New Police Story (2004) User Reviews

Better than his recent movies

[andrewhollingsworth · 7/10 · 30 November 2004]

Anyone expecting a film to equal the classic Police Story will be disappointed. I didn't, so I wasn't.

Some comments have been rather scathing but I believe that New Police Story is the best Jackie Chan film to come out since Drunken Master 2, especially as far as action is concerned.

The story, although not perfect, is more than adequate and is something of a departure for Chan. He may not be the world's greatest actor but his performance is more than adequate. Although comedy action is what Jackie does best, that formula is getting tired now.

Although little of the action was original (bus stunt again, amongst others) it is much better in this film than any of his recent American financed films.

Wires have been used by Hong Kong action stars for a very long time now. Jackie Chan used wires in the New Police Story but that is nothing new for Chan now either, he is 50(ish) after all. Anyone who has worked with wires will tell you what hard work it is so it shouldn't be so easily dismissed.

Overall reasonably entertaining film that most Jackie Chan fans will enjoy as long as they are not expecting a film as good as Police Story.

One reviewer gave this 3/10 but if New Police Story is worth 3/10 then the Medallion (for me possibly the worst Jackie Chan film) should have a negative rating. I highly recommend this one to Jackie Chan fans and those who are not may be pleasantly surprised. I give the New Police Story 7/10.

The return of good Jackie Chan movies

[hellbent_64 · 8/10 · 5 December 2004]

In comparison with his American efforts, any of his Chinese based movies easily outshines any of his newer US productions, and this particular one is no exception. Though Jackie Chan is getting older, it still doesn't stop him from making good (or bad) movies. It certainly doesn't stop a lot of US actors. If I can move like Jackie Chan does when I get to his age, i'd be glad. (Especially since I cant even do some of those moves now) The movie moves at a steady pace, with some parts that are a bit over-reaching and over-emotional, but has some really spectacular stunts and action. I am posting this review primarily as a counterpoint to the previous users comment. I don't understand why someone who doesn't like ANY of Jackie Chan's movies would write a (biased) review. I don't write reviews on movies I hate, and I don't go to movies featuring an actor/acress I don't enjoy, so I have to wonder why he did so.

Return of the Master

[leekandham · 7/10 · 31 December 2004]

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.

Love it!!!

[jadzyuk · 7/10 · 4 June 2010]

I watched this movie a couple of days ago and I love it, I haven't watched such an amazing movie in ages. I would really, really advise everyone to watch this, it's another spectacular movie from Jackie Chan and co. I love all the actors and actresses and I think their performances were phenomenal. Everything about the movie convinced me it was real and I think that it took a lot of courage to perform the stunts they did and I really honour them for that! I really haven't got anything bad to say about it, I wish that everyone would watch it and if you are a Jackie Chan fan, then you should definitely watch it and comment too, because it deserves all the credit and gratitude from the fans. I loved to see a lot of my other favourite actors, such as Daniel Wu, Andy On, Hayama Go, Terence Yin, Coco Chiang, and I know they are all of the terrorists or whatever you want to call them, but I know them all and love them all.

Dark turn for POLICE STORY franchise

[Libretio · 7/10 · 20 December 2004]

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 packs a violent confrontation between Jackie and an evil young bunch

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 27 April 2009]

This stirring story about the cop named Chang Wing of the Hong Kong precinct is well played by Jackie Chan. When his police buddies are chased by a wicked criminal band , Wing turns into an unfortunate boozer. A youth allegedly police inspector helps him to track down the gang of five commanded by nasty Joe. Then Chan looks for vengeance against the ominous villains at a cat and mouse game.

This exciting movie is crammed of action-packed, breathtaking stunt-work and lots of violence.Jackie Chan is top notch as one army man fighting a group of heinous criminals and as always he makes his own stunts like is showed on the final fake-shots. Awesome,incredible stunts and brief comic touches, as usual ; the picture is better constructed than its predecessor. The lighting-paced storyline slows down at times because the runtime is overlong, two hours and some, but frenetic action sequences make up for it. Spotlights movie include Jackie jumping over a bus , furthermore dangling and downing a skyscraper, among others. This is a phenomenal action movie distinguished by nicely cinematography of the spectacular sequences , though contain lesser sense of humor than previous entries. However while the former outings Jackie teamed up to prestigious actresses and fine action stars in their own right ,like Maggie Cheung and Michelle Khan , at this film his parternaire is unknown. The first version titled ¨Police story(1985)¨ directed by the same Jackie Chan was a perfect action film for enthusiastic of the genre; the following was ¨Police story 2(1988)¨also pretty violent and with abundant humor touches. It's followed by ¨Supercop¨ directed by Stanley Tong and finally, ¨Police story IV : Crime story. Rating : Good, the picture has its sensational moments , mostly provided by its agile star, the great Jackie Chan.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Gamers

