Police Story (1985)

Directed by Jackie Chan. Starring Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Lam Kwok-Hung, Bill Tung, Chor Yuen, Charlie Cho, Kam Hing Yin, Lau Chi-wing, Fung Hark-On. [PG-13]

Jackie plays a Hong Kong detective battling a ruthless drug syndicate in this self-named favorite film of the international action star. Superior action and a heavy dollop of humor maintain an entertaining show, although it does drag a little in the middle—the action scenes are almost entirely relegated to the opening sequence and the last half-hour. Chan is a gifted physical comedian, but some of the farcical situations he finds himself in during the second act are like something out of a three-camera sitcom. There’s nothing spotty about the fights and chases, however, as the film explodes with energy, kinetic speed, and exceptional stuntwork (one jaw-dropping moment is so sensational, it’s shown three times in a row from different angles!). Although some of the editing/choreography can be choppy, resulting in combatants appearing in slightly different positions after a cut, the sheer skill of Chan and his stunt/fight team could best be described as through-the-roof…except it might make them wish that more foes had crashed through roofs for the sake of a wildly entertaining show. Launched an action movie franchise with three “direct” sequels and a pair of attempted-reboots to date.

75/100