Police Story (1985)

Literally: Police Story

AKA: Police Force

Director: Jackie Chan (Sing Lung)

Producer: Leonard Ho Koon-Cheung

Writer: Jackie Chan (Sing Lung), Edward Tang King-Sunn

Cast: Jackie Chan (Sing Lung), Brigitte Lin Ching-Hsia, Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk, Chor Yuen, Bill Tung Piu, Ken Tong Chun-Yip, Lam Kwok-Hung, Mars

Running Time: 106 min.

Plot: A police raid on a drug gang goes awfully wrong, and for detective Jackie Chan, nothing seems to go right from there. The gang boss is acquitted at his trial, when Jackie's evidence mysteriously disappears. Jackie's attempt to rescue a beautiful but reluctant key witness results in his being framed for murder. Now on the run from both the gang and his own squad, Jackie must stay alive long enough to bring the gang to justice and convince his colleagues of his innocence.

ALEXANDER'S REVIEW: First of all, if you want to read a kick-ass review of this film, scroll down to Vic Nguyen's below.

And since every second of Police Story has seemingly already been pulled apart, analyzed and slavered over in the 36 (yes, 36) reviews on this site, I'll keep this one short (although not as short as Dennis' three word gem a few inches down: "Just watch it!").

While it's certainly not the greatest action film ever made, Police Story is definitely required viewing by any fan of Hong Kong cinema. The fight scenes are amazing, Jackie gets absolutely punished throughout, and it's filled with some surprisingly funny slapstick comedy. Chan is a far better performer than I previously gave him credit having only watched the embarrassing Rumble in the Bronx and the so-so Rush Hour 2. The guy can act, and the knowledge that he is actually performing the ridiculously dangerous stunts on screen further heightens his appeal. Sure, the bits in the middle are pretty lame, especially the poorly written courthouse scene, but the action that bookends the film more than makes up for this.

Based on the plethora of reviews below, I'm SO thankful I watched the Mega Star version of the DVD and not the obviously horrid New Line butchering. (Read Dan-O's great review below for more details on the differences.)

Now, could somebody PLEASE explain to me what the HELL that motorcycle was doing in the mall?!

ALEXANDER'S RATING: 8/10

SHAOL!NDRUNKMONK'S REVIEW: What do you get when you take Jackie's crowning achievement, a real milestone in the history of Hong Kong cinema, get Newline to add hilariously awful dubbed dialogue, put it in a full-screen aspect ratio, and take the background music from every Jackie Chan film released here in theatres? Well, my friend, you get a buchered piece of trash that doesn't do the original ANY respect. But on the plus side, the clarity of the film itself has been improved greatly, and you can see every detail on everyone's faces. Another bad thing is that the foley work is horrible! Take for instance Jackie fighting Fung Hark-On in the mall: Jackie is punching at him with his full force, and Fung is made to look as if he's blocking them full-force also, but the sound effects when their arms clash sound like someone is slapping their knee to get rid of an itch! When Jackie actually hits or kicks people full-force in the face it doesn't sound at all very painful. If you really want to see Jackie's greatest film the way it was meant, buy the VCD or a widescreen video from a Hong Kong distributer, and don't touch this with a ten-foot pole or a cattle-prod. But you can touch it with a hammer.

SHAOL!NDRUNKMONK'S RATING: Without Newline: 10/10 With Newline: 6/10

JEFF'S REVIEW: You don't want to miss a split-second of this one! Nothing but more than satisfying wall-to-wall action with some great comedy sequences rolled in! The chase scene at the beginning is top notch and that's barely a sample of whats yet to come. The comedy scenes are funny and logical and the supporting characters actually mean something and THAT is very rare in a JC film. I'm sure you've heard about the climax fight scene in the shopping mall and its everything you heard plus more - lots of broken glass, wild ballistic stunts, punks getting heads bashed-in, chicks gettin' thrown around, and Jackie going ape-wild!! Basically, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE!

JEFF'S RATING: 10/10

RO'S REVIEW: As the title indicates, this is the first in a series of movies where Jackie plays a Hong Kong policeman. In this one, he is assigned as a bodyguard to a mobster's secretary. The police are hoping she will testify against him in his trial. She escapes and he attempts to find her and some new evidence while the mobster is plotting to set him up for murder. Lots of humor and action. The opening car chase scene thru a shanty town is classic! And the fight scene at the end is incredible! Watch for the lawyer to get decked!! (Everybody's dream!) The only negative is the dubbing. I saw 2 versions. In the first one, some no-name Brit dubbed Jackie's voice - weird!!!, and his name was Kevin. In the New Line Cinema version, some anonymous Chinese guy dubbed it, and his name was Jackie. Still not great, but I have to say it did sound better. The picture quality was way better and the story clearer as well, although I do wonder which version was closer to the actual lines spoken in the infamous cactus-pricking scene.

