Customer Reviews

Crime Story

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Jackie Chan takes up his usual cop role in this crime thriller and is hired to protect a very wealthy business man. The business man fears that he is going to be kidnapped, and that is exactly what happens. The kidnappers are holding him for ransom and demand 60 million dollars for his safe return. They order his wife to get the money. The cops do a great job of surveillance on the wife and do everything they need to do to catch the criminals, but they don't know that one of their top detectives is one of the kidnappers. Kent Cheng (Butcher Wing AKA "fatso" from Once Upon a Time in China #1) stars as the dirty cop and Jackie gets assigned to work with him. It gets very inense when Jackie suspects that Cheng is helping the kidnappers.

Jackie Chan has had many good acting performances in his career, but this tops them all. His usual slapstick comedy is completely absent, but he still does a few of the other things you have come to expect from him. In one scene he is in a car chase and his car gets tipped onto its side. Well, Jackie just pushes the car back on its wheels and keeps on driving. Jet Li was supposed to play this role which seems like it would have been a good choice, but Jet's acting wasn't as good back then as it is now. Jackie plays this role to perfection, and in my opinion, there is no way that Jet Li could have pulled this role off as well as Jackie. If you have ever doubted Jackie as an actor, then check this movie out to see what he can really do. I would actually recommend this movie more to non Jackie Chan fans, but Jackie's die hard fans will also enjoy it.

I have always known Kent Cheng as somewhat of a bumbling idiot on screen, so this movie was a real eye opener for me. He shows that he is a great actor when given the oppurtunity. He couldn't have played his role any better.

The movie also stars Chung Fa and Ken Lo who are involved in a group fight with Jackie, and Blacky Ko has a nice cameo as a captain of the Taiwan police force.

There is not as much fighting as most Jackie Chan movies, and they keep it more real. The stunt work is top notch and will have you saying ouch, but it is actually the car chases and huge explosions that give the most excitement.

This is almost a perfect movie. Rating- 4.5/5

The picture quality is very good. Subtitles are well written. The original Cantonese mono and Cantonese 5.1 tracks sound good. There is also an English dub that I didn't mind too much.

Dragon Dynasty gives the best special edition possible by having a commentary with the director Kirk Wong. Bey Logan joins in to provide information and ask questions to the director. One thing they talk about is how this movie is based on a true story, and they actually filmed on some of the real locations where real events happened. This is my favorite Dragon Dynasty commentary I have heard. Unlike the movie, there are many laugh out loud moments in the commentary. I just wish the movie was longer than 107 minutes so that they could have talked longer. Lucky for me Kirk Wong has a great 29 minute interview where he gives his thoughts on the cuts that Jackie made to the final cut of the movie.

The 12 minute interview with Teddy Chen (one of the writers) is very informative. He talks about the script itself and gives his thoughts on the actors.

3 deleted scenes are included.

The last special feature is interesting. Dragon Dynasty always includes the original trailer, which is nice, but this one is different than most. Since it was based on a true story, they actually show news footage and interviews at the start of the trailer.

The only problem I have with this DVD release is the cover art. Jackie looks like he is posing for a rap album.

In Crime Story, Jackie Chan does drama, and he does it well. The year before (1985), Jackie had been involved in another police drama, a terrible film called The Protector. Although Jackie was the protagonist in The Protector, he was not a likeable character. In fact, there were no likeable characters. In addition, the action sequences, which could have been good, were poorly filmed and much of the visual impact was lost due to poor camera work.

In Crime Story, Jackie seems to be out to prove he can do a gritty drama properly. Although his character isn't a goofy, affable fellow, he is certainly likeable. He plays a police officer on the verge of a nervous breakdown, after he killed some criminals in the line of duty.

He's hired on for a high-profile case when a construction magnate is kidnapped. Jackie's tension and anguish grows more and more, as other police officers are killed or seriously injured during the course of the case. These scenes show Jackie is capable of more than just goofy gurning, and I understand why this film garnered Jackie the Golden Horse Best Actor Award from Taiwan.

The camera work is vastly superior to that of The Protector, and tense fight scenes upon a derelict ship and inside a burning building (the latter scene bore a heavy influence upon John Woo's Hard Boiled) work very well.

All in all, the story makes sense, except for a ridiculous part in which the bad guys resuscitate a woman with their car's jumper cables. I once saw a really bad vampire movie where this trick worked, but something tells me it just shouldn't be used in serious films, at least, not the way it was used in Crime Story.