[Coventry · 8/10 · 17 May 2007]

It's almost tragic to establish that in Hollywood Jackie Chan exclusively gets cast to appear in lame action-comedies (like "The Tuxedo" and "Rush Hour"), whilst in his home country of Hong Kong he's at least righteously offered to play serious roles and to be a genuine hard-fighting icon of action movies. "New Police Story" is everything but comical, it's a harsh and hardcore-to-the-bone cop thriller with an extreme overload of violent shootouts, dazzling stunts and relentless executions. The story is fairly original and adapted to the new type of crime-waves representing the post-2000 era, with Chan playing the cop who's up against an entirely new breed of villains: bored and spoiled rich kids obsessed with video games and committing violence purely for kicks. The youthful gang members inventively rob banks even though they don't need the money, have an insatiable appetite for destruction and – oh yeah – they really hate cops. When inspector Chan is a little too confident on TV about catching the thugs, they set up an ambush to sadistically slaughter Chan's entire team. The pain and guilt of losing his team drives Chan to drink heavily and neglect his police work, but a younger colleague slowly convinces him to solve the case and avenge his dead team-members. Like most Asian productions, "New Police Story" is rather long for an action film (slightly over 2 hours) but it's never boring or unnecessarily sentimental, not even during the relatively long period when inspector Chan mourns over his departed friends and colleagues. The action sequences and stunts are downright sensational; the highlight being an excessively destructive bus-out-of-control scene through the crowded streets of Hong Kong. "New Police Story" in an almost non-stop and adrenalin-rushing series of spectacular stunts, but it's also very praiseworthy for Jackie Chan's tour-de-force acting performance. This is his first film in which his acting talent is actually a lot more impressive than his fabulous martial arts skills. Especially the sequences in which his character stumbles through dark alleys at night, incredibly drunk and heart-broken, are harrowing and very realistic. Grim, sadistic violence and real drama are very difficult themes to mix together, but this film seemly pulls it off without too much trouble. "New Police Story" isn't intended for the faint-hearted, but if you like your heroes invincible, your criminals ultra-evil and your action rough & explicit, this film comes with my highest possible recommendation.

Best Jackie chan Film in a long time!

[goodmen · 4 December 2004]

Benny Chan who directed this film, is a very successful commercial director, who has made many great big budget HK movie (like last year Heroic Duo). Benny Chan, also made a movie with Jackie call WHo Am I and that was also a very entertaining movie.

This movie, has many new star and young star like Charlene Choi, Nic Tse, Daniel Wu, Andy On and so on (rich and powerful parent). I wish his son should be in this movie to play one of the bad guy.

The baddie here are rich bored people with nothing to do, except Daniel Wu the leader of the bandit who rob the major bank for fun. In this movie i actually wanted them to win because those bad guy were so smart (has you will see in the beginning). Jackie Chan acted marvelous and i won't be surprise if he getting a nomination for that. By far his best acting in a long time, like the part where his girlfriend was strap in bomb and they were talking about their dying romance. Daniel Wu play another marvelous job and his acting is for sure getting better. This guy going to make many great film has time goes. The action in this movie is amazing considering Jackie Chan age, and it seem like Nic Tse wanted to be the next JC, cuz he done some of the stunt himself. Charlie Young who play JC girlfriend return after 7 years of no acting. She still look pretty, exactly too young for JC i might add, in this movie her brother was under Jackie Chan team, but of course the bandit (call themself x-games) kill all his team including her brother. Therefore JC feel ashame for that and sour their relationship. Charlene Choi (one of the twins) is also in this movie but she play a very minor role but still a funny character like at the ending. She suppose to play Nic Tse character.

Right from the beginning to the end, this film was superb and by far the first film HK film this year i would give it 9 out of ten (One nite in Mangkok come close with 8.5/10). Watching these kind of film make me wonder why he, Jet Li and CYF don't come back to HK and make those kind of amazing films.

a unmissable jackie chan film

[mbarnfield · 7/10 · 15 March 2005]

For anyone who's become slightly bored of the often un easy American outings of Jackie Chan new police story is a breath of fresh air.

