The youth of today, huh? They've got everything that the previous generation would have craved for. They've got the wealth. They've got the hair-gel. And they've got the ammunition to kill as many people as they wish. Yeah. Just ask the Director: Benny Chan; and actors: Jackie Chan, Nicholas Tse, Charlie Yeung, and Daniel Wu. But only ask them this question for about 123 minutes, in 2004. Thanks.New Police Story
THE STORY:
Oh, dear! I'm pretty damn sure that Honk Kong cop, Chan
Kwok-wing (Jackie Chan), got a bit beyond himself by publicly declaring he
would be able to capture a dastardly gang of young bank-robbers, within the next
three hours.
Still, how was he supposed to know they would have the
money, the determination, or the temerity, to wipe the floor clean with
whatever person came across their nefarious game of chance? Moreover, when he
eventually tracks them down to a disused warehouse, I'm nigh on positive that
Chan didn't even suspect that they'd torture him, whilst killing his
tasks-force in front of his very eyes.
Yeah. Isn't that a somewhat surprising turn of events? Huh?
Furthermore, to make matters even worse for Chan, is due to this hair-raising
encounter, he hits the bottle -- big-time -- and for the next year or so, grows estranged from his girlfriend, Sun Ho-yee (Charlie Yeung), and grows estranged
from his job too.
Don't you fret though, dear reader! As luck would have it, a
new police officer -- named Frank (Nicholas Tse) -- somehow manages to get Chan
back onto his feat again. First: he's sobers him up. Then: he makes sure Chan and
Sun get back together. Plus to top it all off: he places a bet with one of
Chan's superiors -- Commander Chiu (Rongguang Yu) -- stating that Chan would be
able to catch the gang that made him take a nose dive in the first place.
Correct. That gang. The same dastardly gang of young
bank-robbers led by a renegade brat called Joe Kwan (Daniel Wu), who somehow has
a very close connection to someone in the Honk Kong police department.
Well, that's most probably why what next transpires all
kicks off when a renegade son has an argument with his official father. As cops
get played - rouges gets dismayed - girlfriends explode - and a new police
officer's tale is told in a long forgotten ode.
THE REVIEW:
Alight. Let me get something cleared up before I commence my
review. The director of 'New Police Story', Benny Chan, and the main star of
'New Police Story', Jackie Chan, aren't related, OK?
Also, there are some other
things you should take into consideration as well: (1) 'Lionsgate Entertainment
Corporation' distributed this action adventure on the 24th of September, 2004,
making back twenty-one million Honk Kong dollars at the box-office. It was the
forth highest grossing movie of the year. (2) This film has no direct
connection to Jackie Chan's previous 'Police Story' films. (3) Whilst the
production team were shooting the final showdown on top the slopping roof,
security guards from an adjacent building ordered them to stop for the day,
because a dignitary was visiting, and deemed them a security risk. (4) Jackie
not only sung the title song for this picture, 'September Song', but he held
the camera in the scene where the burning police car slid across the street.
(5) Andy On was so enthusiastic about going one on one with his idol, Jackie
Chan, that during their first battle together in the disused warehouse, he
pulled a hamstring by accident. (6) At the 24th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards,
this film was bestowed with nine nominations in total. These included: 'Best
Picture', Best Director, 'Best Actor', 'Best Supporting Actor', 'Best Editing',
'Best Action Design', 'Best Sound Effects, and 'Best Visual Effects'. But at
the 41st Annual Golden Horse Awards, it won four, and was nominated for three.
The winners included: Daniel Wu for 'Best Supporting Actor', Lee Chung-chi and
the Jackie Chan Stunt Team for 'Best Action Choreography'; Victor Wong and Brian
Ho for 'Best Visual Effects', plus the film won the 'Audience Choice Award' too.
(7) The three lovely ladies in this film -- Charlie Yeung, Charlene Choi, and Coco
Chiang -- have one thing in common -- they were all tabloid models at one time
or another. Although Charlie and Charlene were singer's also. (8) Whilst
British film pundit, Jonathan Ross, was fairly positive about this movie, stating
Jackie could 'still do the business', in America ,
it went straight to DVD.
OK, so with that out of the way with, I'm sure your wondering
to yourself how good 'New Police Story' actually is, right? Well, in my own
opinion, it's a fantastic film, and manages to present something new, whilst
spinning a relevant message in the process.
Firstly, it presents Jackie's 'every-man cop character' in a very new light. He's not your happy go lucky 'Mister Nice Guy' from the previous installments of this franchise. He's a man stretched to his limits, due to the fact that he's been presented with something he's never faced before.
Now this brings me quite nicely to the second point I'd like
to raise. Jackie's youthful protagonists. Granted, I have to admit, they all looked
a bit too cosmetic for my own liking. Not having that deadly presence really needed
for the 'bad guy' role. Nonetheless, the situations they placed Jackie's
character in, plus the socio-ethical stand-point they were coming from, did
prop them up a notch or two in the villainy stakes.
Just take a look at it from their vantage point. They're all
rich kids brought up in the shadow of their very wealthy parents. They have the
cash. They have the means. But they just don't have the love or the
understanding to steer them in the right direction. Moreover, when you compound
this character portrait with the fact that they've been spoilt rotten and abused
by their kin, and you have a very unsettling sociopath indeed.
And finally, the third issue I'd like to raise is how Nicholas
Tse's character -- of Frank -- really did aid the overall plot of 'New Police
Story', whist at the same time presenting a fresh faced ally and a mystery rolled into one. Honestly. Nicholas was a very welcome addition to this film, garnishing
it with that 'off beat' vibe that made an old-school formula somewhat
refreshing once more.
Please note: I could go on and on and on praising this film
till the cows came home. Telling you how it balanced out both plot an action
very well. Explaining how Jackie really did emote himself as an actor. Or elaborating
how the girl weren't just eye-candy, or how the narrative was a mix-mash of
drama, comedy, pathos, and death defying stunts. But I won't. Don't you agree, obligatory blooper real?
That was a 'yes' by the way.
NEW POLICE STORY
Reviewed by David Andrews
on
April 18, 2013
Rating:
Reviewed by David Andrews
on
April 18, 2013
Rating:
