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CRIME
STORY
AKA:
Police Story 4 ||
Police Story IV || New Police Story
Year:
1998 Reviewer: Phil
Mills
When
Jet Li turned down the starring role in 'Crime Story', a
police thriller based on a real life kidnapping case, few
could ever have perceived that the king of kung fu comedy
would be the man to take up the reigns but he did and it
actually turned out very well.
Chan
plays Inspector Eddie Chan, a cop suffering from emotional
distress after he is involved in a street shoot out. His
psychiatrist suggests he takes a rest but he refuses and has
himself assigned to protect Wang I Fei, a rich businessman who
suspects he will be kidnapped. Sadly, the suspicions turn out
to be correct and he is brutally taken in a high speed car
chase. Oddly enough, it turns out that Fei has been
kidnapped once before so the man that solved the previous case
(Kent Cheng) is brought in to help. However, it would appear
that Chan's new partner has some ulterior motives and some
decidedly questionable loyalty but the case must continue
regardless. Now, a game of cat and mouse begins as Chan
attempts to piece together the mystery of Fei's disappearance
but will his partner help or hinder him in his duty?
You
rarely ever see a film where Jackie Chan doesn't smile or
litter it with his trademark slapstick routines but 'Crime
Story' is one of those elite few. Don't fret though as the
good thing about this is that it really gives Chan a chance to
show his acting talents which have been called into question
by the press on numerous occasions. After performing so
many amazing stunts and action sequences, you often begin to
just think of Chan as invincible but his humanity is not
something that is in doubt here. From the very opening
where he is involved in the bloody shootout with some thugs
you can accept that this is a man who is vulnerable and his
mental state in particular could affect the outcome of each
situation. This is not an easy performance to convey as
most actors will confess but Chan shows a side of himself that we
have rarely seen and he certainly goes a long way to proving
his critics wrong. Of course you couldn't get away with
having Chan in the film without including a couple of fight
scenes and it's fair to say that the two in this movie are
very enjoyable if a little short but this is in keeping with
the whole flow of the story.
Kent
Cheng (best known as Butcher Wing in 'Once
Upon A Time In China') plays opposite Chan and the
chemistry between the two leads is strong. Cheng's
portrayal of a twisted cop is the flip side to Chan's
supercop and this is easily one of his most memorable
performances,
especially in a high profile picture. As an actor, Cheng
rarely ever seems to get the recognition he deserves but it is
worth noting he has played many different character styles and
always seems to blend in with role he plays.
As
a complete picture, 'Crime Story' shows signs of a Ringo Lam
style film with several exciting SWAT ambushes and high octane
car chases. This is a refreshing change for the unusual
selection of actors who are probably better known for their
comedic ventures as opposed to the action side (with the
exception of Chan). Luckily though, it all pays off and
produces one of the best action-thrillers from the 90s.
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