Crime Story (1993)
By Shane Rivers
Most American viewers are familiar with Jackie Chan’s work in the Rush Hour series and Shanghai Noon. In these movies, Chan’s charm and athletic prowess are unmistakable, but he’s often hamstrung by his thick accent and roles which emphasize kicking and grinning like an idiot. Fortunately, Chan has also made numerous Hong Kong action films, and these allow him to display a greater range of acting alongside his death-defying stunts and high-powered action sequences: Crime Story is one such film.
Loosely based on the real-life abduction of Hong Kong businessman Teddy Wang, Crime Story stars Jackie Chan as Inspector Eddie Chan, a dedicated cop assigned to foil a kidnapping ring. His search eventually leads all the way to Taiwan, and he must constantly struggle to stay one step ahead of the criminals–a task made more difficult by a mole within the police force.
Low on comedy and high on action, Crime Story bolts out of the gates with a fast-paced scene centered around a botched kidnapping. Once that’s done, and with only a few moments for the audience to catch their breath, the movie launches into a flashback of a daytime shootout. Action fans should be in hog heaven.
In a later stand-out sequence, the wife of the nabbed businessman travels through the city on the orders of the kidnappers. She’s followed by the police, but they’re required to constantly change clothes to prevent being spotted. As the cops gets closer to their prey–and the kidnappers get closer to their ransom money–the mole within the department works to protect his cohorts. This leads to a tense game of cat-and-mouse, and few films can hope to rival the raw energy and suspense which are generated.
Chan is far more effective when working in his native language, and it’s refreshing to not see him grinning and mugging for the camera. He plays Inspector Chan as a no-nonsense type, but fans should rest assured that he still gets plenty of opportunities to use his kung fu skills.
I also liked several of the smaller touches introduced in the action sequences. After getting a cut on his head from a car crash, blood begins running into Chan’s eye. He manages to scavenge a water bottle and–while driving down the freeway at a breakneck pace–washes out the blood. Later, while getting the wound treated at a hospital, he has a passionate argument with loose stitches hanging from his head.
The single greatest moment, however, comes when a car driven by criminals broadsides a halted police motorcycle. You know the cop is a dummy–it has to be–but it’s handled so effectively that you may wonder for a second whether or not somebody really got killed. If you can avoid rewinding to take a second look, then you’re a better man (or woman) than me.
While Crime Story isn’t perfect, it’s got more than enough to please action fans. With high-speed chases, martial arts, and plenty of intrigue, it’s guaranteed to kick the collective rear ends of Jackie Chan’s American films.
This Crime Story movie review is copyright 2009 Small World Marketing and Shane Rivers. This Crime Story review should not be reprinted without the permission of the copyright holders.
This movie review of Crime Story expresses the opinion of the author only. Other Crime Story movie reviews are available online, and some of those might or might not express different opinions on the movie. Like those other Crime Story movie reivews, this Crime Story review is intended for the entertainment and education of the reader. This Crime Story movie review is provided as is with no warranty or guarantee implied.