RO'S RATING: 8/10

DENNIS' REVIEW: Just watch it!!

DENNIS' RATING: 10/10

YOUNG E'S REVIEW: The first time I saw this film, I saw it on TBS and I missed certain parts. I hadn't seen the final shopping mall sequence, so I wondered why Jackie called this his favorite film in terms of action. Then I saw the whole movie. WOW! I couldn't believe the ending. I've never seen a climax as spectacular as that. The movie did have its slow points though, or maybe because I had to see this movie in its incredibly ridiculous dubbing. But the end makes up for it. This film proves two things about Jackie Chan. One, he puts the Hollywood action stars to shame. Second, he's insane (but I already knew that).

YOUNG E'S RATING: 7.5/10

VICTOR NGUYEN'S REVIEW: It is 1985, and after a nightmare of a film shoot in the form of James Glickenhaus' " The Erector....er..The Protector", our hero Jackie Chan returned to top form by writing and directing the film that many would call his masterpiece. That film is Police Story, and even after a decade of other worthy classics, this one certainly lives up to it's name, and stands as "king of the hill" above the rest.

In this first installment of a series spanning 4 (possibly 5) films, the story finds Chan playing rough-and-tumble supercop named Chan Kau-kui. As the film opens, the audience is treated to a series of action sequences in which an undercover drug bust goes wrong. Destruction runs rampant, civilians and cops get injured, but in the end, Kau-kui takes down the fleeing suspect, known as mob boss Ku. Ku, as it turns out, is the prime suspect in a multi-million dollar cocaine ring, and will stop at nothing to get himself off the hook. That includes murder, which leads to the intro of the character Selina Fong. Fong is the only witness who can take Ku down, but the problem is that she will not cooperate. The police suspect a potential hit on Fong by the treacherous Ku, so of course, they assign their toughest supercop Kau-kui, to protect her. When Kau-kui takes Fong back home to his place for the night, this of course leads to some tension between himself and his girlfriend May. After a disastorous trial, Ku gets off the hook, but that doesn't mean that Selina is. Eventually, Ku's thugs gets to Selina. Kau-kui, learning of her kidnapping, finds the spot she is being held and helps her escape, but due to a series of events, Kau-kui is now being framed for the murder of a fellow officer. With the help of May, he must now go on the run, and therefore, decides to go solo in bringing Ku to justice. Meanwhile, Selina (now finally realizing that Ku is trying to kill her) manages to hack into Ku's files, and subsequently prints out incriminating evidence against Ku. They all unintentionally meet up in one of Hong Kong's large shopping malls, leading to the classic action finale, which pits Kau-kui and Selina against many of Ku's gangsters, intent on killing both of them once and for all.

Police Story is magnificent in each and every aspect. The cinematography again shows that Chan is an exquisite filmmaker when using the scope format. Each and every shot is framed perfectly, making a pan and scan version nearly unwatchable. Let's just say that Chan has filmmaking down cold. The comedic sequences, which openly shows the influences of some of Chan's favorites in silent film, are well handled, making them a pleasure to watch. The performances perfectly fit the film. The villains are appear nasty and cruel, as they should be, and the heroes are the ones you cheer for during the final reel. The whole cast made the best of their characters, and it shows. Even the music works, something you cannot say often about a Hong Kong film. You just gotta' love the final tune, sung by Chan himself.

Then there is the action...... It is impossible to sum up the action is 1 word, many other words come to mind, but basically, I'll sum it all down with a commonly used praise, "Kick ass"! From the adrenaline pumping first reel, featuring Chan getting into a shootout,  destroying a shantytown with a single car,  clinging on a bus using only an umbrella, and then standing right in the middle of an oncoming bus (all in that order), you know you have something special going. But, of course, it doesn't end there. Many more action scenes follow, which up the kick ass quotient off the scale, but when you though it was over, it doesn't end yet. The final reel, with Chan utilizing everything, and I mean everything, inside a shopping mall to dispense of the bad guys is the grand poobah of all the action in Police Story. It also features the show stopper, or the stunt that generates the "oooohs and ahhhs" from the audience. This stunt features our hero sliding down a 5 story pole decorated with lights, only to crash through glass and onto the ground, and getting up for some more (all in one shot!)! This is Chan's best stunt, period. All the "does all his own stunts" slogans will lead to this one right here.

