Police Story (1985) [Film Review]

Police Story; or, The Ultimate Jackie Chan
     You want glory? I will give you glory.
In all probability, Jackie Chan busted into a lot of households with the release of Police Story on VHS back in the day. I was already vividly familiar as a kid with Jackie’s skills in Rumble in the Bronx (1995) and Mr. Nice Guy (1997), but nothing could have prepared me for that epic Golden Harvest logo, catchy theme song, and lots of action set pieces. This is my review of the original Police Story from 1985.
Release Info
Directed by: Jackie Chan Starring: Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Chor Yuen
Language: Cantonese Original Title: 警察故事 Runtime: 101 min
Synopsis
Police Inspector Chan Ka-kui (Jackie Chan) participates in an undercover operation led by the Royal Hong Kong Police and the aim of which is to arrest the drug lord Chu Tao (Chor Yuen). All of a sudden, the shootout begins and Ka-kui finds himself in pursuit of fleeing Chu Tao. Inspector manages to capture and arrest the criminal, but this is not enough. Ka-kui’s superiors plan to use Chu Tao’s secretary, Selina (Brigitte Lin) as a key witness in the upcoming trial. Eventually, Chu Tao is released on bail, yet he intends to have his revenge on Ka-Kui. As a result, the inspector is framed for murder. In order to clear his name, Ka-Kui cooperates with Selina and his girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung) in order to retrieve incriminating data on Chu Tao.
 
The Protector on the Edge
Jackie Chan went to make Police Story due to his disappointment with James Glickenhaus’ The Protector (1985). He wanted to prove that he can make the best cop movie possible without the studio/director interference and what we get are 101 minutes of pure Jackie’s action/comedic style.
 
Evidently, the film’s greatest advantage is the action. Jackie swings from the side of a double-decker bus almost as if he was Harold Lloyd, later he moves on to relentless fights with the bad guys (most notably in the parking lot and in Chu Tao’s mansion), and, at the very end, the viewers are left out of breath in the movie’s thrilling shopping mall finale (sarcastically nicknamed by the crew as “Glass Story”).
 
Whereas Police Story undoubtedly delivers in the field of action, its comedic aspects constitute a totally different story. What worked in terms of gags on the set of, for example, Wheels on Meals (1984) is not particularly effective here. Don’t get me wrong, Jackie’s subtle comedy like answering multiple phones or quarrelling with Maggie Cheung is perfectly acceptable, but Jackie’s over the top shenanigans in court or staged fight with Mars greatly contradict the film’s supposed tone of grittiness.
 
Speaking about performances, Jackie is at the top of his game here, but his overall acting will significantly improve in the subsequent Police Story movies. Brigitte Lin shines not just with her beauty (apartment escape scene), but also in terms of a visual charm and physical prowess, even as damsel in distress. Maggie Cheung was severely underused in the first and third entries of the series, yet it’s always great to see her in earlier roles. Chor Yuen and Charlie Cho do great jobs playing memorable bad guys; however, they are reduced to comical figures in Police Story 2 (1988).
 
In addition, the music score composed by Michael Lai and Tang Siu Lam has that very 80’s synthesizer feel. Apart from the main theme’s instrumental version and its rearrangements, the film features a variety of different music cues in key scenes, which was not quite common at that time, because the productions' scores would be limited only to a theme or one continuous music cue.
 
Recommendations
Highly recommended to anyone who wants to see classic Hong Kong works of Jackie Chan. However, if you want to see Jackie in a dead serious cop drama, then I suggest that you check out Kirk Wong’s Crime Story (1993) instead. Apart from that, Police Story is a great film and a solid first entry in the super awesome cop series. Get on that double-decker bus and let Jackie show you how good old action set pieces were made back in the non-CGI days. Sweat and bleed in search of the Great way!
Overall score: 8/10

A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) [Film Review]

A Chinese Ghost Story; or, Love Conquers Hell
     I retired, because I hate dealing with mean people. So I hid in this temple. I pretended to be a ghost in front of a man and a human in front of a ghost, and now I don't know if I'm a man or a ghost. I'm not a swordsman. Swordsman, ridiculous! I don't want to be a man, yet Nip Siu-sin wishes to reincarnate.
It was inevitable, but the time has finally come for me to review one of the all-time best Hong Kong fantasy classics A Chinese Ghost Story from 1987, brought to film by director Ching Siu-Ting and producer Tsui Hark, the supernatural tale about the bond between a mortal man and a demon’s servant.
Release Info
Directed by: Ching Siu-Ting Starring: Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, Wu Ma
Language: Cantonese Original Title: 倩女幽魂 Runtime: 95 min
 
Plot
Ning Choi-san (played by Leslie Cheung) is a debt collector who travels through the Chinese plains and visits local towns. Unfortunately, he is also plagued by misfortune as his account book is destroyed, so he has no money to pay for shelter. As a result, he spends a night in a haunted temple outside of the town. There, he encounters an enchantingly beautiful woman called Nip Siu-sin (Joey Wong). Little does he know that Siu-sin is a ghost who lures travellers with her body so that the Tree Demoness (Lau Siu-ming), a 1000-year-old monster, can eat men inside out. Nevertheless, Ning Choi-san falls for the ghost and protects her from dangers, in turn Siu-sin protects him from other flesh-eating ghosts. With the help of a Taoist monk, Yin Chik-ha (Wu Ma), Choi-san descends into the deepest levels of hell to save Siu-sin from the grasp of the Tree Demoness.
 