It returns to the slightly grittier moods of some of his 80's films whilst still retaining his charm and wit.If you liked Police story 2, then i feel you will not be disappointed with the latest police story.

In comparison to his earlier films,the action is slightly slower, and includes cgi elements in some of the scenes. But damn it, the mans over 50 and he's still jumping off buildings and kicking ass.

The story line is sound, if a little odd at times to a western viewer, but enjoyable none the less.

One unfortunate draw back is unless you speak Cantonese, the gag reel at the end is a disappointment

ignore what haters say...

[veggwhale · 10/10 · 4 July 2011]

this movie is very good. i don't care if the stunts are redone or from previous old jackie chan movies. this is by far one of my favorite movies.

jackie chan deserved a lot for his movies. better than those overrated...paparazzi following U.S. celebrities...Americans love so much.

screw haters.......this movie was great. i'm glad they made this.

so what if the hk police look weak? U.S. police are crap too in real life too.

i like this movie in its original language.

i give it a full score because this movie deserved it.

it was funny, thrilling, sad, suspenseful, and action pack.

i don't care what haters think....they don't know how to review a good movie.

this movie is awesome so f#ck off!

So glad to see Jackie make Hong Kong movies again!

[dennisyoon · 7/10 · 24 December 2004]

I love his better Hong Kong works. The Hollywood made ones of late left me thinking they watered his essence down or changed his formula in a wrong way. Anyway I'd rather watch Asian films made in Asia than watch Hollywood films marginalize, stereotype and misrepresent people.

I for one still want him to make more movies! Like billions of others out there, I was mesmerized by Jackie as a boy and still imitate the heck out of his moves even today. Anyone who disses Jackie should try to do 1% of what he's accomplished.

The story was pretty good and the production slick. The tension and pace is just right for action. Some interesting themes are brought up about kids and their obsession with games as well as criticism of poor parenting. The struggling inspector played by Jackie was an interesting turn because he was less of a clown and more of a troubled soul. Maybe some people were put off by the sadness of some events in the film but they sure pulled me in.

It's hard to get really raw emotion when the production is so slick and the action over the top but one scene between Jackie and his love interest really got to me and his lovable sidekick left a bittersweet taste in the end.

One of Jackie Chan's best. Griping story, action and drama.

[mariecx · 10/10 · 11 January 2013]

Definitely the best of the Police Story series, and one of the best movies that Jackie's been in. As much as I love his comedy, I really enjoy seeing him do straight drama. The story and the action are riveting and pretty much nonstop. A small gang of punkass teens are after money and have an insatiable thirst for cop blood. And they are pretty brutal about getting both. The way they go about their mayhem is pretty clever and twisted. One of the best things going in this movie are the teaming of Jackie and Nicholas Nse. Nse's fast talking, smart mouthed younger cop makes a perfect match for Jackie's seasoned and serious veteran. They play off each other perfectly with touches of subtle humor here and there. I would have loved to see them paired up more as this cop duo, but it's now 9 years later already and even Nse himself isn't a kid anymore.

A definite winner. Break out the popcorn and settle in with the lights off.

The old "Police Story" movies are still are million times better

[jordondave-28085 · 6/10 · 17 June 2023]

(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.

Terrible let down

[nilay · 5/10 · 6 January 2005]

This film i was really looking forward to was a Terrible let down. The villains were jokes, they were totally unbelievable and a disaster. The plot didn't fare much better, it was too unrealistic and completely stupid at times, also it didn't manage to interest me in the slightest. The actors all tended to overact far too much, although Jackie was alright. The film wasn't even very entertaining, i was finding myself bored at many points, since the plot didn't hook me in. The only reason i sat through the film was because it had decent action sequences (Espeicially the final one) and the beautiful women. In restrospect i really only enjoyed the last 2 minutes of the film. i wouldn't recommend this film to anyone who wants to see a great new Jackie Chan film, let alone a good action film, it will truly disappoint. Although Jackie Chan was decent in this film, he didn't do anything new or exciting for my taste, his acting wasn't great and his stunts are becoming less dazzling as his body ages, still hes much better than i ever will be at that age. Overall i was disappointed with this film. There fore i could only give this film 4/5 out of 10

Jackie Chan is back and he is in a serious role!