The outtake reel is also the best one featured in a Chan film. Here, it shows him taking more bumps, blood, and bruises than anywhere else. Again, that catchy tune helps it out a bit.

Jackie Chan's Police Story went through a variety of versions following it's release in Hong Kong theaters in 1985. First came the batch of VCD's, laserdiscs, and videotapes released in the 80's. Only the laserdisc is letterboxed, but I don't think it's subbed. Next came the films release upon America, beginning with a screening at the New York Film Festival. Following this came it's release on video. This version is dubbed, pan and scan, and is edited, typical America. All these versions existed until the machine known as DVD hit the shelves. Mega Star, a Hong Kong company, subsequently released the entire trilogy onto the format, all letterboxed with removable subs. This is the best version of the film available today. And finally, New Line Cinema wanting to cash in during Chan's growing popularity in the states, released a redubbed, pan and scan, cut version of the film onto the rental market. Besides the incredibly crisp quality, there is nothing else to recommend about this version. The dubbing is annoyingly bad, and furthermore, it is presented in pan and scan. Get the DVD if possible, it is the only true way to view this masterpiece.

Incase you didn't already get the picture, Police Story is my all time favorite Jackie Chan film. Before then, it was Drunken Master 2, but after viewing the film subbed and letterboxed, the way it was meant to be seen, it made me appreciate the film so much more. When Chan said that he was going to make the ultimate cop movie that the Protector should have been, he wasn't kidding. Police Story is a required viewing for all those action junkies who crave something more different than the typical Hollywood $400 billion dollar explosion-thon. Very highly recommended.

VICTOR NGUYEN'S RATING: 10/10

MARCIA'S REVIEW: So much has already been said about this film, there's not much I can add. I can definitely understand why, for action, it's Jackie's own favorite. I don't know that there's anything which could be done to improve upon it directly, but I find it ranks third out of the four Police Story installments for me. Regardless, it should be part of any fan's collection.

MARCIA'S RATING: 9/10

CODY'S REVIEW: Wow! This is one of the best Jackie Chan movies I have ever seen. Jackie really nailed it with this one. Most of the action is in the begining and the end of the movie, but that doesn't matter because this movie had some great comedy in between. Actually even if this movie didn't have any action I'd like it. My favorite part in the movie was when Jackie got his friend to act like a killer to scare this lady. Now, back to the action. This movie has some amazing stunts and action. Like in the begining when Jackie hangs from the back of a buss. Or the part where Jackie demolishes a village. The end of the movie is probably the most exciting fight scene I have ever seen, There's glass everyware, a motorcycle, a whole bunch of stunts, and Jackie in the middle of it swinging his fists and feet all over the place. This movie is A MUST SEE!

CODY'S RATING: 10/10

EXOTHRASH'S REVIEW: I recently saw the remastered version of Police Story on USA and remembered how much I liked when I first saw it. I got it in one of those crappy "Jackie Chan Action Packs" or something, so the quality really sucked when I first saw it, but it didn't matter. This movie had it all: comedy... kinda, romance... well not really, internal character conflicts... no, no, none of that... ACTION! That's what it had! Lots and lots of kick-ass action scenes. It had lots of good fights, and then it had one big whup-ass fight at the end. The stunts in this film were awesome; the part where he slides down the pole covered in lights was really great. This movie is a must see for all - Jackie Chan fan or not.

EXOTHRASH'S RATING: 10/10

SILENT FIGHTER'S REVIEW: We all know the movie. We all have seen the fights, the stunts, and the laughter. So why would we spend our hard earn money for another version of Police Story? Because we want to see a clearer picture, better dubbing, and cool music. And New Line succeeds only half way in giving us what we want. This Police Story is indeed a better movie. It gives us crisp dialogue and professional dubbing, despite the absence of Jackie's own voice (a Jackie imitator is used with surprisingly good results). But I can't help but to want more. I want better music. The left-over tracks of First Strike and Mr. Nice Guy just doesn't match the rhythm of the film. I wanted better sound effects. I wanted to feel the punch. To hear the cracking bones. Yes, I wanted more. I applaud New Line for releasing this picture, but I wonder if they could have done more. New Line's Police Story is defenetely worth a look.

