Police Story 3: Supercop

With martial arts actor Jackie Chan, older may be better. “Police Story 3: Supercop,” released in 1996, was shot in 1992. This film, as described by Rita Kempley, “is superior to last year's "Rumble in the Bronx," also directed by veteran Chan-champion Stanley Tong.”

Chan has typecast himself, so it doesn’t matter what the story or setting is. He’s the pleasant fighter, always ready to flirt or fight while (almost always) performing the right task the wrong way.

In this film, he’s Detective Kevin Chan, sent to China to penetrate a drug cartel that’s ruled by the evil Chaibat (Ken Tsang) and his equally evil, shortly imprisoned brother Panther (Yuen Wah). After breaking out, Chan finds himself teaming up with strict Inspector Yang, played by Michelle Yeoh.

After that, the story is filled with trust and betrayal. Kempley said, “There are more explosions and gunfights than in most Chan features, but the best moments are the hand-to-hand-to-neck-to-groin combat scenes. Usually, Chan starts out in a defensive posture -- he loves to make opponents miss -- before moving into his trademark super-speedy attack mode.”

Chan looks like he has fallen in love with Yeoh, Asia’s top female action star. Like Chan, Yeoh does her own fighting and stunts. Different from Hollywood’s action subject, Chan and Yeoh don’t rely on cinematic effects. Theirs are not special effects, just amazing ones. Kempley said, “Connoisseurs will find Chan's helicopter-train chase far riskier, more exciting and more believable than its mates in "Mission Impossible" and "The Living Daylights."”

Both stars take off the comic relief as hectic fun, mainly after Chan’s girlfriend, reprised by Maggie Cheung, shows up in Kuala Lumpur and threatens to blow his cover. It’s in the Malaysian capital that the action increases into public scene both on the ground and in the air (Kempley said, “No trapeze artist ever worked so high without a net”). It may not be great filmmaking, but it’s great fun.

Kempley said, “"Supercop" is dubbed wonderfully badly. While Chan is given a voice that is so thickly accented you wonder why the filmmakers bothered, other Chinese characters speak like Oxford dons. Still, the most recurrent phrases are "Are you okay?" and "Uh?" More incongruous is the soundtrack, which wisely keeps the volume down on cuts from Tha Dogg Pound, Tupac Shakur, Black Grape, No Doubt and Tom Jones (on a bleated update of Carl Douglas's "Kung Fu Fighting"). Unlike Chan and Yeoh, it packs no punch whatsoever.”

In my honest opinion, this is probably the best of the franchise. Mainly because of the camaraderie between Chan and Yeoh because these two are the best parts of the movie and their action scenes are top notch, as always. They really are a joy to see in action when they are fighting the villains and I sincerely think that anyone who liked the first two movies will thoroughly find themselves enjoying this one a lot. For those who have seen the first two movies should absolutely see this one because they will love it a lot. Take my word for it, this is one worth seeing.

Now that we have talked about this film, stay tuned next week to see if the franchise keeps getting better or will go downhill in “Police Story Month.”