[skwong · 24 September 2004]

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.

Another fun Jackie Chan vehicle, but in the end too ridiculous and unfocused.

[tntokmenko · 6/10 · 26 February 2013]

The movie fluctuates its tone repeatedly, going from a gritty cop redemption tale and shifting gears into a mismatched buddy cop movie. The antagonists of New Police Story are a team of teenagers who at some points are presented like ingenious super-villains, then at other points like just stupid meandering kids. The problem is there are some incredibly unbelievable moments sprinkled-in which dissolve the impact of realistic and emotionally heavy scenes. To clear my perspective up, I do mean unrealistic within the realm Hong Kong standards. The original trilogy of Police Story movies felt balanced with the inclusion of comic relief, although for New Police Story the material at hand may be set-up too serious for such classic Jackie Chan antics. The whole warehouse scene for example was handled in the style of a cartoon. Considering how tragic the events that unfolded there were, I felt it very bizarre the antagonists were treated like comical super-villains. There is atrocious product placement in here as well, the worst offender being Lego which shows up abruptly, misplaced, and for too long. In all honesty I am nitpicking though, the movie is an extremely fun ride it's just too reminiscent of a careless Hollywood blockbuster than akin to a Hong Kong feature of this genre. The stunt work is absolutely top-notch, with many eye-popping moments that Jackie and his team are known for. The action sequences are especially well done and authentic to the original Police story Series, a must watch if only to see Mr. Chan do what he does best. Once again although New Police Story is a very fun ride, there are many elements which feel as if they either don't fit or don't belong. -6/10

A pleasant surprise on the drama side, although the realization of the story being just ridiculous

[dragonshield · 6/10 · 14 June 2007]

I rented "New Police Story" a few days ago. I was just looking for an easy action movie, nothing serious, so I was browsing through the DVD's at the renting store and the name of Jackie Chan in one of the covers just popped into my eye. So I watched the movie and I was very surprised how dramatic it also was besides the action it, it's not often you see Jackie Chan doing drama anyways. And to be honest, the main focus to me was more on the drama, so the whole story had surprisingly much depth in it too, the action side was just sort for spicing up the movie a little bit and a good spice that was. The movie tells a story about a police, Inspector Chan Kwok-Wing, who's entire team gets killed in a tragic mission. Kwok-Wing feels guilty for the deaths of his fellow police officers and becomes a drunk without hope and not being capable of forgiving himself. A young man pretending to be a police officer suddenly comes into Wing's life, helping him to get back on his feet and stop the gang who's guilty in the deaths of the team.

There's the main plot about the gang and its members, then there's these subplots which include a love story, a story about friendship and a story about courage and not giving in. The subplots are the best thing the movie has to offer, as the main plot itself is just silly. The members of the gang, cop haters, are somehow obsessed with video games and decide to make a game about how they killed the team mates of Wing. It could work if done properly, but the thing which makes it so bad is the acting done by the gang members, all the screaming and shouting when they're excited is just so overacted it's garbage. The cheering which is repeated annoyingly too much throughout the movie just doesn't work in any part of the movie, the characters of the gang are so unrealistic and have nothing to do with reality. However, the character of Wing does. I was so surprised of the fact that Jackie Chan can actually do drama as well, the acting he does is believable and it's overall a pretty flawless role performance as well. I've always known that Chan is a master when it comes to facial expressions, but drama, honestly? Jackie Chan doing drama. You're kidding, right? No, I'm not. I honestly have to raise my hat for him, as he was so enjoyable in the movie, both drama and action wise.

There wasn't as much action I expected, but that's alright, as the drama side of the movie was more enjoyable, although the action scenes are once again incredible. The movie sadly suffers from a slight dullness, it is actually a bit too long. You just wait for something to happen and there's this part of the movie where it feels like the movie would simply stand on its feet without moving along. You don't receive as much as you hope. Anyway, everyone knows Jackie Chan does his own stunts and you just have to give some respect for the guy. When you know the actor himself is doing his own stunts it really gives the movie that extra something and the stunts are simply better than they actually are. The fighting scenes are definite entertainment and when it comes to Chinese action it's always an art form of its own, it even can't be compared to Hollywood action. Hollywood may do it more visually, but China does it more technically and with experience and you just got to love it. The action scenes in this movie are guaranteed Chinese quality action and they won't be disappointing you, although there are just a few of them.