The Ethereal Spirit of a Beauty
When I was at the beginning of my adventure with the Hong Kong cinema, this one title, A Chinese Ghost Story, kept popping up in every movie recommendations and various message boards. Never being a huge fan of the fantasy/ghost genre, I was not really keen on checking it out initially, but the more I read about the film, the more I wanted the discover the phenomenon behind it.
 
A Chinese Ghost Story was actually inspired by the Shaw Brothers drama film The Enchanting Shadow from 1966 (both movies share the same Chinese title), but Ching Siu-Ting and Tsui Hark reinvented the story to such an extent that it bears little resemblance to its original. The two creators had very different visions about the film. Namely, Siu-ting wanted it to be more an action/horror story, whereas Hark opted for a romance/love story. The final result is somewhat the middle ground between these visions.
 
The movie is eerie, yet not scary, while being dynamic and moving at the same time. This was made possible thanks to the hectic work of stuntmen, f/x experts, and leading actors over the course of over 8 months! (at least claimed by Wu Ma). Even Tsui Hark was frequently present on the set and admitted to directing many scenes. Well, what we get from this daredevil endeavour of HK filmmaking is a beautiful and unforgettable adaptation with spellbinding cinematography and art direction.
 
With regard to performances, Leslie Cheung is at his best here. Instead of being a predictable, comical/flamboyant type, Leslie creates a relatable everyman caught in the middle of a spiritual war he cannot comprehend. It comes as no surprise that the 2011 theatrical re-release of the film as well as the remake were dedicated to his memory. On the other hand, Joey Wong is outstanding as the ghostly spectre who desires to free herself from the firm grasp of the Tree Demoness. Interestingly, Joey would go on to repeat this role not only in the sequels, but also in many remakes and retellings of this classic film. Naturally, Wu Ma must also be praised for his memorable performance of a ghost-fighting Taoist monk. Priests from The Exorcist (1973) should watch and learn how a pro obliterates demons in a true Dragonball-like style.
 
One more thing which I should comment on is the music score by James Wong. It wonderfully enriches the tone of the movie as the instrumentals heavily rely on traditional Chinese music. In addition, the end credits song was sung by Leslie Cheung himself. In fact, the tune is so associated with the series that it was kept intact at the end of the 2011 remake.
 
Recommendations
I safely recommend this film to anyone who is interested in discovering the hallmarks of Hong Kong cinema. The movie is entertaining and fast-paced in terms of action set pieces, but also poetic in its inventive subtlety. What is more, there is absolutely no CGI but only practical effects. I also suggest that you try to grab a remastered DVD or Blu-ray version in order to fully enjoy the film and the wonders it provides. All things considered, A Chinese Ghost Story is a cinematic tale unlike any other.
Overall score: 9/10

Note: This review was published in a re-edited form on AMP (August 17, 2019)

Jackie Chan in Poland [OMG!] [News]


So yesterday, there I was in my room, ticking Jackie Chan movies which I have already seen off the list and I suddenly heard on TV: “Jackie Chan is in Poland”...
 
What?! You mean like right here, right now?! My brain just went on reset for a minute and the news flash provided the explanation:
Namely, Jackie is currently shooting a movie in Prague and, during his time off, he decided to drop by to Wrocław in Poland and do some sightseeing. The luckiest fans could meet him in the areas of the Old Town and Solny Square. Jackie even gave a short TV interview in the middle of a street.
 

(Picture source: http://www.wykop.pl)
I was ready to grab my camera and a dvd copy of Shanghai Noon, but unfortunately Wrocław is 230 km from where I live. With a little luck, I could have got there before sunset, but Jackie would have probably left by then.
Nevertheless, some Poles joked about the whole situation on the Internet:
“Perhaps he will meet some local drunken masters.”
“Don’t mind Jackie, who’s the big dragon behind him?!”
“I was in the queue to the NHS. He was there too! He was waiting to get to a GP.”
“He most certainly didn’t want any trouble :)”
“He would smash the Old Town to pieces in a few secs, if he wanted to!”
Well, that would be it. I hope that Jackie spent a pleasant day in Wrocław. As for you, dear readers, please stay tuned for my Police Story series reviews, on which I am currently working. Oh and Jackie, if you’ll ever be in the area of Bydgoszcz: We can hang in my crib, I’ll show you my hood.
Sources:
https://www.wykop.pl/link/4402143/jackie-chan-przyjechal-do-wroclawia-znany-gwiazdor-spacerowal-po-rynku/strona/3/
http://www.wykop.pl/ramka/4402143/jackie-chan-przyjechal-do-wroclawia-znany-gwiazdor-spacerowal-po-rynku/