If you like to watch Jackie Chan for his comedy, skip Crime Story. He only slips into comic relief mode a couple of times in this film. However, if you would like to see a decent cops n' robbers flick, check this out.

"Crime Story" represents Chan's only "serious" film since 1989's delightful "Mr. Canton and Lady Rose" (aka "Miracles"). Unlike "Mr. Canton and Lady Rose," "Crime Story" is very dark: dark themes, dark lighting, and dark locations. "Crime Story" enables Chan to demonstrate his considerable acting ability and range. "Crime Story" tells the story of police corruption, betrayal, and the ubiquitous presence of the triads. The movie also includes some of the best action sequences filmed in the 1990s. I have seen most of Chan's films in their original form, but not "Crime Story" (aka "Police Story IV"). The American edition of "Crime Story" appears to suffer from extensive editing. For example, the female psychiatrist plays a vital role in the first fifteen minutes of the film, yet disappears for the remaining hour and a half. This does not effect the overall entertainment value of the movie. Many fans complain about the complete absence of comedy in this film. However, I have seen over forty of Chan's films, and the change afforded by "Crime Story" was welcome.

No, this isn't one of Jackie's light-humored romps, so don't even bother with this movie if that's all for which you're looking. This movie shows Jackie's acting ability... he can be dramatic and serious, not just a loveable clown. There are many comedies you can choose from in his long list of movies; there are fewer when you try to find a broader range of his impressive acting abilities which is wider in scope than many might expect. As other reviewers have covered the story itself, I'm just going to add a few words here. Now, Jackie took this part because Jet Li walked out on it and Jackie happened to walk into the director's office right after this happened. So, being a pal, he offered himself in Jet's place. Or so I understand the history behind it. Don't let the fact that is in not a comedic venture steer you from this gem of a movie; it is a fantastic piece filled with drama and action. We still get to see Jackie's trademark and inimitable body work in this film. It is a GOOD movie. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. And if you like his dramatic acting, check out Thunderbolt (awesome) and Heart of Dragon (very good and touching). Yes, folks, Jackie is a REAL actor, he has depth and scope, he is dynamic. Don't make the mistake of pidgeon-holing him into one static dimension. It'll be your loss.

This film has NO comedy in it. Infact it isn't known to be a usual comedy/action but a crime/thriller/action. This movie is based on a true story. Jackie plays a cop whose emoptional state is shaken by a recent bloddy encounter with terrorists. When Jackie's assigned to bring back the kidnapped businessman, it's a test of Jackie's emotional stability and Jackie's skills as an officer.

I must say, I had not, until this, seen Chan in a serious and somewhat chilling film, as he is usually the star of action comedy's. Chan said he was not comfortable in making this film based on a true story of deceit and distrust, but it must be said that he performed well and the film is well worth a watch.

This is not your typical Jackie movie, this is Jackie in serious mode. Although the film has some of the best martial artistry of Jackie and lots of action, like buildings burning and blowing up and some intense car chases fans didn't like it. You don't see Jackie in silly situations and fooling around. This was an attempt by Jackie to expand his range and he got the respect as a serious actor because he won the Taipei's best actor award. It's also interesting to know that the film was originally developed for Jet Li but he had a falling out with Golden Harvest. If you like stunts and action buy this one, if you like a silly Jackie don't.

Crime Story tends to be overshadowed by the Police Story films, but it's a very different animal: while it may share a few familiar faces, it's a straight-up thriller without the need for much comic relief and with a strong dramatic turn from Chan. Focussing on a kidnapping carried out by corrupt cops who figure they can keep the investigation off track, it's not short on action, but like the similarly comparatively lesser know Thunderbolt this time the violence is played rather more for real - when the punches land, they hurt. It's a shame Chan never followed it up with more dramatic roles, but it certainly stands up as one of his most memorable pictures.

This is quite possibly one of Jackie's best films. It lacks the slapstick humor so many American audiences are accustomed to, but you actually get to see Jackie ACT! This is the way he should have been been introduced to America. A great film to see and share.

It's Jackie's most rare movie, it is very graphic, realistic feel to it about a hard life of honest cops. This is not a martial arts flick, although it has that, it is much more, a real detraction from Jacky Chan's usual funny style. It's not a comedy. It is a suspense detective. Enjoy one of Jacky's rarest, but wonderfully made movies.