Jackie Chan’s second outing in the Police Story saga finally makes it to DVD in its uncut form.
Chan’s films are known for their comedy and extensive stunt sequences and this one is no exception. The comedy is a bit more subdued and Chan and May’s relationship does suffer some hurdles in the film. However it’s the stunts that the audiences flock to Hong Kong theaters to see.
Chan Ka Kui (Jackie Chan) caused so much destruction in the first film that he finds himself demoted to highway patrol at the beginning of this sequel. He also finds that Chu (Yuen Chor ),the villain from Police Story, has been released from prison and seemingly has revenge on his mind. Chan and his girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung) are constantly being harassed by Chu’s goons.
Chan and May try and get away from it all
Chan and May have decided to go on a vacation to Thailand but finds himself drawn into a bomb threat at a local shopping mall. May and Chan are on the plane getting ready to fly away from their troubles when Uncle Bill (Bill Tung) and Raymond (Kwok-Hung Lam), Chan’s police supervisors, remove Chan from the plane to get him to come back on the bombing case.
Chan agrees to but May ends up flying to Thailand sans her passport. She’s held in customs long enough to rethink she and Chan’s relationship. Chan has to battle Chu’s goons, stop the bombers and their extortion plot, and win the heart of May again.
One thing that you have to remember about watching Police Story 2 is that Jackie Chan is the one doing all these stunts. No stunt men where harmed in the making of this picture – well not exactly as one of the reel in the special features show. However, what Jackie is known for is doing all of his crazy stunts whereas our Hollywood heroes call cut and let the stuntman handle the sticky stuff.
The other thing you should know is that Dragon Dynasty, a new line from Weinstein Home Video, presents Police Story 2 in its full 122 minute cut. The film was released by distributors in a truncated 92 minute version. The film is not exactly short (and could use an editor perhaps) but it’s nice to finally get to see the movie as it was shown in Hong Kong.
Chan’s films are known for their comedy and extensive stunt sequences and this one is no exception. The comedy is a bit more subdued and Chan and May’s relationship does suffer some hurdles in the film. However it’s the stunts that the audiences flock to Hong Kong theaters to see.
The grand finale features a massive explosion
This one does deliver in that department and features the largest explosion in Hong Kong film history (well, in 1988 that is) for the grand finale. I did like the film but felt that an editor might’ve been able to tighten up the film, but not in the way that the 92 minute hackers did mind you. It didn’t feel like two hours though, but the romance stuff slows down the film a little.
Police Story 2 is presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include a commentary track by director Brett Ratner and Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan. It's a shame that director Jackie Chan didn't do a commentary or interview for this film, but the other special features are better than nothing. First up is the 33 minute “Stunts Unlimited: A Tribute to the Legendary Police Story 2 Stunt Team” and pays tribute to the many stuntmen that make the magic happen (mostly in Cantonese with English subtitles).
The 8 minute “Celebrating the Sequel” is next and features Ratner and Logan in separate interviews about the film. Next is the 3 minute “rare outtakes” which looks like an alternate version of the film’s closing credits. The 12 minute “Police Story 2 Location Guide” has Bey Logan touring some of the locations of the film as they appear today. Finally there’s a collection of trailers for Police Story 2.
It’s good to have the uncut version of Police Story 2 finally on DVD. The film could use some tightening, but the well staged fight and action sequences make up for the slow bits. Dragon Dynasty provide a fine selection of special features to make this a must own for the Hong Kong cinema fan.
The stunt team gets to do alot in this film
Police Story 2 (Special Collector’s Edition) is now available at Amazon . As of yet, this version of the DVD is not available in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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