agmtw logo
search

Police Story (1985)

Police Story (1985)

7.8

Jackie Chan is at his finest in this modern action comedy masterpiece

Movie

Hong Kong
Cantonese
Action, Crime, Thriller
1985
imdb
rt
wiki

TLDR

Iconic!

What it's about

In order to pin down a nefarious drug kingpin, virtuous Hong Kong police officer Chan Ka-kui goes rogue to protect a key witness and clear his good name.

The take

After an initially disappointing breakthrough attempt to Hollywood, Jackie Chan pivoted back to Hong Kong, unexpectedly creating an iconic film franchise and maybe perhaps one of the best martial arts movies ever made. Police Story seems to be a simple story at first, but it was through this film that Chan’s spectacular stunts evolved for a more modern setting, incorporating slapstick and action choreography into a definable style, while also questioning the ways Hong Kong police conducted themselves at the time. Police Story is Jackie Chan at his best, pushing an entirely new standard for action films all over the world.

What stands out

Of course, the stunts are amazing, the jokes are funny, but what strikes me the most is that monologue where Ka-kui bitterly talks about the way police administration would prioritize their comfort over actually doing the work. It’s a rare impassioned performance from Chan that I wish he did more of, because it grounds his comedic side and makes Ka-kui feel like someone worth rooting for.

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Assassination (2015)

Double agents and resistance fighters wage a web of lies and betrayal in this historical spy thriller

7.2

Exiled (2006)

A slow-burning Hong-Kong action drama

7.0

Drunken Master (1978)

Jackie Chan made his breakthrough in this hilarious take on the real life martial arts master

7.4

Spy Game (2001)

7.7

The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023)

A dying criminal kills to be the most wanted in this Taiwanese Western-esque gangster drama

7.5

Days of Being Wild (1990)

A dreamy rumination on the beauty of unattainable romance

8.1

Lust, Caution (2007)

A wartime spy falls for a collaborator in this erotic espionage drama

7.3

Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

Jet Li takes on a hero through this genre-defining historical action drama

7.7

As Tears Go By (1988)

Wong Kar Wai elevates the formulaic crime romance drama with the beginnings of his singular style

7.0

Abang Adik (2023)

Two undocumented orphans scrounge up a life in this emotionally moving debut drama

7.4

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2025 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.