Police Story (1985)

Jackie Chan made Police Story partly as a direct response to his troubled experience on The Protector (1985), a Hollywood production he felt had diluted and misrepresented his style. Returning to Hong Kong with full creative control, he directed, choreographed, and starred in this Golden Harvest production on a modest budget, performing the film's most dangerous stunts himself, including a now-legendary slide down a pole strung with exploding light bulbs inside a shopping centre. The film arrived at a high point for Hong Kong action cinema, when local studios were producing work that genuinely rivalled, and in many respects surpassed, Hollywood in terms of physical filmmaking ambition. It launched a franchise that would run across several sequels and spin-offs, and introduced Maggie Cheung in an early, largely comedic supporting role.

Jackie Chan’s Police Story is the kind of film that reminds you why Hong Kong action cinema ruled the '80s. Packed with death defying stunts, bone crunching fight choreography, and that classic Jackie charm, it’s an adrenaline-fueled joyride from start to finish. Golden Harvest at their peak, every punch, flip, and crash feels real, dangerous, and totally thrilling. The comedy is broad and slapstick, leaning into cartoonish expressions and exaggerated reactions, which only adds to the fun. Chan’s physicality is unmatched, equal parts Buster Keaton and Bruce Lee. It’s not all perfect; some scenes feel over-the-top or silly, but if you're here for pure entertainment, those quirks just make it more lovable. And then… the mall finale. A masterpiece of stuntwork and action design. It’s chaotic, creative, and completely insane, easily one of the greatest sequences in action movie history. Police Story doesn’t just entertain, it inspires awe. Jackie Chan is the hallmark of Hong Kong theatre.

Rating: ★★★★  | Year: 1985  | Watched: 2025-07-13

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Where to watch (UK)

Stream: BFI Player · BFI Player Amazon Channel · Now TV Cinema · BFI Player Apple TV Channel
Rent: Amazon Video
Buy: Amazon Video
Physical: Amazon UK

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Related on Movies With Macca

More from Jackie Chan: Police Story 2 (1988)
More with Jackie Chan: Hand of Death (1976) · Rumble in the Bronx (1995) · Skiptrace (2016) · Gorgeous (1999)
More from Hong Kong: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Hand of Death (1976) · Come Drink with Me (1966) · Street Fighter (1994)
More from the 1980s: Nightmare City (1980) · A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Style Wars (1983) · Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers (1980)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
More crime: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Angst (1983) · Stolen Face (1952) · Cairo Station (1958)