When Jackie Chan released Police Story in 1985, he completely changed the landscape of what’s possible in an action film. It’s a true classic of the genre and an experience no one will ever forget. Three years later, he returned in Police Story II, once again changing the landscape of action cinema. Since Chan is the type of performer who likes to raise the bar, Police Story III: Super Cop exploded into cinemas in 1992 to international success. It was even acquired by Miramax and released nationwide into theaters in the United States.
A few years back, Criterion released a terrific set for the first two films in the series, and now, thanks to 88 Films and their 88 Asia division, they’ve acquired Police Story III, continuing their trend of stellar Chan sets.
Inspector Chan Ka Kui (Jackie Chan), Hong Kong’s greatest inspector, is dubbed Super Cop by his colleagues. He’s talked into helping Interpol by going undercover to help notorious criminal Panther (Yuen Wah) escape prison and to infiltrate the inner sanctum of drug lord Chaibat (Kenneth Tsang). The operation is dangerous, and he teams up with a Chinese mainland officer, Captain Yang (Michelle Yeoh). Posing as brother and sister, they earn their trust and bide their time before making a move. Surviving with their skills and experience, Yang and Chan are ready to risk it all in order to put a massive dent in the international drug trade.
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Police Story III is a phenomenal effort from Chan, director Stanley Tong (Rumble in the Bronx), and Michelle Yeoh. Before standing on an Oscar stage receiving an Academy Award for Best Actress (Everything Everywhere All at Once), she was going toe to toe with Chan. Not only was she given equal action scenes, but she also did all of her own stunts. She’s fighting off multiple opponents with style and grace while falling off the top of a moving van and smashing into the windshield of the car following behind it.
If you watch the outtakes during the end credits, you see Yeoh do the stunt, except she falls off the hood of the car, smashing into the pavement, despite Chan’s efforts to keep her safe. Moments like these frequently happen in Jackie Chan films; he even almost lost his life when hit by a moving helicopter. The film packs in these outrageous stunts, martial arts action, and a healthy dose of slapstick comedy.
The entire cast gives noteworthy performances, and it’s a pleasure to see Bill Tung and Maggie Cheung return from the previous installments. There are two cuts of the film on the disc, the original Hong Kong cut and the U.S. version, which was shaved by about seven minutes. Both versions work as they should.
88 Films go above and beyond once again, packing this release with loads of special features like interviews, outtakes, TV spots, a commercial with Chan and Yeoh from 1984, and more. The disc is housed in a box with a poster and an 80-page perfect-bound book with plenty of photos and new articles. If that wasn’t enough, six replica lobby cards are inside the actual case with the disc. You really get your money’s worth with this set, and I can’t wait to see what they’ll bring out next.
