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Police Story

Original title: Ging chaat goo si
  • 1985
  • PG-13
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
46K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,203
996
Jackie Chan and Maggie Cheung in Police Story (1985)
Hong Kong Version Trailer
Play trailer2:37
1 Video
99+ Photos
Dark ComedyMartial ArtsSlapstickActionComedyCrimeThriller

A virtuous Hong Kong Police Officer must clear his good name when the drug lord he is after frames him for the murder of a dirty cop.A virtuous Hong Kong Police Officer must clear his good name when the drug lord he is after frames him for the murder of a dirty cop.A virtuous Hong Kong Police Officer must clear his good name when the drug lord he is after frames him for the murder of a dirty cop.

  • Director
    • Jackie Chan
  • Writers
    • Jackie Chan
    • Edward Tang
  • Stars
    • Jackie Chan
    • Maggie Cheung
    • Brigitte Lin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    46K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,203
    996
    • Director
      • Jackie Chan
    • Writers
      • Jackie Chan
      • Edward Tang
    • Stars
      • Jackie Chan
      • Maggie Cheung
      • Brigitte Lin
    • 150User reviews
    • 23Critic reviews
    • 78Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Police Story
    Trailer 2:37
    The Police Story

    Photos167

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    Top cast66

    Edit
    Jackie Chan
    Jackie Chan
    • Chan Ka Kui
    Maggie Cheung
    Maggie Cheung
    • May
    Brigitte Lin
    Brigitte Lin
    • Selina Fong
    • (as Brigette Lin)
    Yuen Chor
    Yuen Chor
    • Mr. Chu Tao
    Bill Tung
    Bill Tung
    • Inspector Bill Wong
    Kent Tong
    Kent Tong
    • Tom
    • (as Chun-Yip Tong)
    Kwok-Hung Lam
    • Supt. Raymond Li
    Chi-Wing Lau
    Chi-Wing Lau
    • Cheung, the Lawyer
    Charlie Cho
    Charlie Cho
    • John Ko
    Hing-Yin Kam
    Hing-Yin Kam
    • Inspector Man
    Mars
    Mars
    • Kim
    • (as For Sing)
    Fung Hak-On
    Fung Hak-On
    • Danny Koo
    • (as Hark-On Fung)
    Yun-Kin Chow
    Yun-Kin Chow
    • Koo's Man
    Paul Wong
    • Police Officer 1
    Fat Wan
    • Jacknife…
    Tai-Bo
    Tai-Bo
    • Lee…
    Leung Siu
    • Prosecutor
    Fung Woo
    Fung Woo
    • Shau Tau Kok Station Commander
    • Director
      • Jackie Chan
    • Writers
      • Jackie Chan
      • Edward Tang
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews150

    7.545.5K
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    Featured reviews

    7BA_Harrison

    Great start, brilliant finale, but the stuff in-between

    Jackie Chan stars as tough police inspector Chan Ka Kui, who is determined to bring Hong Kong drug lord Chu Tao (Yuen Chor) to justice, but who finds himself having to clear his own name when he is framed for the murder of a corrupt cop. Helping Chan to put things right is Chu Tao's secretary Selina (Brigitte Lin), but her presence doesn't sit well with the inspector's jealous girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung).

    Police Story is widely regarded as being amongst Jackie Chan's best films, but while it undeniably showcases some of the star's most incredible fighting and stunt-work—opening in spectacular fashion with the destruction of a hillside shanty town during a car chase, and closing with a jaw-dropping shopping mall showdown in which no pane of glass remains un- smashed—the simplistic plot and frequent Chaplin-esque comedy routines prevent it from being one of my favourites. Chan is renowned for his trademark blend of kung-fu and comedy, but in this case it seems out of place amidst the organised crime, murder and shooting.

    6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for the eye-watering moment three men fly through the top window of a double-decker bus and hit the ground in a most painful manner.
    8Jack_Yan

    Amongst Jackie Chan's best

    Probably Jackie Chan's best film in the 1980s, and the one that put him on the map. The scale of this self-directed police drama is evident from the opening and closing scenes, during which a squatters' village and shopping mall are demolished. There are, clearly, differences between the original Chinese and dubbed English versions, with many of the jokes failing to make their way into the latter. The latter is also hampered by stars who sound nothing like their Chinese originals. In fact, the only thing the dubbing has corrected is the court trial—at the time, trials in colonial Hong Kong were conducted in English, while the original has this scene in Cantonese!

