SUPERCOP
A film review by Michael Dequina
Copyright 1996 Michael Dequina
(R) *** 1/2 (out of ****)
Jackie Chan should have no trouble keeping his new American fans--or gaining new ones--with Miramax/Dimension's wide release of Supercop, enormously entertaining 1992 second sequel (originally released as Police Story III: Supercop) to his 1985 classic Police Story.
Supercop, directed by frequent Chan collaborator Stanley Tong, boasts a sturdier story than Chan's recent American breakthrough, the messily-written Rumble in the Bronx (which was also helmed by Tong). Chan once again plays Hong Kong cop "Kevin" Chan, who this time teams with tough mainland security officer Yang (the incredible HK superstar Michelle Khan, a.k.a. Michelle Yeoh) on an undercover mission to befriend a criminal (Yuen Wah) to take down his drug kingpin brother (Ken Tsang). The title is something of a joke--the mainland forces recruit Kevin because his past extraordinary feats make him out to be a "supercop"; however, while he's definitely good at what he does and delivers in the pinch, he's also a cocky goofball. The true "supercop" is the no-nonsense Yang, who could very well be tougher than he is.
Miramax/Dimension has altered a few things in reworking the film for a stateside audience. There's a sharp new opening credit sequence (which rivals Mission: Impossible for best opening of the year) in place of the original's brief flashing of the title, stars, and director; and the film now opens with Chan's entrance, which originally came about five minutes in, after some lengthy exposition. But not all of the changes are for the better: there's (of course) a mostly ineffective English dialogue track (thankfully, though, Chan and Khan do their own dubbing); a new score by Joel McNeely, complete with some out-of-place rap tunes, that doesn't improve on the perfectly adequate original music; and the de rigueur closing outtake reel is scored to an excrutiating Tom Jones cover of that '70s camp gem, "Kung Fu Fighting."
The less successful alterations, though, don't detract from the film's existing charms, which, of course, is explosive action. Chan doesn't engage in as much martial arts as he did in Rumble, and the action here is more in line with Hollywood productions (i.e. more explosions and gunplay). But that is not to say the Supercop does not deliver some knockout sequences, which it definitely does. The most notable set piece is the incredible final 20 minute chase, which involves vans, cars, motorcycles, helicopters, a train, and some unbelievable derring-do from Chan and Khan. Khan is perhaps the real star of the film, engaging in more of the physical stunts than Chan, and matching his moves punch for punch, kick for kick (in fact, Khan and the character of Yang caused such a sensation that she was given her own spinoff starring vehicle: the disappointingly tepid, virtually action-free Supercop 2, a.k.a. Once a Cop, a.k.a. Project S, a.k.a. Police Story III Part 2). She and Chan also make a formidable pair between action scenes; their spirited verbal sparring packs as strong a kick as their martial arts moves.
What is especially notable about Miramax/Dimension's version of Supercop is what they _didn't_ take out--the comedy, which New Line mostly removed from Rumble. While the Americanized Rumble was an entertaining action flick, it didn't really show a lot of the comedic prowess that makes Jackie Chan so special and unique; thankfully, the revised Supercop keeps a great comic scene in which Kevin's girlfriend (played, as in the first two Police Story films, by the stunning Maggie Cheung) thinks he's cheating on her with Yang.
Supercop is a double-barreled blessing for Hong Kong action fans. Number one, it continues the long-overdue stateside success of Jackie Chan; number two, it unleashes the mighty Michelle Khan on an unsuspecting American public. Now, if only John Woo muse Chow Yun-Fat could make _his_ U.S. breakthrough...
-- Michael Dequina mrbrown@ucla.edu Visit Mr. Brown's Movie Site at http://members.tripod.com/~MrBrown/
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