SILENT FIGHTER'S RATING: 9/10

WEI XIN'S REVIEW: Not a bad flick for $6.99. Highlight for me: Jackie Chan beats up on baddies in Mall Madness.

WEI XIN'S RATING: 7/10

DAN-O'S REVIEW: New Line Re-release: As soon as I heard the opening theme of this '98 re-release (of a film 95% of Americans are blissfully ignorant of), my stomach contents stewed to a boil. It was the opening theme New Line used for "First Strike", revisited and recycled. Now, I can understand if this were some fledgeling, nickel and dime company from a banana republic country, but this is New Line Cinema, who milked Freddy Kreuger for a mint and a half. They can't afford to commision a decent opening theme? I guess not. Also, New Line, and Miramax, seem to be quite intent on hiding the fact that Jackie Chan can sing from the American public. What would I rather hear?; the original theme music, featuring Jackie, digitally remastered, or would I rather hear some crap-can generic cookie cutter music that was probably lifted from the "demo" song on a new Korg keyboard they bought at Service Merchandise. The music added to the fight scenes is all wrong. The scenes didn't require music, they had a rhythm all their own, but Hollywood really digs mood music, so I guess there was no avoiding it. Oh, and ANOTHER thing, now that I think of it, the "punch" and "kick" sounds are in some cases laughably bad. The multi bootlegged British version I have had MUCH more convincing effects. Half the time the foley artists seem to have gotten the impact sounds back-asswards, so a kick to the stomach now makes a "WHACK", rather than a duller "WHUD". Great Job, New Line.

They have also put their half-assed stamp on this movie by renaming Jackie's character "Jackie", again. What the hell is this cop's name anyway? I've heard KaKui, Kevin Chan, and now Jackie. There's about as much continuity there as in any given David Lynch movie.

Now, the next atrocity committed by New Line is dubbing Jackie's character with an even more pathetic imitation of Jackie's thick accent than the one I reviled in Crime Story. This idea was pure rocket science. I'm sure there's a rational reason why Jackie, and maybe 2 or 3 other characters in the movie have these ridiculous fake Chinese accents, while everyone else speaks "American", but I is far to stoopid to figg'r it owt. The only voice I found appealing was that of "Selina". The voiceover in this version makes her out to be more competent than the whiny, nails-on-a-chalkboard voice of the British version I have. Now about the editing. Like the Brit version, the 3 scenes cut that I recall from the original are 1) the scene in the beginning where that cop loses his nerve and wets his pants, 2) the phone scene, which was kinda stupid anyway, but fun all the same. Some of the humor doesn't really translate well, I imagine, and 3) the scene just before he takes the commissioner hostage where Jackie got REALLY pissed off and ranted about his crappy job vs. the commissioner's cushy job.

The one saving grace of this version is the picture quality, which is GORGEOUS! Crystal clear, obviously taken from the an original print. This alone makes this worth seeing, or owning, unless you own a Chinese laserdisc or DVD copy, in which case, why the hell are you reading this?

DAN-O'S RATING: My rating for the new Police Story: 6/10, but but a 10/10 for the picture quality. The reason for the low score has nothing to do with the movie itself. Click here to read Dan-O's original review for the old version.

EIRIAS' REVIEW: Cut, badly dubbed New Line version: First things first. This version looks *SO* much better it isn't even funny. The only available versions of the real movie look simply terrible, but this version looks like a professional movie.

Unfortunately, the people who dubbed it weren't professional. The women are reduced to whining bitches, and Jackie didn't even bother to dub himself -- though he was filming Rush Hour for New Line at the time.

Most hilariously at all, one of the best scenes in the movie, the bit with Jackie on four or five phones at once and juggling them around him -- is missing. And yet, they didn't remove the outtakes from this scene. Why bother cutting it ? It makes no sense. If you wanted to cut something, cut all the tedious exposition which makes little sense and is so poorly dubbed I was writhing in pain watching it. Oh well.

The warning at the beginning -- this film has been altered from the original in the following ways -- it has been formatted to fit your screen, does not go on to say that it has been badly dubbed and butchered.

What we end up with is a movie that requires an amazing amount of patience to wade through the crap before getting to the action -- but the action remains as good as it always was. It's even a bit better, since we can see it clearly. It's not enough to save the dub, but it raises my opinion of the original film. Which we can only hope will be released properly someday.

