Jackie Chan’s demo reel.
Already a star in HK/China and exposed to Western audiences in The Protector, Police Story made Jackie Chan a household name and defined his archetypal movie. The action is grounded, the comedy is lighthearted, the pacing goes back and forth between serious-not serious. It’s near-perfect!
Basically the only detraction is that the movie didn't age that well. The cars, clothing, interior design, technology are all outdated. In my opinion a perfect movie should appear timeless — or in the case of Seven Samurai a period piece. I don’t consider this an 80s period movie, and Jackie Chan didn’t either.
Re-watched April 16, 2022 on HBO Max.
