Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15776 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-09-24
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Collector's Edition, Dubbed, PAL
• Original language: Cantonese Chinese
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Jackie Chan has become a genre unto himself, and watching Police Story, you'll understand why. The plot is minimal: Chan is a hero cop involved in a raid that goes wrong. He's assigned to guard a witness, the kingpin's attractive female secretary (Brigitte Lin). For the rest of the film, Chan's protecting himself from the secretary, from the gangsters out to silence her and from his own jealous girlfriend (Maggie Cheung). But watching Chan for plot is like watching porno for existential themes. While most modern action films steal cues from Westerns, Chan condenses those open mesas into the dense throngs of modern Hong Kong--and tosses in Buster Keaton slapstick. For example, when the opening raid goes haywire, there's an unbelievable car chase through the steep huddle of a hillside shantytown. That's through. No roads, just shacks. Flimsy shacks. As the film progresses, Chan scales a speeding bus using an umbrella, uses cow dung as an excuse to break into some Shaolin moonwalking and transforms an urban shopping mall into a demented gymnasium (think clothes racks, escalators, and lots of plate glass displays). Chan is amazingly versatile both physically and emotionally--and he's a secure enough star-director to let his co-stars shine, too. --Grant Balfour

Amazon.co.uk Review
That Jackie Chan's Hollywood output should have walked the thin line between engagingly awful and just awful should be no surprise having viewed Police Story, his breakthrough Hong Kong film. Not only starring but also directed by Chan, the film is a combination of risible plot, knockabout humour and stunning stunts--a kind of Carry On Kung Fu. The plot of the film finds itself lost in the high-octane stunts and matters so little that Chan's character is not even given another name to the actor's own. However, if you can put your critical facilities on hold, Police Story is enormous fun. The lines between good guys and bad guys are clearly drawn and most of the acting seems to be confined to running around and pointing and it's all worth it just to see the final fight sequence--a true spectacular set in a shopping mall, showing plainly why the film was dubbed "Glass Story" by the stunt teams. Perhaps this is why the film wins out so convincingly over its Hollywood counterparts. We know that it was Chan himself performing these breathtaking stunts and that he really did suffer for his art, the closing credits show him and others being carried off set to hospital on numerous occasions. Now that's what I call method acting.

On The DVD: The film's basic production values are something that even DVD cannot enhance (the opening titles visibly wobble) but that only adds to the film's charm. The audio options of Cantonese, subtitled or dubbed are extremely useful, with the latter-clearly voiced by a group of out of work actors in an LA sound studio, which only serves to enhance the movie's surreal quality. Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan's commentary is superb--giving an insight into Chan, his movies, the Asian film industry and its lasting influence on more mainstream cinema--and is delivered with such enthusiasm (particularly during the fight sequences) that it is hard not to get swept along by it all. --Phil Udell

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Digitally re-mastered and restored DVD transfer
Dual language version (Cantonese with re-mastered English subtitles and English dubbed)
AC3 5:1 Digital Audio
Animated Biography Showcase
Original Theatrical Trailer
UK Promotional trailer
Exclusive interview with Jackie Chan
Feature-length audio commentary by Hong Kong Cinema expert Bey Logan

Customer Reviews

What can I say?
All I can do is reiterate the views of other reviewers! Superb DVD - at last a distributor who gives us EVERYTHING, nothing cut AND with the option to view in original Cantonese (with Jackie) or an English dubbed version (which isn't bad, except they use the name "Jackie Chan" instead of Chan Kar Kui for Jackie's character, which I find a bit irritating)! There is beautifully choreographed action all the way and amazing opening and closing stunts by Jackie and his stunt team. The story also has great comedy and dramatic elements and deserved its Best Picture Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards. I loved the "mock fight" between Jackie and his stuntman Mars, so they could convince the female witness to move out of her house! The bonus materials are also terrific with an indepth interview by Jackie about the film and the stunts, especially the slide down the electric pole stunt at the end. If there is one Jackie Chan DVD a fan must have, this particular one is it. We also have more to look forward to next year from the same distributor!

Great film, Good D.V.D - Everyone should own a copy!
As for the film, well, its one of Jackie Chans best. It contains some of the best stunt-work youll see (will many of jackies team being sent to hospital because of the injurys sustained,(, and Jackie is on top form, as usual, doing all his own stunt work. The final fight lasts for 10 minutes, and it will take your breath away every time you watch it. The film also has great comody moments, a great cast, and a very emotional storyline.

As for the d.v.d, well, Hong Kong Legends have proved once again that they are the best company when it comes to releasing jackies greatest films on d.v.d. There are some great extras included such as a 20 minute interview with Chan himself, extra out-takes (6 mins in total), alternative ending, 30 minute animated biography with footage of all Jackies films, and an audio commentry with Bey Logan (who always gives a very impressive and interesting commentory.)

The only drawback with the d.v.d, is that the picture is flashy at some stages, and the sound effects are not as loud as they ought to be, the music taking over them, sort of runins the last fight scene, although this may vary depending on what sound set-up you have. O.k, you have to consider that the film is more than 15 years old now, and they have done a good job restoring it.

Overall, i reccomend everyone who likes action to go and buy this film (and watch it at least 4 times!!!). If you are a new jackie fan (i.e youve only seen Rush hour and so on, then i strongly urge you to get this film, because jackies shows what he can really do here.) and believe me, you wont believe what you are seeing!!!

THIS ROCKS!!!
EXCELLENT! AMAZING! SUPERB! AWESOME! What other words can I use to describe this film? Extremely popular with both Asian and Western audiences, this was the film that broke preconceptions about kung fu movies. It involves some of Jackie's best action sequences and stunts. They are simply stunning and will leave you literally breathless as you try to keep up with the intense frantic speed of the fighting sequences, especially during the climactic shopping precinct sequence. It also has the trademark Jackie Chan humour that have made his films so popular. I have to agree with Stephen Moore, the dubbed version is awful, as you can expect and also has various scenes missing. Buy the cantonese version.