    Nonetheless, Chan's fighting style and the martial arts choreography inject humour where possible, so non-Cantonese audiences don't miss much. It's not, after all, the dialogue that makes a Chan flick, but the action and the painful out-takes. The story is easy to follow: Chan plays an incorruptible Hong Kong detective pursuing a gangland godfather (Cho Yeun), and assigned to protect a star witness (Brigitte Lin). The action is superb from beginning to end, and there's not much time to breathe in between. It'll never get you thinking, but what an entertaining, and well strung-together, film. Arguably, this is one of the best martial arts films out there.
    6ma-cortes

    First entry in Police Story saga with Jackie Chan as brave and likable cop

    POLICE STORY packs a violent confrontation between Jackie and nasty villain and his hoodlums . This stirring and exciting story about the cop named Chan Ka Kui of the Hong Kong precinct is well played by Jackie Chan . Ka Kui (Jackie Chan) is a Hong-Kong cop who pursues and arrests a drug-lord but he accuses Chan with the killing of another police . Chan as one army man fighting a group of heinous criminals has to clear his name, whilst keeping himself from getting murdered or detained , and keeping his sweetheart (Maggie Chung , famous star of Asian cinema )from leaving him . Chan attempts to protect a witness , the mobster's secretary (Brigitte Lin) who helps him to track down the gang of drug lord. Then Chan looks for vengeance against the ominous villains at a cat and mouse game.

    This thrilling movie is crammed of brawls with punch , bounds and leaps , action-packed, breathtaking stunt-work and lots of humor with tongue in cheek. Jackie Chan is top notch as intrepid cop who scores his first big hit by virtually single-handedly capturing and imprisoning a big drug-lord 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 the followings . The lighting-paced storyline slows down at times but frenetic action sequences make up for it. Spotlights movie include Jackie jumping over a bus , furthermore moving fights and brawls at a mall , among others. This is a phenomenal action movie distinguished by nicely cinematography of the spectacular sequences , furthermore contains sense of humor such as subsequent entries. Lousy musical score mostly composed by synthesizer and in the American score is created by J. Peter Robinson . Lavishly produced by Raymond Chow and Golden Harvest Production and professionally directed by Chan. In the various ¨Police story¨adaptations Jackie teamed up to prestigious actresses and parternaires and fine action stars in their own right ,like Maggie Cheung and Michelle Khan . This first version titled ¨Police story¨ directed by the same Jackie Chan is 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 ; after that it went on ¨Police story IV : Crime story and finally ¨New Police story¨. Rating : Good, the picture has its sensational moments , mostly provided by its agile star, the great Jackie Chan.
    eibon09

    Outstanding

    Out of the 10 plus films Jackie Chan has directed this is his most personal. I can see why its a personal favorite of his because of the energy and sweat that was put into making the movie. The ingredients for success are here with the actor/director's trademark of slam bang action sequences with a touch of the absurd. Jackie Chan as director creates many show stopping moments for this well made feature.

    The opening sequence begins with a nicely ser up action moment that pays off with a fantasitc car chase. My favorite opening scene in all of Jackie Chan's films because of its usage of excellent action imagery. Ging Chaat Goo Si/Police Story(1985) does lose some steam after the scene ends but only for a short while. This sequence represents some of the best work in Jackie Chan's output from the 1980s.

    The car chase which concludes the opening scene of Police Story(1985) is the big moment of the sequence. Its a amazing moment especially when Kevin Chan drives his car down in and out some Shantytown buildings to catch some drug dealers. This aspect of the car chase makes it stand out from car chases in American films of that period. The originalty of the car chase in Police Story(1985) is what makes the moment fun to watch.

    Ging Chaat Goo Si/Police Story(1985) is one of five Hong Kong action pictures that would influence numerous American action pics of the late 1980s-early 1990s. The one actor whose films have been influenced the most by Police Story is Sylvester Stallone. Especially true in films like Tango & Cash(1988), and Demolition Man(1993). Many American action pics have been influenced by this picture and some never reaches the excellence of its action sequences.

    What makes Police Story work is the approach to make the character of Kevin Chan Ka Kui into an everyman figure who fights against opponents with strength and will power. Because of this approach the movie becomes much more entertaining. The everyman character that Jackie Chan plays is a part of what makes his films popular with audiences in manny parts of the world. He rarely plays a character who is super tough and is not an everyman.

