Back in the early 90s, Channel 4 put on a series of Jackie Chan and other Hong Kong action movies. I remember watching them, throughly enjoying Police Story, Armour of God and Wheels on Meals.
This general interest lead me to buying and collecting Impact! magazine (until I stupidly got rid of my collection) and going to rent, watch action cinema from Hong Kong. For me, action movies from that period of time was so unique, fast paced and different from the slow, plodding sequences from Hollywood.
What’s more, the heroes in these movies were mostly “every man”, whereas the brute force action heroes of Hollywood were big, slow and strong; whereas people liked Stallone and Arnold, I was into the fast paced action of Jackie Chan, Jet Li and even female action heroes like Cynthia Rothrock, Michelle Yeoh, Michelle Khan, and others.
Whilst Hollywood had its spectacle, big budgets, big set pieces; Hong Kong (and asia) offered frenetic, fast-paced action sequences, where heroes often outnumbered, or put into difficult odds.
Lately I’ve been re-watching some of the older Jackie Chan movies; and yes, I agree – his work from the 70s through to the 96 is way better than anything he ever did in Hollywood (yes, I include Rush Hour into that).
So this lead me to the question; just what is Jackie Chan’s best movie.
One could look at this from a financial point of view, from importance to his career point of view, etc. I wanted to look at it from purely a personal point of view.
I don’t expect you to agree with me. It’s just my opinion.
Here’s my take on what’s his best movie: Police Story (1984).
Yes, there’s an argument that Miracles (1989) was a more important work (being Jackie’s passion project). There’s an argument that Dragons Forever (1988) has more action. And yes, you could argue that Armour of God (1986) was more fun, or that Police Story III (1992) had more stunts; and yes, Drunken Master II (1994) won more awards and is considered to be, by many, Jackie’s Magnus Opus.
For me, Police Story (1984) is Jackie’s best movie. Whether its the mall sequence at the end, or the fact it was Jackie’s direct retort to his bitterness over The Protector (1984/1985); there is something about Police Story that I really enjoy.
Sure it has some weak parts and there are sequences that go on a bit too long, or are perhaps lost in translation, I do find and enjoy Police Story just that bit more — maybe its the way its shot, or that Chan’s character “Chan Ka Kui” is a loose cannon, only to have his redemption at the end.
Overall, I feel perhaps this movie encapsulates Jackie’s style – it has his patented stunts, it has the multi-man fights, it has a good enough story and offers Jackie as an everyman hero following a redemption storyline and is certainly a movie you should see.