay homage to what has come before. Originality isn`t a prerequisite, and if you borrow from the best, as long as you do it justice it can only liven your film. You can see traces of Rush Hour, and Drunken Master in some of the fight sequences, stunts from the classic Police Stories 1 and 2 are taken to a new level here, and there is an early gun battle that owes much to Heat, with the same level of intensity. There are moments of Die Hard With A Vengeance and Falling Down as well. If you are a horror movie fan that enjoyed Saw, then there is a chance to see that movie condensed down into 5 minutes early on in the film. The good thing is that none of these moments stands outside of context, and all make sense in the story. It`s just an added level of fun if you can recognise which scene was inspired by which movie.

It is a pleasure to see Chan in a Hong Kong film, it`s where he does his best work, and is allowed to thrive. I hope this isn`t the last such film he makes, but from what is said in the extras, it seems that he agreed to make the film as the industry was in a downturn, to give it a much needed injection of vitality. Given the prospect of Rush Hour 3, I would have hoped for more HK flicks instead. I must admit that I was somewhat cautious when I heard that there would be a New Police Story. There`s nothing worse than chasing past glories. There is none of that here. A good story and sympathetic performances lie at the core of a film that offers something new. Jackie Chan is firing on all cylinders, while he creates a character we haven`t seen before. This film is also a showcase for the new Hong Kong talent, assuring us that Hong Kong cinema isn`t about to vanish anytime soon. Originality isn`t the film`s strongest point, but that doesn`t matter when it is so much fun. The Special Edition doesn`t seem so special though, as the extras aren`t all that inspiring. Still, it`s a must purchase for any Chan fan, and a great place to start if you`re just curious. Hell, even if you`ve never seen a Hong Kong film, this is well worth watching.