    The stunt work in the action scenes are amazing because of the danger element. Jackie Chan performs such dangerous stunts in Police Story(1985) that it's a testament to his strong conditioning and bravery. Because of his fearless attidude, Jackie Chan always recovers from injury to do more dangerous stunt work. Very few would do what Jackie does and this is what makes him beloved in the eyes of his fans.

    Police Story(1985) finishes in style with the action sequence that tops the one at the beginning. The physical work done in this one scene is reward with top notch execution of the action. The closing sequence uses visual gags to strengthen its status as a classic sequence. Many have imitated this one scene but few never bother to make any imitated scene into a great scene.

    Maggie Cheung plays a lousy role as the helpless girlfriend of Kevin Chan, May. One of her first major film roles before she became known as a serious dramatic actress. During this period in her career, Maggie Cheung never did any action moves or attempted to do so. This would change when Maggie Cheung took on the role of Thief Catcher in The Heroic Trio(1993).

    Police Story(1985) and Police Story 3:Supercop(1992) are the best in the Polce Story series. Both contain strong female characters in the presence of Brigitte Lin and Michelle Yeoh. The two films have dazzling action scenes with creative thought put behind them. Police Story(1985) and Police Story 3(1992) have high octane finalles that never bore or disappoint.

    Ging Chaat Goo Si/Police Story(1985) was Jackie Chan's response to the disappointing results of his second American film, The Protector(1985). Has many of the Chan highlights The Protector lacked. Jackie Chan as actor and director wanted to do things with Police Story(1985) he wasn't able to achieve in The Protector(1985). Police Story(1985) benefits from losing the Dirty Harry style of The Protector(1985).
    8AlsExGal

    stunt-filled Hong Kong action-comedy

    Jackie Chan directs this film in which he plays a policeman who, at the film's start, is part of a massive raid that captures a major crime lord. The crime lord's secretary (Brigitte Lin) will be forced to testify against her boss, so the police have Jackie keep watch over her until the trial. That doesn't sit well with Jackie's girlfriend (Maggie Cheung).

    What seems like a cute romantic comedy gets a bit darker as the crime lord's henchmen set out to kill both Brigitte and Jackie. There are so many amazing action set-pieces that it's hard to pick which is the best, from cars driving full-throttle downhill through the middle of a shanty town, to Jackie using an umbrella to hang on to the outside of a double-decker bus driving at full speed, to bone-crunching jumps and falls, and a huge action sequence inside a shopping mall.

    If the overall story had been a bit more engaging, this might have gone down as one of my all-time action faves. As it is, it's highly recommended for action fans or those who want to know why Jackie Chan spent two decades as one of the world's biggest superstars. This was a huge commercial hit all over Asia, and won multiple awards, making it one of the premiere films in Jackie Chan's career. It has spawned multiple sequels.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      So much glass was used that the crew began calling the movie "Glass Story".
    • Goofs
      (In the climax shopping mall set) After Chan is thrown against the metal shelf rack and he falls on the floor for it to fall on top of him; later continuation fight scenes show it back up against the wall.
    • Quotes

      Supt. Raymond Li: Don't be a cop if you want to live to 100

      Inspector Bill Wong: You want this line on the recruitment poster?

    • Alternate versions
      In the American dubbed version released by New Line, Jackie Chan's real name is used for his character instead of Kevin.
    • Connections
      Edited into Traces of a Dragon (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Hero Story
      Music by Siu-Tin Lai (as Michael Lai)

      Lyrics by James Wong

      Performed by Jackie Chan

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    FAQ20

    • How long is Police Story?Powered by Alexa
    • What are the differences between the Hong Kong Theatrical Cut and the special Japanese Laserdisc Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 14, 1985 (Hong Kong)
    • Country of origin
      • Hong Kong
    • Language
      • Cantonese
    • Also known as
      • La historia policiaca de Jackie Chan
    • Filming locations
      • Hong Kong, China
    • Production companies
      • Golden Harvest Company
      • Golden Way Films Ltd.
      • Paragon Films Ltd.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $113,164
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $25,591
      • Feb 3, 2019
    • Gross worldwide
      • $113,164
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 40m(100 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono(original release)
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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