EIRIAS' RATING: 6/10 http://members.xoom.com/eirias/

JAMES' REVIEW: Great day in the morning! I've been waiting so long for New Line's re-release of "Police Story." I decided to hold off from reviewing the movie until the New Line version came out. I bought it for $29.95 at a local video store (the only one in town that has it). It was worth EVERY penny. While still running only 90 minutes the quality is much higher than the Simitar version I had on tape.

Now the movie itself is a masterpiece. This is one of my top ten favourite movies of all time. Everything about this movie is amazing; the action, the fights and the comedy. In my opinion Jackie reached his pinnacle (thus far) with "Police Story." The film is built to deliver and amaze the audience. The opening chase is great, the fight in the parking lot is great as well, but the finale in the mall is a fist fight raised to the Nth degree. It's absolutely sensational!

The comedy bits were woven very well with the action. I loved the bit were he was "talking" to May on the phone, and the court scene was great too. The only drawback with the New Line version is that Jackie didn't dub himself, but the guy they got did a good job. The other weird thing was that Jackie plays Jackie Chan! I guess it is to keep up the continuity with "First Strike."

I also liked how they used the main theme from "First Strike," implying that "First Strike" is a sequel. Anyway, a spectacular film from start to finish. And if you haven't seen it, may your stomach become bloated and your head be plucked of all but three hairs.

JAMES' RATING: 10/10

TYLER'S REVIEW: Police Story, the ultimate Jackie Chan film. Nothing I have seen yet can compare with this film (except Armor of God), it has wonderful fight choreography, fantasic stunts, and great comedy, it's everything you'd exspect from Jackie Chan. This film is what all of his other films are judged on (City type films). The only thing I have regrets on this film is the dubbing which is not really good. I can't want till New Line releases it remastered, I especially like the mall fight scene and the bus stunt (then again who wouldn't). The mob boss Ku is one of the best villains in a Jackie Chan film too, I really can't make too much criticism on it, cause I just love it.

TYLER'S RATING: 10/10

DEAD CHANNEL'S REVIEW: This is by far one of the best Jackie Chan movies of all time. Too bad I don't have the Chinese version, but this version is still great in every aspect. I never actually had a heart attack laughing at Jackie Chan movies until I saw this one. The English dubs are fucking hilarious! A British guy's voice for Jackie: it's just hilarious. Especially when he's talking about his girlfriend, May (Maggie Cheung... *SLURP*) to his friend, and he says, "I brought a witness home, and she thought it was a broad!" A BROAD! HAH! Well, I guess this movie is from 1985, but hey.. Also, peep the part when he says "Stupid bitch dumped the cake on me!" Mr. Nice Guy, eh? Hahah.. Back to the real review (Uh?) .. Tons of action in this one, and not a boring moment EVER. This was the first Jackie Chan movie I ever saw, I remember being into Bruce Lee, and was at the video store and thought, "hey I'll check this out.." BLOWN AWAY. I was like "FUCK BRUCE!" after I saw this one! Incredible action especially in the mall scene. I love how they replay the stunt when he jumps onto the pole and slides down through the Christmas lights from the 3rd story in the mall.. 3 times they replay it! At different angles! It's hilarious, it doesn't even seem like one of the bigger boom crash bang stunts from the other parts in the movie. This movie has it all. 'Nuff said. I hadn't seen this one for years, and just re-rented the shit the other day. I almost shite in my pants after seeing it again. God damn. Just take my word for it.

DEAD CHANNEL'S RATING: 10/10

DJ NIXON'S REVIEW: This movie was really, REALLY good. This movie is a Jackie classic. The mall scene is sweet and Jackie breakes tons of glass in the mall scene where Jackie beats the crap out of the bad guys. Awesome movie, definately one of Jackie's best movies, tons of action and fighting. I know alot of people think this movie is the best of the Police Story series but it ranks number 2 in my favorite Police series. Good movie, see it.

DJ NIXON'S RATING: 10/10

CHRIS E'S REVIEW: Aside from the incredible action in this movie, it is one of the few Chan films that actually has a good plot. Not great, but good. The villians are credible and the most realistic of any in Chan's films. The story is simple and it all takes place in one location instead of traveling all over the globe which I think has been part of the problem in Jackie's more recent projects. They get too chopped up and fragmented.

Anyway, getting back to the incredible action. This is probably the best "contemporary" action movie ever made. The drive through the hillside village in the beginning can be watched over and over again in awe. The finale will leave your heart beating at a rapid pace. And the outtakes will leave you cringing as you see Jackie and his stunt team wince in pain. In pure fighting terms, this is not Chan's best. But in overall action and stunts, he has yet to top it. Let's hope he keeps trying at least for another few years.