If you're looking for action and nothing else, then this movie isn't for you. If you're looking for a decent action/drama movie, then this will be a recommendation for you. It's nothing phenomenal, but it's a good film. Nothing to be praised but nothing to be slaughtered either. The love story, the slight humour, the whole depth in the plot besides the main plot and the great Jackie Chan are the best thing this movie has to offer. Though some of it may be a bit too cliché it's still enjoyable, it's not THAT serious after all. "New Police Story" isn't a light movie, but it's not a heavy movie either. If you want to see Jackie Chan doing a good role performance, I suggest you watch this movie right away, as you will most certainly be surprised. Hopefully as much as I was.

"You DA man, Chan!" Please stop saying that.

[Grant_Price · 7/10 · 4 December 2007]

Theatrical is the word that best describes Jackie Chan's return to Hong Kong cinema with this reboot of his mega-successful 'Police Story' franchise (though NPS is not related to any of the prior films.) Whereas the original four films were a mix between comedy and action, the 2004 effort attempts to take a darker, more serious tone, though this usually results in unintentional comedy anyway.

The story concerns Chan's imaginatively named protagonist, Inspector Chan, who witnesses the deaths of his entire police team at the hands of a gang of young bank robbers who loathe the police. Chan then blames himself and resorts to drinking heavily until a mysterious character by the name of PC138 (Nicholas Tse) persuades him to find the criminals responsible and bring them to justice. The story doesn't exactly break boundaries in terms of originality, then. However, the way in which it is executed pardons that. The fights (which is all anybody's really waiting for in a Jackie Chan film) are pretty spectacular, with more emphasis on Chan's actual martial arts abilities in this movie than any of the ostentatious rubbish he starred in in Hollywood. The fight in the room full of Lego just begging to be destroyed (there's also a bank in the same building; it totally makes sense) is the best example of Chan's ability to kick ass. Similarly, the stunts are incredible and it's refreshing to see that in an age of computer-generated-b0llocks Jackie is willing to slide down a skyscraper, risking immediate death, in order to entertain the masses for a couple of hours. Plus, he sings the song played over the credits. What a guy.

As for the bad points there are many, though as this usually results in laughing like a girl, NPS is forgiven. It really is quite funny. For example, throughout the first half of the film, Chan cries in pretty much every scene, presumably to show the world the limitless depths of his acting skills. A typical scene involves a couple of actors standing around looking embarrassed while Chan, on his knees, weeps like a baby. He looks like an idiot. Also, his impression of a drunkard is more akin to Charlie Chaplin than Jack Daniels (I assume he must have been drunk all the time.) However, it is not all Chan's fault. Blame also has to be placed at the hands of the flamboyant villains, who look like they've stepped out of a retarded version of A Clockwork Orange, resplendent in their colourful masks and talking in a strange mixture of Chinese and English. Yeah, let's take them seriously. Also, their backgrounds are revealed to be "they take part in the X Games and have X Games watches OMG!", which is just an excuse to let the antagonists ride around on BMXs and Rollerblades, including one scene with a X Games-esquire event on top of a skyscraper. One can only assume that this is included in order for Uncle Jackie to show that he's 'down with the kids' and not a 53 year old Asskicker/Cantonese pop star who has released over 20 albums. Mission accomplished, Jackie.

Overall though, New Police Story provides exactly what you expect it to and possibly a little more (like floods of tears.) Perhaps next time Jackie will a) come up with a better title for the film than one he's been using since 1987, b) introduce more believable villains, c) remove the tragedy aspect entirely, d) not use a pistol because the only person he hits in the whole film is a girl in the neck, and e) remove any mention of extreme sports. Still, it's a million times better than Rush Hour 3.

Jackie Chan is back to what he's good at

[siao-fi · 8/10 · 18 October 2004]

When I go to the theatre, I never expected that Police Story 5 (New Police Story) is not a sequel to Police Story 4 (First Strike). I always expected there's Uncle Bill in every Police story series. So, this one is quite surprising for me as a fans of Police Story series. But still, this movie is wonderful in the story, the cast, and most of all, the action.

Jackie Chan is back to what he's good at. For some years, when Jackie is making movies for Hollywood filmmakers, I always miss him with his famous JC Stunt Team. It's not fun to watch a digital fighting scene like the ones in 'The Tuxedo'. That's why, New Police Story is like a fountain in the desert to JC fans like me. JC is back to HongKong, to his JC Stunt Team, and with Benny Chan (again) they're making a full-of-action movie, with good story and cast as well. Here, JC shows that he can also plays an emotional scene (besides plays funny or do action scenes).

