In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Thursday, 10 October 2019

New Police Story (2004)

An unusually downbeat opening sets the tone for a Police Story reboot. I don't know why it needed a reboot, but at least it still has Jackie in the lead role. Except he's a different character, Inspector Kwok-wing. The grim feeling that kicked it off remains for a very long time, making the first 40+ minutes as much a hardship on the viewer as they are on the guilt-ridden alcoholic cop.
The villains are a gang of youths who treat life and death like a video game, awarding points for specific actions. Chan and his new partner (Nicholas Tse) try to track them down. The motivations of the primaries are foundation for a story of redemption, but it's somewhat stunted by its own gritty nature.

2½ damaged goods out of 5

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