CHRIS E'S RATING: 10/10

KISHIGAI'S REVIEW: This is my favorite Jackie Chan movie. It has everything that you could want. The fights scenes kick ass, the stunts rule, and its pretty funny too. The plot is about Jackie protecting a girl so she can testify against a crime boss, but you might not care. The final fight in the mall is awesome. And Jackie gets to break alot of glass. A whole lot. Its cool. Watch it. It rules.

KISHIGAI'S RATING: 10/10

EZWALK'S REVIEW: I've only seen Police Force. It has several scenes cut. I don't know what they are. This movie was awsome. It had two of my favorite fight scenes. One where they just left her hotel and fight around the cars. And the one at the mall. The begining scene also showed how much he tries to please his audience. He hangs from a double decker bus by an umbrella. This was his first movie with outtakes. Only complaint too few fights.

EZWALK'S RATING: 8/10

HENDRI LIATO'S REVIEW: What can you say? Well you can say that this is one of JC's very best. Tight plotting, hiss-able bad guys, jaw-dropping stunts, gags that work. And you get to see the scarily intense side of Jackie. Whether he is hanging by the side of a speeding bus with the help of an umbrella or ramming one of the bad guy's minions through five glass plates, he is doing what he does best and more. Stallone even did a little homage to the opening bus chase sequence in TANGO & CASH. The plot which may be ripped off from a dozen episodes of MIAMI VICE is uneven. It starts off as a witness protection routine then it suddenly becomes Jackie's personal vendetta to clear his name (he is framed in a corrupt police murder) and bring down a crime syndicate. The finale that takes place in a shopping mall, complementing the film's theme of corruption and capitalism run amuck, glass is shattered, bones broken, bodies flung, and your jaws will be floored (Is this also the first in the long lines of JC movies which head-scratchingly screeches to a sudden end?). An indispensable Jackie Chan flick.

HENDRI LIATO'S RATING: 10/10

NUMSKULL'S REVIEW: With America having gone apeshit over the good-but-not-great Rumble In The Bronx and First Strike, just imagine the reaction if this puppy were re-dubbed and shown in theaters. As I write this review (December 13, 1997), I think of what a great solution it would make to the Home Alone 3/Flubber/Anastasia/Mouse Hunt/candy-coated-dog-shit-passed-off-as-solid- entertainment-and-crammed-down-your-throat-in-lieu-of-half-way-decent-movies blues (Happy Holidays my ass!). This movie is readily available in the USA, courtesy of Parade Entertainment, purveyors of such fine cinematic achievements as Eagle Shadow Fist and 36 Crazy Fists. It has about 15 minutes cut out, but as far as I know, you'll still get to see all the good stuff (and you won't have to put up with those damn subtitles that run off the screen and blend into the picture). The opening action sequence with the cars, bus, and shanty village and the most excellent closing one in the shopping mall (if it's made of glass it ain't safe!) seem to have gotten most of the spotlight, but the one that takes place in, on, and around two other cars is also quite good. Plus, the comedy in this is some of Jackie's best ("Do you want something to drink?" "Yes, orange juice." "Well, get it then!"). No true JC fan will finish this one disappointed. Fellows, if you ever happen to be caught in a situation where you must choose between watching this movie and being suckled upon like a Charms Blow-Pop by Playboy Magazine's Playmate of the Year, don't be a fool...WATCH THIS MOVIE!!!

NUMSKULL'S RATING: 10/10

CLINT'S REVIEW: This ranks # 4 on my all time JC movie list. One thing people tend to overlook in this spectacular action flick is the comedy. I laughed my ass off when JC was in his apt. acting as if May was apologizing to him, and then the courtroom scene was one of the funniest moments in a JC movie, where they put the tape in and some loud music starts playing, and the recording that Brigitte Lin made to sound as if they were doing the nasty. Funny stuff. There are other funny moments like Mars acting as an assassin, but I won't describe each and every one. Too many unbelievable stunts in this movie to keep track of. The glass shattering finale is just about tops on my list. And don't you just love when JC jumps a fence in the way that only he can do? I'm sure just about all of you have watched and adored this film, but if you haven't, go to Blockbuster and rent Jackie Chan's Police Force a.k.a. Police Story.

