New Police Story


New Police Story is a 2004 Hong Kong action film produced and directed by Benny Chan, and also produced by and starring Jackie Chan. The film was released in the Hong Kong on 24 September 2004. The film is a reboot of the Police Story series and is the fifth film in the series. New Police Story relies much more on drama and heavy action than its predecessors.

Plot

A group of 5 rebellious youths rob a bank with the intention of shooting police officers before making their escape. Inspector Chan Kwok-wing and his squad are called to arrest the gang after their hideout is revealed. However, the place is rigged with traps, and the entire squad is decimated. After defeated at several challenges with the rebels, Chan, the sole survivor of the incident, takes a year long leave from the police force to binge-drink after losing the squad, including Rocky, the younger brother of Chan's girlfriend, Ho Yee.
Chan is discovered by a stranger, who identifies himself as Frank Cheng, Chan's new partner. Frank tries to convince Chan to cancel his leave and reopen the case; Chan refuses, but comes to his senses by apprehending two youths who robbed him earlier while Chan was drunk. Chan's superior Chiu Chan, initially believing that Chan's overconfidence alone was responsible for the disastrous raid, challenges them to solve the case before he does. Frank explained to Chan about his persistence on the case that he is kin of a deceased squad member.
Frank and Chan visit and convince former colleague Sam Wong, who is hiding in a bar, to reveal a clue from the night of the first robbery, a watch which he snatched from one of the robbers. Wong tells them that one of the gang members is a woman and that they like to play X-games. Chan and Frank are tailed by Chiu and the police as they search the owner of the watch at an upcoming X-Games event; Sam has been arrested by the police to assist in the investigation. At the event, held on the rooftop of a skyscraper, Frank and Chan manage to locate one of the gang members, Fire, while Sam and the police interrupt the event and single out the woman robber, Sue. Before they can apprehend them, Fire fatally wounds Sam, and the two escape. Sam confesses to Chan that he was blackmailed by the gang to aid them in ambushing Chan's team. Chiu, upon overhearing this, has a change of heart.
In the ensuing chase, Sue, Fire, Chan and Frank scaled down the building on a tightrope. To distract Chan, Fire shoots a bus driver, forcing Chan and Frank to save the bus. When Chan's old commanding officer, Chief Tai, comes to him to complain about the collateral damage, he reveals that he never assigned a partner to Chan. Chan angrily confronts Frank, who is neither a cop nor a kin of deceased squad member. Frank admits that even though he wanted to be a cop, he failed the exam. Chan is convinced that Frank is sincere, and the two are briefed by Frank's friend, Officer Sa Sa, that the gang members all come from rich families and the leader Joe is actually the son of the police chief. The gang also created online video games based on their raids.
Sue and Fire return to the gang's new hideout, where Joe kills Sue, who was critically wounded during the chase. His gang accesses Chan's police file on a computer and plants a bomb on Ho Yee after luring her to the police station. Chan and Ho Yee cut the wires, with no effect, leading the police to believe that it is a fake. But when the two get ready to leave, a small wire attached to Ho Yee's back activates a secondary trigger, causing the bomb to explode. The blast causes pipes to land on Ho Yee, knocking her into a coma. When Frank's false identity is revealed, Chan and Frank are arrested, the gang visited them and taunted them about their next target. Frank and Chan are later unofficially released to apprehend the gang.
Through the online game, Chan, Frank and Sa Sa learn that the gang's next target is the Bank of Hong Kong. In order to avoid another botched raid, Chan has the officers escort the public out of the building, and brings the gang members' parents to cause dissent within Joe's gang, prompting Joe to kill gang member Max for surrendering. In the resulting altercation, Frank blindsided Fire, injuring him before retreat away from Joe's firing. At a Lego exhibit, Chan catches up with him and has a rematch of hand-to-hand combat with Tin Tin and prevails, before Tin Tin is critically shot by Joe's friendly fire. Chan follows Joe, the last man standing, to the roof, where Joe threatens to throw Frank, whom he has captured, to his death. Joe challenges Chan to a race to assemble a semi-automatic pistol, a rematch of another earlier challenge which Chan wins this time. A number of policemen arrive on the roof, along with Joe's outraged father. Chan attempts to talk him into surrendering; Joe admits defeat, but deliberately aims his empty gun at Chan, choosing suicide by cop with his father watching. Chan rushes to rescue Frank, and both of them fall off the building, landing on a fireman's inflated cushion.
In the hospital, Ho Yee has recovered and prepares to leave before accepting Chan's marriage proposal. Frank is taken under arrest for assumption of authority. When Chan looks at the jacket Frank left behind, he remembers meeting him as a child after Frank's impoverished father was killed by a speeding truck while trying to steal some food, and giving comfort to the orphaned boy, prompting Frank to become a policeman and repay Chan for his kindness.

Cast

Principal photography took place in Hong Kong between 1 January and 31 December 2003.

Box office

New Police Story opened in Hong Kong on 23 September 2004 where it made HK$5,625,746 in its first three days. It ended its run with HK$21 million to making it the fourth highest-grossing domestic release of the year.
On 13 October 2006, the film received a limiting release in the United Kingdom. In its opening weekend the film grossed $19,332 having been shown in 16 theatres. It ranked #21 at the box office and averaged $1,208 per theatre. As of 22 October 2006, New Police Story had grossed a total of $33,404 in its two-week release in the UK. British film critic Jonathan Ross gave the film a fairly positive review and felt that Chan could "still do the business".

International version

New Police Story was released straight-to-DVD in the United States by Lionsgate on 16 May 2006. The DVD included an English dubbed with participation by Jackie Chan. Also included is an introduction by Jackie himself and a message not to buy an unlicensed copy of the film. When played in its original language it contains dubtitles. A cut was made towards the end of the film wherein a young Frank Cheng was being escorted back to the PRC by Chan.
A Blu-ray version was released in the United States on 24 November 2009.

Awards and nominations