Daniel Wu also plays well, and I hope to see him more in future HongKong movies. This movie also has surprising ending on how the relationship between JC and Nicholas Tse begins.

Not classic, but better than Jackie's Hollywood Output

[a_chinn · 7/10 · 9 May 2017]

I wasn't going into this film expecting much, especially after all the rather dull films Jackie Chan he'd been making in Hollywood, but Jackie can still deliver some solid Hong Kong style action when he's put in control. The first three Police Story films were nothing great in the story and character department, but they were jaw droppingly amazing when it came to the action and particularly the stunt work. The fourth film was fun, but felt like it was trying too hard to be more of a western style of action film, which is not at all why you watch a Jackie Chan film. However, this film does harken back to those first three films in the Police Story series. The story is pretty contrived, overly dramatic, and honestly not all that good, but the action is terrific and almost non-stop. Jackie delivers some good stunt work, though nothing as insane as some of his earlier films, but cut the guy a break. He was 50 years old when he made this film. There is one fight sequence that takes place near the end of the film in a Lego store that could rival the best fight scenes between Jackie and Benny "The Jet" Urquidez. Overall, this film isn't one of Jackie's best, but it does harken back to his earlier films in a way that he hasn't done so in Hollywood for quite some time.

A can of Kick-ASS!

[brandon_lee420 · 9/10 · 25 May 2010]

Having only watched only one film of his "...Police story" film, I randomly decided to rent out an action film. After a lot of searching around my eyes were stuck to New Police Story because it got a reasonable score on IMDb: number one site to search up films! The films blurb was interesting enough to make me rent this film our and after finishing this, I am glad and happy for the price I paid for this film. First thing you need to know is that this film is no Ong Bak or The Protector but it is different in it's ow way. The story is far more interesting than Ong Bak's and the action isn't one o one style all the time because there will be moments in the film where guns, traps, and even bombs are used to make the film a lot more fun and way more unbelievable. Apart from all the fighting stuff, there are a lot of stunts used in this film, like the part where Jackie Chan makes an entrance into a rampaging bus. Or maybe the part where he is dangling from the burning rope. Even the stunts were unbelievable at times. Jackie Chan is fantastic as ever in this film and this time his police story is far more interesting and funner to watch. I like the way that he is seen with such heroism but quickly descends down and tries to make a scene again and maybe regain his reputation with his fellow police officers. The heist scenes are cool to watch and with all the crazy monkeys leaping around the place, it is hard not to treasure scenes like those. The movie would have had ten stars if it wasn't for the length that was used for this particular film. Isn't an action film supposed to be fun, short, and nonsense. This film definitely has fun, a little bit of nonsense, and definitely sucks in length. If they had made the movie a bit shorter, it would have been the perfect action film. The plot is more interesting than the whole action bits whole together because the story is more heavy and, surprisingly, quite good. Jackie Chan is truly the best I have seen in a long time to star in a film, his acting has rather improved a lot but his great acting comes with a price: he hardly is humorous in the film. That is good in a way since this film deals with situation that are meant to be taken seriously. Jackie Chan is awesome and continues to amaze us with this film. His role is an self-guilty police officer who witnesses the death of his entire team is emotional, making it his most emotional role in his life. I, especially, love his fighting style and his performance. Bravo! So if Jackie Chan has no humor in New Police Story then where do we get it from. Answer: Nicholas Tse. Nicholas Tse plays a huge and important part in the film because he is the one who urges Jackie Chan's character, Inspector Chan Kwok-Wing, to stop his drinking habit and to come back in order to capture the mysterious, intelligent gang led by Joe Kwan, Daniel Wu, which is the named The Gang of Five. Nicholas is the stand in comedian for Jackie Chan. He looked like he wanted to be a mini - Chan and he mostly succeeds. Daniel Wu plays an evil gang leader who hates cops and wants to cause havoc. His team is rich, young fellows who have nothing better to do thank kill cops and rob banks. In Joe Kwan's case it is a whole different case. He doesn't come from a wealthy family like his gangs and throughout his childhood, he was beaten by his dad and his anger for the cops started from then on. Daniel Wu has everything to be a villain but often he disappoints.

