Review for Police Story 2

Introduction

I do like to review some of my own purchases from time to time, and usually they are done so in a timely fashion, not too long after release. I do have to squeeze them in between review discs though, and opportunities to delve into my DVD collection are fewer and fewer. But I have a big pile of the unwatched, and I am hacking my way into it whenever I get the chance. Having left things so long, I am now coming up to a rather unexpected phenomenon. I am reviewing discs which aren't even available anymore, so long have they been 'resting' in my to watch pile. It's just my innate obsessive need to comment on what I watch that is driving me to put fingers to keyboard. Police Story 2 is still available in certain quarters, and at a reasonable price, but the company, Hong Kong Legends has long since shut up shop, and new discs certainly aren't being pressed. Should you do what I did, and take a chance on an e-tailer's stock that has been gathering dust for years (or in my case, waterlogged because of fire damage!), or should you hope that this classic Jackie Chan movie will get a re-release?


Police Story 2 follows on directly from Police Story, with Ka Kui having to face the consequences of his vigilante action against gangster Chu Tu. He may have arrested him, but his methods mean that he has to face censure from his superiors, and be assigned, back in uniform, to traffic duty. It's made worse by the early release of Chu Tu from prison. A dying man does deserve compassionate release, but there's no compassion in his vendetta against Ka Kui and the people that he cares about. One violent altercation later, and Ka Kui is ready to resign from the police force and take a well deserved holiday, much to the delight of his long suffering girlfriend May. But that's all nipped in the bud when a bomber strikes at a shopping mall, and a blackmail threat follows. Soon Ka Kui is back doing what he does best, detecting crimes and kicking criminal ass. But this time the criminals can kick ass too, and they're going to use Ka Kui to commit their crimes for them.

Picture

Police Story 2 gets a 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer that is clear and sharp, although coming from 1988, it is afflicted with more than its fair share of film grain, and there is some print damage, although not enough to significantly affect the viewing experience… is what I wanted to say, until I had a quick look at DVD Compare, a useful source of information to say the least. This time it turns out that the Hong Kong Legends DVD of Police Story 2 gives us an image cropped from the original 2.35:1 print, but worse is yet to come. It's cropped at a 2.0:1 aspect ratio, and to make it fit the 2.35:1 frame, there has to be a bit of creative squishing. By and large the film gets away with it, but once I knew what to look for, it's apparent that some scenes are more distorted than others. You may be tempted to look elsewhere, and the US Dragon Dynasty release at least has the original aspect ratio, and more besides.

Sound

You have a choice between DD 5.1 Cantonese and English, along with optional English and Dutch subtitles. The original language is the way to go, but it's a pretty mono sounding soundtrack, with a bit of ambience to give the surrounds something to do. The dialogue is clear, and the action and music comes across strongly enough. The English dub is there to be ignored.

Extras

As per most HKL discs, there is a nice selection of extra features to be going on with, beginning with the audio commentary of course. This one is supplied by 'Not Bey Logan', which is really the only qualification necessary, as only the Bey Logan commentaries are worth mentioning. Just for completion's sake though, this one comes from stuntman and actor Jude Poyer, and critic Miles Wood, and it is informative and easy to listen to, but it is slow paced, and very gappy.


The Out-take montage lasts 2½-minutes, and is really the textless credit sequence, offering those goofs and screw-ups without the end theme and text marring the images.

There are the UK and original trailers to peruse.

The Interview Gallery has two offerings, Jackie Chan: King of Action may be the longest at 31 minutes, but only has a little of Jackie, more of his co-stars and action directors, and even more clips from his films (I've even seen some of the Jackie Chan interview footage used on other HKL disc extras). Benny Lai: Master Kicker lasts 16 minutes, and is more satisfying in that it's an in depth interview with the actor.

Finally there are 10 trailers for other HKL discs, discs that are surprisingly scarce now.

Conclusion

Police Story was such a breath of fresh air in Hong Kong cinema, so groundbreaking in its departure from the traditional period kung fu stories of the era, that it's almost unfair to expect something as equally special from its sequel. The best that you can hope for is more of the same, and expecting Police Story 2 to deliver something different may be doing it a disservice. Yet in the end, Police Story 2 does do something different, it plays its story more for laughs, the comedy is broader, and the seriousness and sense of token realism that permeated the first film is wholly absent here. It's a lot like every other Jackie Chan movie from the late eighties then, which is no bad thing in my book, but if you want a movie that stands out the way Police Story did, then you're in for a disappointment.


But if you want action, comedy, stunts, and blisteringly fast fight sequences, then you are in for a treat, as Police Story 2 comes from that era when Jackie Chan was at the height of his powers, film makers were ludicrously happy to endanger their stars in order to get a good shot, and the principle aim in making a Hong Kong action movie was to get the audience grinning from ear-to-ear in appreciation. Police Story 2 succeeds in every regard. Story is a secondary concern to all this, but it does keep ticking along quite well, and you don't even mind that the major villains from the first film have been reduced to comic relief in the second. But I have to admit that I'm blown away every time I see that playground fight sequence, and the climactic battle between Jackie and Benny Lai is stunningly fast, and brilliantly choreographed.


So why shouldn't you go looking for this disc, dodgy aspect ratio notwithstanding? For one thing it is the shorter International Version. The version currently available in Region 3, as well as the US release by Dragon Dynasty is the longer 2-hour version. Add to that the US release has the Bey Logan commentary, as well as other enticing extras and the choice becomes obvious.


But here's the thing. Currently, Cine Asia are the UK distributors for Dragon Dynasty, and with the recent release of Fist of Legend, it seems that they are bringing the back catalogue here as well. Hong Kong Legends discs are getting increasingly rare; a couple of the Jackie Chan films trailed on this disc are now only available second hand at ridiculous prices. With films like the Police Story movie having been out of print for several years, now would be the ideal time to re-release them, especially if the better Dragon Dynasty versions are released, and even more especially if they make their debut on Blu-ray as well. I'll certainly be keeping my fingers crossed for that eventuality.