Police Story: Lockdown

Jackie Chan is aging, but he still chooses quite interesting projects. "Police Story 2013" is one of them. It's a bit darker, reminiscent of "The Crow" in terms of its poetic feel, but we still find Jackie in great form. I think the focus was more on the story rather than his abilities, but I didn't mind at all. He still has plenty to show. (06/02/2014)

Jackie Chan continues to willingly prostitute himself for the ideological needs of mainland China, this time even selling out not only himself but also his most famous movie franchise and its iconic hero. Like the actor who portrays him, Chan Ka Kui had his memory and identity erased, adopted the Mandarin name Zhong Wen and became a Chinese super-agent. Police Story 2013 is supremely ridiculous, undisguised agitprop for the Chinese law-enforcement organisations that takes to kitschy heights the dedication of police officers to protecting every single human life and fanatically following the rules. Add to this a misguidedly overwrought screenplay, whose author had apparently been intently watching the Die Hard franchise (especially the third and fourth instalments) and trying to graft its premise onto some kind of pseudo-Rashomon –  the result is even more absurd than the given combination sounds. After the brilliant Little Big Soldier, the second pairing of Jackie Chan with Ding Sheng raised high hopes. The only thing about Police Story 2013 that can be appreciated is the brazen broad-mindedness with which the screenplay uses flashbacks to cram extra arena fights, car chases and a bit of parkour action into a narrative that’s primarily set in a single interior, even though they have nothing to do with the main plot. (07/25/2014)