Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992)

After the dissapointing Police Story 2, Jackie steps off the director chair and let's Stanley Tong do the job. This entry in the series tones down the acrobatic fights trademarked by Chan, focusing more in vehicle chases, shoot-outs and regular (but well coreographed of course) hand to hand fights, and instead of Ka Kui running around Hong Kong, he travels from country to country while infiltrating a gang of drug dealers. Funnily enough this feels more of a natural sequel to the original than the jarring Police Story 2. The addition of Michelle Yeoh's Capt Yang brings a lot of freshness and contrast to Chan's Ka Kui wacky and hot-blooded persona, and steals the show for the most part. The only downside is that most of the secondary characters from the previous movies are either ditched or have just small roles. Still, you can go wrong with this one.

Following Jackie Chan's long overdue breakthrough in the American market with "Rumble in the Bronx," Dimension Films quickly looked for another of Jackie's Hong Kong productions to Americanize and quickly get into theaters. Jackie had several earlier attempts to break into the American market that were unsuccessful, largely because they tried to make Jackie fit the mold of an American action hero, ALA Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Clint Eastwood, etc. What sets Jackie apart from most action heroes is not just his acrobatic ability and his willingness to perform insane stunts, but his charming and funny self deprecating good humor about himself. "Supercop" actually the third film in Jackie's highly successful Police Story series of films, which were comparatively more serious than most of his films. In this installment Jackie get's dangles from a helicopter, fights atop a high speed train, and jumps off of a high-rise building! Oh, and the story involves our favorite HK police inspector working with a communist China police inspector to take down a drug dealer, not that you really care about the story in a Jackie Chan film. What makes this film even more impressive is that the communist police inspector is played by Michelle Yeoh, who very nearly outdoes Jackie in terms of martial arts and stunt work, particularly one scene where she jumps a motorcycle onto the previously mentioned moving train. Yeoh, billed as Michelle Khan, is amazing, though Jackie's love interest is once again played by the very cute Maggie Cheung. "Supercop" features tons more action and mayhem than you typically see in a Jackie Chan Hong Kong production. Chan's production do often have plenty of large scale set pieces and big stunts, but of all his film, this one looks the most like a bombastic American action film. Top all that off by a very fun Americanized soundtrack that includes a Devo cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Head like a Hole," Tom Jones covering "Kung-Fu Fighting," and an original Devo song entitled Supercop, which have the hilarious lyrics that go:I was born to serve justice But I don't sermonize Good is good Bad is bad And I never compromiseThey lock me in a rocket Made of flesh and bone I'll meet you in the war zone With my fists of stoneI'm a Super Cop I'm a Super CopMy body's a machine Made to synchronize Every time I'm called to action Make me recognize When the forces of corruption Do the tyrannize Then I shift to overdrive And start to pulverizeI'm a Super CopEliminate the foe With karate chops I'm a Super Cop I'm a super charged cop And I can't be stoppedI'm a Super CopI was born to serve justice Get my name I'm a Super CopKung fu action is my game I'm a cop now A Super Cop nowHe drives around in a world turned upside down I'm a cop now A Super Cop nowHe's gotta round up all the evil clowns I'm a cop now A Super Cop nowWhat he sees just makes him want to cry I'm a cop now A Super Cop nowOverall, "Supercop" is my favorite of Jackie's Hong Kong films to get an Americanized release, though my favorite film of his has to be either the first "Police Story" film or "Project A."

With the third movie in the "Police Story" franchise Jackie Chan is indeed bringing the greatness back after a bit disappointing part two in comparison to part one.Part three brings lots of action, fighting and fun. Jackie Chan continues to impress with his jaw-dropping stunts and action sequences. And not only does he have the beautiful and talented Maggie Cheung in part three, but Michelle Yeoh joins the action as well. And oh boy does she shine and impress in "Police Story 3: Supercop" (aka "Ging chat goo si 3: Chiu kup ging chat")."Police Story 3: Supercop" has the trademark combination of action, stunts and laughs that Jackie Chan is known and famous for.If you enjoy Hong Kong cinema and Jackie Chan movies then you most definitely don't want to miss out on "Police Story 3: Supercop".

(I should preface this review by saying I sadly watched the Bluray release of this that only has the dubbed English track and the added rap music and what not. I also heard it has some scenes taken out and what not. A little disappointed by this copy, but oh well.)Police Story 3 (Or Supercop) is certainly an entertaining film. Where it lacks in story, it certainly makes up for it in stunt work. Your jaw will constantly be on the floor during the action sequences. The story here is... pretty weak. Jackie Chan goes undercover to stop... a bad guy who sells drugs? Or buys them? It can be quite unclear and confusing. So if anything brings this movie down, it would be the story.Luckily, the film is jammed full of some amazing stunts. Chinese/Hong Kong action films almost always impress, and this film is no exception. The last 15 minutes of so has some really crazy stunt work. I have no idea how they allowed the actors and stunt men to do the things they do, because they are risking their lives by doing them. There's a fight on a moving train where they have no safety harnesses or anything. Jackie Chan hangs from a ladder on a helicopter that is flying extremely high above the city. Michelle Yeoh jumps onto a moving train on a dirt bike. It's crazy but makes the film exhilarating to watch. You feel the danger within the scene, and it's a thrill. There's also a fair amount of comedy in this film, which is something that I can be a little weary about in action, but it works in this film. It surprisingly doesn't take away from the intensity, and it just works to make the film more entertaining and fun to watch.This is a film that needs to be seen by action fans. It could have been stronger story wise, but it contains some stunts that many would consider among the best. Check it out if you wanna have some mindless, cheesy fun.