CLINT'S RATING: 10/10

ALOHO'S REVIEW: Everybody already mentioned the good stuff about Police Story and there is no need for me to repeat it. I will mention some problems instead. First is that I recommend Police Story over Police Force. Police Force had bad sound mixing. 1) voices are unsynchronized. 2) voices sound like westerners and every other word is emphasized. They sound melodramatic. 3) the original had fast-paced action music with heavy guitar, the american one has music set to suspence with a lot of pan (continuous monotonous note). Like the stuff used in horror films. Now problems with both. The cinematography wasn't all that good. Wide shots should've been used more and other angles confused me with the setting. Now the action stuff. Not that many fights. The finale was a great prop fight but more items in the mall could have been used. An opportunity to make the end sequence twice as long. The lack of fights were replaced with humor, which was very funny. Jackie has Mars do a fake attack on Brigette Lin. He does the moon walk after stepping in a pile of crap. My favorite is when a tape recorder records a little dialog with some actions, and it sounds like the two (Brigette and Jackie) are in bed together. Among the 4 Police Stories out, I rank this 3rd.

ALOHO'S RATING: 9/10

THE GREAT HENDU'S REVIEW: Although the sequels were good and brought in a larger American audience, this film should stand alone as the preminent police story flick. I don't think I endured a single moment of boring-build-the-storyline- banter. The whole flick was full of action and stunts that I could not believe. Jackie cannot be duplicated, overrated, too anticipated, choreographated, discombobulated, or ever unmotivating. HE IS THE BEST! SEE THIS MOVIE BEFORE YOU DIE OR DIE A WITHERED OLD MAN (or woman).

THE GREAT HENDU'S RATING: 9.75/10

SEAN JOHNSON'S REVIEW: What a film! This is truly one of Chan's best ever. The action starts from the beggining and never lets up. Jackie plays Kevin Chan a Maverick cop from the Royal Hong Kong Police. He is destined to get gangster Ku behind bars once and for all, but it's not going to be that easy. Ku is a sly one who has numerous bodyguards and associates backing him up. Ku's game is drug trafficking, a game he plays with precision and efficiency. The film starts out in a scene with Chan and other team members trying to bust Ku's operation, but when the planning goes awry Chan has to, let's say improvise on what to do.

That improvising means going on a mad car chase through an actual shanteytown (one of the best filmed car chases in movie history), then slides down a steep hill to get onto a double decker bus that has Ku and his men in it; on the street Chan steals a woman's umbrella, runs after the bus, and grabs onto it by the crook of the umbrella (wait not done yet), hangs on for a couple of minutes until he is thrown off. Chan meets up with the bus again in a minute, blocks it's way and corners Ku. Ku temps Chan with a bribe but is ultimitly arested. Telling anymore about the film's plot would ruin the film, but if you are reading this you have most likely seen it. Anyways, so onto the praise...

The film always keeps the action going and has many outstanding fights that make your jaw drop from pure amazement. There is the fight at night with car parts a flying, there's the fight at a hideaway house of Ku's men, and finally the daddy of them all the fight in a populated shopping mall that breaks the record for the most glass broken in a single scene. The fight at the end in my opinion is one of the best choreographed and executed fights of any action film ever released. The stunts are so great in this one scene and the fighting so fluid that you'll be talking about it for days after you see it. I only wish that Chan would continue to make scenes that flow this well in his upcoming pictures.

With films like First Strike, the action is there but there is only one fight scene in the middle. I believe that in all Chan pics there should be an outstanding fight that has the audience yelling and clapping trough it. Okay so I've said that onto the rest of the movie, the homour is some of the funniest Chan has done. The best part about the humour is that it really isn't corny and does fit in perfectly with the storyline. If you pick up the American version called Jackie Chan's Police Force about ten minutes of the film will be cut out which just happens to be some of the humour. Two scenes are cut out to be exact. On the bright side the film is dubbed and us non Chinese speakers can pick up on some of the dialoge we missed while watching the pan and scanned Asian version that has the classic cut off/blend into the background subtitles. Oh yeah the American version is only ten bucks while the other is forty. But if you can find a widescreen fromat of the film, I say go for it!