(Minor Spoilers)Inspector Chan Kwok-Wing is China's most valuable cop who comes and saves the day...most of the time. He has confidence and a whole lot of fighting skills backing him up but this time his confidence will ruin his life. A gang of thieves suddenly appear out of nowhere and start shooting cops with machine guns to earn money. A whole lot of cops die on that night. Chan, along with his whole team and his brother-in-law, find the thieves hideout and are prepared to face them. What they didn't expect is a confusing puzzle where they are taken one by one. As his whole team dies, he finally confronts the evil and ruthless gang. They play a sadistic and torturous game where he challenged to a game of random things that will secure his men....or kill them. A year later, Chan has quit the force and now is a drunk roaming the streets of China with criminals on the loose. When he passes out on the Sidewalk, a stranger helps him regain consciousness. After a lot of persuading from the strange man who is soon going to be his partner, Chan rejoins the force. This time the criminals will have nowhere to run.....

The CGI is quite impressive and pretty strange. A Chinese Martial-art film only needs fighting to succeed but the case with this is different. The visual effects aren't crappy and fake but instead look pretty authentic. Thumbs up for that! The music and soundtrack in this film is epic and great to hear. During the opening credits and throughout the film, the music will appear a lot for the good reasons. One thing that really surprised me was that there was blood used in this film. Since when has blood ever been a film.....only breaking bones are mainly used. That was a little bit strange but it made the film a little bit more violent. Some of the games that the gang play are, literally, torturous and painful to watch.

"Over and Out." 25 March 2010.

not yet retired?

[hansbearnl · 6/10 · 6 October 2004]

I am wondering why Jackie Chan is still making movies instead of going with early retirement. There is not one single good movie in his whole career and this one is also not much better. Every single stunt we have seen in his other movies, every single funny moment has been done about a hundred times. Maybe it's because this is for people without brains to watch or for the masses who just want one and a half hour with popcorn, a coca-cola and go home again. I must say though that the story in this movie is better than in all his other movies, and it is moving at times. But that's about it. The worse thing however for me was the fact that AGAIN his Hong Kong movies (In Kantonese) get a mandarin dubbing, ad Indonesian translation (subtitles) and it is even worse. Above average though, but if someone will grant Jackie early retirement, I won't shed a tear.

One of Jackie's best in quite a while.

[abcornell1 · 8/10 · 25 March 2019]

This movie is definitely a departure from the norm for Jackie as his trademark slapstick comedy is nowhere to be seen in this film. This is a solid entry into the Police Story franchise(if you can call it a franchise).Without giving to much away Jackie has to face his inner demons in order to survive the threat of this new wave of criminals.

I am a huge Jackie fan and while a little skeptical about this movie at first I thoroughly enjoyed what I would describe as one of his best in quite a while.

Darker than the former police stories

[starwarspasta · 6/10 · 3 December 2019]

Whereas the first four police story films are filled with humor and more of a light hearted tone, this one was very dark in comparison. The violence was also more realistic and graphic, with more blood. Very little humor. Also, Jackie's character has gone through a transformation over the course of his career as the inspector and by this film you can really see it on his face. The stunts and explosions were remarkable as with almost any Jackie Chan film, and the story was unique. The pacing of the film was a little strange. Entertaining no doubt, but most likely the weakest of the first 5 films.

Cobbler, stick to your trade

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 7 July 2007]

I do like Jackie Chan movies. Although I'd probably be in the Jet Li corner, if I had to pick one of those two martial artist (Jet Li being the more serious one, e.g. the action is "more realistic" and aims for impact, whereas Jackie Chan movies, are lighter and more fun), but I still like JC.

I do think he's a great comedic actor, but after seeing this movie, I have to say, that he shouldn't try drama anytime soon again! Maybe it's the movie here, but the drama part, just doesn't work! And that's what drags the movie down. There is a scene in the movie, where JC and a friend of his are in the police station. Although this scene is earnest at the beginning a falling object turns it into comedy. That's the latest where you should realize, that the drama just doesn't work here. So while it's admirable, that he tried to change something in the Police story formula, the experiment went wrong. The bad guy on display here, has a bad "arc", too. His development, is just ... not believable (or should I say laughable)!

A shame especially when you watch the action scenes. They're top notch, as you would expect them to be in a JC movie. If that's enough for you, than you might enjoy it more than I did ...