A slicker, glossier and altogether bigger sequel to the first two in the POLICE STORY series, this is another triumph for action man Jackie Chan, this time teamed with the inimitable Michelle Yeoh to deliver some seriously effective thrills and spills. The movie flies along effortlessly and is packed with tension, comedy, and lots of fun antics along the way as Chan and Yeoh infiltrate a gang of drug pushers and desperately attempt to stop getting their covers blown. When staying at a hotel resort, Chan's girlfriend May turns up and all kind of desperate hijinks ensue which are a delight to watch. The action sequences rely more heavily on guns and vehicles here which makes for a pleasing change, although there is a sufficient amount of martial arts combat to appeal to Chan's loyal devotees.
This time around, links to the first two films are severed as new locations are introduced and old characters dropped into the background. No superintendent Raymond this time, although Uncle Bill puts in a small but funny turn and Maggie Cheung is around for some comedy antics and looking as lovely as ever. Most of the emphasis comes on Chan and Yeoh, who sparkle with great chemistry, and some nice nasty bad guys in Kenneth Tsang and Yuen Wah. Even Shaw Brothers legend Lo Lieh has a small but welcome role. The action is constant and never-ending, ranging from a major drug deal turned shoot-out and a fight with the police in the restaurant.
However, where this film really scores is in the intense final twenty minutes of the climax, which is basically one huge chase taking in cars, vans, a helicopter, and finally a train. I've always been a fan of train-top battles and this offers one of the best with plenty of fights and dangerous situations. Chan's major stunt involving hanging on to a rope ladder from a flying helicopter high in the sky, whilst Yeoh gobsmacks the viewer with a motorbike jump on to a moving train which easily beats Arnie's similar stunt in TERMINATOR 2 by virtue of the fact that it isn't faked - this is real, no wires. Great fights, acting, humour, and production values make this film a feather in the cap of all involved.
This time around, links to the first two films are severed as new locations are introduced and old characters dropped into the background. No superintendent Raymond this time, although Uncle Bill puts in a small but funny turn and Maggie Cheung is around for some comedy antics and looking as lovely as ever. Most of the emphasis comes on Chan and Yeoh, who sparkle with great chemistry, and some nice nasty bad guys in Kenneth Tsang and Yuen Wah. Even Shaw Brothers legend Lo Lieh has a small but welcome role. The action is constant and never-ending, ranging from a major drug deal turned shoot-out and a fight with the police in the restaurant.
However, where this film really scores is in the intense final twenty minutes of the climax, which is basically one huge chase taking in cars, vans, a helicopter, and finally a train. I've always been a fan of train-top battles and this offers one of the best with plenty of fights and dangerous situations. Chan's major stunt involving hanging on to a rope ladder from a flying helicopter high in the sky, whilst Yeoh gobsmacks the viewer with a motorbike jump on to a moving train which easily beats Arnie's similar stunt in TERMINATOR 2 by virtue of the fact that it isn't faked - this is real, no wires. Great fights, acting, humour, and production values make this film a feather in the cap of all involved.