Hey folks, Harry here with our first review of Jackie Chan's NEW POLICE STORY and it sounds pretty damn good! This is the sort of film we've been hoping for out of Jackie, and it looks like that's exactly what we're getting. Here ya go...
Hey Harry & Co.,
This is my first contribution to AICN. I just watched New Police Story last night.
I’ve always been a fan of Chan, and the first 3 Police Story films rank among my all time action-films must-watch list (the fourth one was rather "meh"). While NPS is IMO better than First Strike, it never quite extablishes the same freneticism and "Good-God-that-was-awesome" plateau as the first 3 films. Frankly, that’s to be expected. Chan is nearing 50, after all. There’s still plenty to like about NPS, mind you.
First of all, I should mention that I caught the mandarin-dubbed version, which automatically deducted several points. Considering that many of the actors can speak mandarin, it’s mind-boggling why the producers decided to have other people doing their voices. This isn’t rocket science, people. Anyway, the dubbing is total ass. It couldn’t have been worse if they’d done it in Dongzhak or Russian.
Direction- and storywise, NPS is decent but at many points throughout the film, you get the impression that Benny Chan and Alan Yuen had been watching too much Gen-X Cops. All the references to X Games and youngsters dressed as clowns just bespeak an all-too desperate attempt at being ‘cool’ and ‘hip’ by people who haven’t been either in decades. Better to just stick to what you know, fellas.
The story starts out briefly with a very drunk Wing (Chan), before the audience is brought up to speed with a flashback sequence that’s heavy on the action. Wing is the leader of a CID task force assigned to capture a ruthless gang of rich brats led by Joe (Daniel Wu) who rob banks and kill cops for kicks. Overly cocky, Wing goes on television to state that the gang will be apprehended in 3 just hours. The gang, of course, takes umbrage, and Wing’s team walks right into an elaborate trap that leaves Wing the only survivor. Haunted by the deaths of his team right before his eyes and unable to forgive himself for failing to save them, Wing takes a leave of absence and turns to the bottle for solace, even pushing away his fiance Hoi Yee (Charlie Yeung). We then return to the present, where his new partner Frank (Nicholas Tse) shows up to bring him out of exile. Don’t worry, the action doesn’t stop there. Oodles and oodles of it follows, as Wing and Frank begin their pursuit o f the gang across the Hong Kong landscape. As you would expect, plenty of devastation ensue. Bar fights, double decker bus carnage, bombs, and a final showdown involving plenty of Legos. Yes, those Legos.
Interspersed between the action scenes are many slower characterization scenes, with Chan providing the quiet heart of the film. He cries a lot here. Charlie Yeung does her job as the romantic interest, but she doesn’t have that much to do here except to look concerned and forlorn. I’ve never really liked Nick Tse, but I must admit he did a pretty bang up job here, providing most of the comic relief and bringing genuine charm to his character. Daniel Wu, Yu Rongguang, and the other supporting characters all fared comparatively well, with the exception of Charlene Choi (Twins Effect) as Sasa, the computer whiz. This whiny brat is by far the single most annoying thing in NPS. Apparently there are men who find her attractive. On this planet.
Now, the action (which is why you’re reading this, no doubt). While the stunts in NPS are not as mind-blowingly extreme as in Chan’s earlier films, there is nevertheless quite a lot of leaping, rolling, falling, destruction of public property, getting hit by moving vehicles, wall-scaling, and deft acrobatics to keep most fans happy. All brought to you by the inimitable Jackie Chan Stunt Team. These guys are the absolute best in the business, and they know it. On the down side, there are only 3 major fight scenes: A bar fight, and 2 other matches starring Wing and gang member Tin Tin (Andy On – or his stunt double). But while the number may be low, They make up for it with sheer on-screen impact. The fights between Wing and Tin Tin are nothing short of spectacular, with incredible split-second choreagraphy and lightning fast ‘how-the-hell-do-they-do-that’ moves that rival those seen in Chan’s best films. None of that pansy Rush Hour shit here. This is the Jackie Chan that we’ve all missed. All in all, the action in NPS is head-and-shoulders above anything Chan’s Hollywood films could ever hope to deliver.
The Duke of Mirrors out. Thanks, guys.
