Police Story 1 and 2 (Criterion BluRay)

Synopsis

The jaw-dropping set pieces fly fast and furious in these breathtakingly inventive action comedies, two smash hits that made Jackie Chan a worldwide icon of daredevil spectacle. The director/star/one-man stunt machine plays Ka-Kui, a Hong Kong police inspector whose methods are, ahem, unorthodox; the phenomenal Maggie Cheung, in a star-making role, plays his much-put-upon girlfriend, May. Packed wall-to-wall with astoundingly acrobatic fight choreography, epic explosions, charmingly goofball slapstick, and awesomely 1980s electro soundtracks, Police Story and Police Story 2 set a new standard for rock-’em-sock-’em mayhem that established Chan as a performer of unparalleled grace and daring and would influence a generation of filmmakers, from Hong Kong to Hollywood.

Jackie Chan followed up the massive success of Police Story with an even bigger box-office hit. Having been demoted to a lowly traffic cop for his, ahem, unorthodox policing methods, Chan’s go-it-alone officer Ka-Kui quits the force in protest. But it isn’t long before he’s back in action, racing the clock to stop a band of serial bombers and win back his much-put-upon girlfriend May (the phenomenal Maggie Cheung, reprising her star-making role). Boasting epic explosions, an awesomely 1980s electro soundtrack, and a showstopping finale—which turns an abandoned warehouse into a life-size pinball machine of cascading oil drums, collapsing scaffolds, and shooting fireworks—Police Story 2 confirmed Chan’s status as a performer of unparalleled grace and daring.

SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

New 4K digital restorations of Police Story and Police Story 2 • Alternate 5.1 surround and English-dubbed soundtracks for both films • Hong Kong–release version of Police Story 2, presented in a high-definition digital transfer for the first time • New programs on Chan’s screen persona and action-filmmaking techniques featuring author and New York Asian Film Festival cofounder Grady Hendrix • Archival interviews with Chan and actor and stuntman Benny Lai • Television program from 1964 detailing the rigors of Peking-opera training, akin to the education that Chan received as a child • Chan stunt reel • Trailers • New English subtitle translations More! • PLUS: An essay by critic Nick Pinkerton

• Region A
• Studio: Criterion
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