“Super cops in Hong Kong are cheap and plentiful like commodities in supermarkets.”
. . . in which Jackie Chan, martial arts maestro by way of Buster Keaton, gets introduced to American audiences.
Well, for many people, Chan’s trajectory had been noted, but it wasn’t until the arrival of Rumble in the Bronx, First Strike, and the American distribution of Supercop in 1996 (by Dimension), that his particular brand of stunts and martial arts skills had been on display here in the United States.
And what an arrival it was.
Police Story 3: Supercop, full of three great action sequences and a whole lot of hilarious moments from "Uncle" Bill Tong and Chan’s associates in between, might not be as comically charged for Chan as his character in Rumble in the Bronx was, but the film is a great addition to his filmography, especially considering the stunt sequences (especially the SUPER helicopter-meets-train scene in the finale) and the exceptionally choreographed hand-to-hand fighting sequences.
And now, thanks to 88 Films, Supercop arrives on UHD in a 2160p transfer from a new 4K scan of the original 35mm negative. To put it bluntly, the new print looks remarkably clean and crisp.
After successfully directing the first two Police Story installments, Chan passed the torch to director/fight choreographer Stanley Tong and a blissfully engaged and artistic highpoint was established between the two artists which would continue for quite some time. Of course, Supercop is aided by the presence of Michelle Yeoh, who was more than ready (and willing) to kick some major ass as a high ranking member of the Chinese military who must assist "Kevin" Chan Ka-Kui (Chan), the “supercop” of the Hong Kong police force as he infiltrates a drug cartel and, definitely, needs her help.
From Hong Kong to a military camp in the Golden Triangle of Thailand, Supercop canvases a whole lot of the mainland territory and packs a solid punch in the story department as Ka-Kui gets surprised by an unexpected (and hilarious) family reunion in a remote village in Hong Kong and then, much later, discovers that even his girlfriend, May (Maggie Cheung) in her final performance for the series, is part of the undercover action . . . even as she gets tossed from a helicopter!
Just who is rescuing who here?!
Police Story 3: Supercop is now on 4K UHD thanks to 88 Films.
Standard Edition / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
Home Video Distributor: 88 Films
Available on 4K Blu-ray - January 16, 2024
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English; English SDH
Audio: Cantonese: Dolby Atmos; Cantonese: Dolby TrueHD 7.1; Cantonese: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A
IN THE CRIME CAPITOL OF THE WORLD, THERE’S NEVER A COP AROUND WHEN YOU NEED ONE. BUT WHEN THIS COP’S AROUND, ONE IS ALL YOU NEED. To infiltrate a drug cartel, police Inspector Chan Ka Kui (Jackie Chan, Rush Hour, Rumble in the Bronx) goes undercover in a Chinese prison. There, he earns the trust of Panther (Yuen Wah, Kung Fu Hustle), a cartel member, by breaking him out of prison. With the help of another undercover agent (Michelle Yeoh, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), they travel to Hong Kong and join up with Panther's gang. Ka Kui is accepted by the gang's leader (Ken Tsang), but his operation is jeopardized when Ka Kui's girlfriend (Maggie Cheung, Hero) accidentally reveals his true identity. 88 Films proudly presents Police Story 3: Supercop making its North American debut in 4K Ultra HD!
VIDEO
The 2160p transfer looks amazingly crisp and clear, considering its ‘92 origin date. There are some instances of print damage, but the natural film grain helps smooth it over. Black levels are deep and constant and colors look naturalistic, never over appearing to be enhanced. All in all, the new transfer is exceptional with skin tones hitting high marks.
AUDIO
Audio options for the Hong Kong cut include Cantonese Dolby Atmos (5.1/7.1 compatible), 16-bit Cantonese 1.0 Mono, 16-bit Cantonese 2.0 (Home Video Mix) and 16-bit English 1.0 (Classic English Dub). The U.S version includes a 24-bit English 5.1 option and a 16-bit Cantonese 1.0 Mono options. Subtitles are provided in English and English SDH.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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Frank Djeng provides a very detailed commentary.
Special Features:
While not as loaded as the limited edition, this 2-disc release definitely won’t disappoint fans of Chan.
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4K UHD presentation of the Hong Kong cut (96 min) in original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision encoding (HDR10+ compatible)
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Cantonese language options in Dolby Atmos, Cantonese 1.0 and Cantonese 2.0 (Home Video mix) with newly translated subtitles and SDH (Hong Kong cut)
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English Mono Dub (Hong Kong cut)
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4K UHD presentation of the international U.S. cut (91 min) with English 5.1 & Cantonese mono with English subtitles and SDH
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Audio commentary by Frank Djeng
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Flying High – Jackie Chan
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Dancing with Death – Michelle Yeoh
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The Stuntmaster General – Stanley Tong
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The Fall Guy – Ken Lo
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Stanley Tong interview (2004)
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Outtakes and Behind the Scenes
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Hong Kong Trailer
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English Trailer
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U.S. TV spots (7)
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U.S. Theatrical Teaser
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U.S. Theatrical Trailer
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Japanese Teaser
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U.S. Video Screener Promo
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Guy Laroche 1984 commercial with Jackie Chan & Michelle Yeoh
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 91 mins
Director: Stanley Tong
Writer: Edward Tang; Fibe Ma; Lee Wai Yee
Cast: Jackie Chan; Michelle Yeoh; Maggie Cheung
Genre: Action | Comedy | Crime
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "Super cops in Hong Kong are cheap and plentiful like commodities in supermarkets."
Theatrical Distributor: Dimension Films
Official Site:
Release Date: July 26, 1996
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: January 16, 2024.
Synopsis: To infiltrate a drug cartel, police Inspector Chan Ka Kui (Jackie Chan) goes undercover in a Chinese prison. There, he earns the trust of Panther (Yuen Wah), a cartel member, by breaking him out of prison. With the help of another undercover agent (Michelle Yeaoh), they travel to Hong Kong and join up with Panther's gang. Ka Kui is accepted by the gang's leader (Ken Tsang), but his operation is jeopardized when Ka Kui's girlfriend (Maggie Cheung) accidentally reveals his true identity.