SEAN JOHNSON'S RATING: 10/10

YUMMYSPAM'S REVIEW: Before I get into the movie, I'd like to say that I only was able to view Police Force (the dubbed, pan-scan, slightly cut version), so that may account for some of my opinions. God, this movie ROCKED. A well-paced action picture, Police Story was one of the first movies (along with Project A) that launched the Jackie style of movies we know and love today. Jackie does nearly every stunt imaginable as he beats the crap out of hoardes of Hong Kong Ganagsters. Jackie Plays the Underdog in this movie (his usual role), as a Police Officer fighting corruption and bad circumstance to overcome a drug lord who's as cheap as they come. A fairly one-dimensional character, but he has been expanded on in this movie's many sequels. The Stunts are what make this movie what it is. The car chase, the bus ride, and the shopping mall are what give the movie it;s character. If you haven't seen it, then you don't know that all if the above are NOTHING like what you're probably thinking of right now. They're better.

YUMMYSPAM'S RATING: 9.5/10

SANG W. PARK'S REVIEW: Let me see. Jackie is....dragged by a bus, driving through (literally) a shanty village, thrown from two story high to crash through a makeshift cottage, using his head to break a glass window, sliding down a pole covered with light decoration, almost run over by a bus.... doing his normal (!) stunts to please his fans. The ultimate Jackie Chan stunt movie.

SANG W. PARK'S RATING: 10/10

DANIEL'S REVIEW: Very awesome movie. I recommened this movie to anyone. The plot was good, the acting was good, the fight choreographies were good, and the stunts were good. Very good movie. I loved the part when Jackie slidies down that long pole, throws people all over the place, gets rid of crap on his shoe by doing the moon walk, jumping all over the place, and the big car scene. Very good movie.

DANIEL'S RATING: 10/10

STEVE GOSS' REVIEW: In this, the first Police Story, Jackie plays a loveable, goofy, hard-boiled detective. The gunfights, car chases, and hostages make the movie a genuine cops and robbers flick with Jackie facing off against the crime boss. The humor left me teary eyed and the final scene in the mall put Jackie's kung-fu, acrobatics, and directing skills to full use in a spectacular ending that more than feeds the average Jackie watcher's need for justified brutality and bone crushing stunts. I best part is, it only cost me ten bucks and it's recorded in SP not that EP crap usually found in the Jackie section.

STEVE GOSS' RATING: 9.5/10

DUSTY'S REVIEW: This movie was GREAT. Ohh, it gets me excited just thinking about it. The only thing there is to hate about the movie is the annoying girl that is always on Jackie's case. That aside, this movie showcases everything Jackie is about. The first scene just sets the tone when two cars just plow through a town downhill side by side. Later Jackie slides down what I think was a 4 story pole with sparks flying everywhere (he hurt himself during that stunt). Jackie will do anything for his fans and here it is.

DUSTY'S RATING: 9/10

VICTOR NGUYEN'S REVIEW: This film was AWESOME!!!! A true masterpiece for Jackie Chan. In this film, Jackie plays Kevin Chan, a ruthless cop who will stop at nothinig to stop a deadly Hong Kong drug ring. His evidence for stopping the drug ring is a witness played by the stunning Brigette Lin. All Kevin has to do is protect her. This film is chalk full of the amazing stunts that have made Jackie so popular. The climax in the crowded Hong Kong shopping mall is one of the best climaxes in movie history. Jackie will just do anything to please his fans[ ex:Take a two story fall and land on the ground, then getting back up for more, jumping onto a four story pole, sliding down while lightbulbs burst]. That is why I respect this guy so much, risking his body for the audiences entertainment. If he didnt do this stuff, I wouldnt be here writing a review for a page that wouldnt exist making Jeff Bona having other stuff to do with his time.

VICTOR NGUYEN'S RATING: 10/10

DAN-O'S REVIEW: About 2 months sgo, I showed "Police Force" to a group of about 50 of my peers on a 40 inch screen (I'm 19, which was about the average age there). When the end credits rolled, showcasing the various flubs and screwups, a deafing roar of applause filled the room. Now, come on, how often do people ACTUALLY applaud a movie?! That applause speaks more eloquently about the brilliance of this film than all the lines of hyperbole I could possibly spew.

DAN-O'S RATING: Think of a really really BIG number, then double it.

ADAM'S REVIEW: PS is about a HK cop who is ordered to protect Selina, the secretary of a crime boss. The only trouble is that she does not want protection. Jackie, named Kevin in this movie, sends one of his fellow police officers to act as a killer so that Selina will want protection. Anyhow, she finds out and winds up giving Kevin a bad day. The story is more complicated than that, but if you have not seen the movie, I don't want to ruin it for you. Overall, I'd say that this is some of Jackie's best work. There is some very good action, and some awesome fight scenes. The only drawback is the sometimes dull storyline. However, the action more than makes up for it. A must see.

ADAM'S RATING: 8.75/10