Jackie Chan’s favourite Jackie Chan movie: “I think it’s one of the best”
His political views haven’t always indicated this fact, but Jackie Chan is a hero.
On the screen, he’s an uncompromisable hero with a trick up his sleeve and a sly look to the camera for every occasion. Off-screen, however, he’s an even bigger deal. He’s not just a celebrity, but a global brand, a walking advertisement for his native Hong Kong and its culture. He’s a businessman, a musician, and an all-around icon. Just don’t look up his views on the Chinese government.
One set of views we can talk about is his ones about the film industry. Chan has been in the acting game for over 60 years, so he knows a thing or two about moving pictures. But how do we find out what his favourite films are? That’s where ol’ reliable Rotten Tomatoes comes in.
The granddaddy of film review sites – which Chan inadvertently helped create – sat down with the esteemed martial artist for a conversation about some of his favourite films. He had a good selection, ranging from The Sound of Music to Jurassic Park to the Al Gore documentary An Inconvenient Truth. When it came to his final choice, however, he couldn’t resist sneaking in one of his own efforts. “Police Story,” he said. “I think it’s one of the best action films ever made.”
Released in 1985, the first Police Story movie didn’t just star Chan, but was directed by him too. He plays Chan Ka-Kui (also called ‘Kevin’ in some releases), an undercover police officer working to bring down an infamous gangster in Hong Kong.
The film is best known for its outlandish stunts, which are insane even by Chan’s standards. The most famous (or should that be infamous) one features the star sliding down a huge pole while a bunch of lights explode around him. It’s utterly spectacular to watch, even if it did nearly kill him.
But what about Chan’s claim that it’s “one of the best action films ever made”? Surely this is just self-mythologising and ego, right? Not exactly. Police Story is generally considered to be not just one of the greatest examples of the Hong Kong martial arts genre, but one of the best films in the wider action canon. Chan and his team designed the story about the setpieces, which flow seamlessly into each other at breakneck speed. The leading man is in his physical prime, springing around like a jackrabbit as he battles bad guys, jumps off buses, and leaves chaos in his wake.
Police Story was also a huge financial success. As a result, a sequel was released three years later, which in turn spawned a franchise which currently contains seven feature films. If you ask some people, the stunts only got better as the series progressed. The movies did a brilliant job in opening Western eyes to a very Eastern style of filmmaking and ultimately helped Chan gain a foothold in Hollywood.
As it turns out, Chan wasn’t just blowing smoke up his own ass. Police Story genuinely is one of the best action films ever made. Even if he does say so himself.
