Jackie Chan stars in this gritty kidnap drama that is extremely different than any of his other films. There’s no comedy as Chan plays a cop who has to find the victim of a kidnapping before the kidnappers collect the ransom and dispose of the victim.
Jackie Chan’s films have become known for both their impressive stunts and emphasis on comedy. Crime Story takes a different turn as the comedy is dropped and the story is told in a more straightforward manner.
The plot is based on a true story. However, the impressive stunts by Chan are still there as well as by the crew of stuntmen. Chan takes on a more Clint Eastwood-esque portrayal as the driven Inspector Eddie Chan.
He’s sworn to return the kidnapped billionaire because two officers were injured in Chan’s pursuit of the kidnappers and one of them died of their injuries. He’s dedicated to the pursuit, so much so that the staff psychiatrist thinks that he’s working too hard. The film is full of grand action and that’s Jackie doing all his own stunts (as usual).
He not only has to deal with finding the criminals, but a mole in the force that’s part of the conspiracy. This one is also a bit different in that there’s no love interest for Chan, even though that could’ve set the psychiatrist up as one they chose not to go that route.
Crime Story is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include a commentary by director Kirk Wong and Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan. The 29 minute “A Journey to the Underworld: An Exclusive Interview with director Kirk Wong” is an English language interview where the director tells about the production.
He based Chan’s character on a real detective and kept calling him for unpaid advice, to which the detective got peeved about. The 12-minute “From the Page to the Silver Screen” is an English interview with screenwriter Teddy Chan. There are also 6 minutes of deleted scenes, the original theatrical trailer, and the U.S. promotional trailer.
Crime Story is a nice change of pace for Chan, but those who are used to his comic antics might not like the result. However, I thought that it was a good police drama and features his usual use of grand set pieces and excellent stunt work. The ante is only upped in that this new edition features some nice special features that are sure to please the film’s fans.
Crime Story: Special Edition is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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