Police Story 3: Supercop 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Police Story 3: Supercop 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 4, 2022

Stanley Tong's "Police Story 3" (1992) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on this release include new audio commentary by critics Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto; new audio commentary recorded by critics Mike Leeder and Arne Venema; new program action choreographer and stuntman John Kreng; new featurette; archival cast and crew interviews; and more. In Cantonese or English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

All of the big international films Jackie Chan made end with raw footage from the shooting of the most challenging action sequences in them. Virtually all of these action sequences are insane because what Chan does there is incredibly dangerous. You can see him smiling after he has hurt himself while failing to get a particular stunt right, but his facial expression and body appearance could not be any more misleading. As he is hurting himself, he is risking everything -- his career, his body, and of course his life. Oh please, he is a pro and he knows how to protect himself. Do you think so? I am sorry, but this isn’t true. Chan trusts his instincts and his very athletic body to keep him alive, and his margin of error is extremely small. To be honest, I think that some of this incredibly dangerous work is the cinematic equivalent of playing Russian Roulette before a rolling camera because just a tiny wrong movement at a crucial moment could instantly leave Chan with a broken spine or just kill him on the spot.

At the very end of Stanley Tong’s Police Story 3 a.k.a. Supercop, there a few minutes with such raw footage. Some of it qualifies to be described as hilarious bloopers, but there are a couple of short clips that feature the type of incredibly dangerous work I described above. In one of these clips, Chan attempts to do a whacky flip on the top of a moving train, lands awkwardly, and at the last moment, before he falls and is crushed by the giant metal wheels, is barely saved by two guys in uniforms. This is one of the very few such clips I have seen where Chan genuinely looks terrified. In another clip, he is nearly sliced in two by an approaching helicopter because of some malfunction with what appears to be a protective belt.

Police Story 3 is full of various similar very dangerous stunts but done right and they are what make it worth seeing. It tells a decent story, but it is this insane all-around perfect action material that is its biggest strength.

Hong Kong inspector Chan Ka-kui (Chan) is dispatched to Guangzhou to assist local inspector Jessica Yang (Michelle Yeoh) in her pursuit of the notorious drug tsar Chaibat (Kenneth Tsang). To get to Chaibat, the two partners help his closest associate, the prominent gangster Panther (Wah Yuen), escape from a local labor camp and join his gang as he prepares to resume his criminal activities. Chaibat and Panther then reunite, confront their biggest rivals, and set up a major job in Malaysia that could be the perfect opportunity for the two inspectors to nab their target. But somewhere along the way Chan accidentally bumps into his girlfriend, May (Maggie Cheung), who immediately concludes that he is cheating on her with another girl.

Tong directs Police Story 3 with great confidence and determination to make it as entertaining as possible, so all of the action in it is flashy and impressively polished. Also, it runs like a Swiss watch. There are a couple of sequences where opportunities emerge for Chan and the two female leads to slow down the action a bit, but Tong keeps pushing forward as if to meet a preset quota that would determine the quality of his work. The concept works because Chan does some incredible stunts before the camera and they are not repetitive, so there is no need for additional excitement.

All of the locations in Police Story 3 are pretty impressive, too. The aerial shots from Kuala Lumpur, in particular, look terrific and give the film that very particular appearance that usually only big summer blockbusters have.

The man behind the camera was cinematographer Ardy Lam, who lensed John Woo’s classic action thriller Bullet in the Head and Tsui Hark’s period extravaganza Once Upon a Time in China.

*This 4K Blu-ray release features two versions of Police Story 3: the original theatrical Hong Kong Version, which is approximately 97 minutes, long, and the U.S. Version, titled Supercop, which is approximately 91 minutes long.

Police Story 3: Supercop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and encoded with HEVC / H.265, Police Story 3 arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. This release does not include a Blu-ray copy of the film and is included in this three-disc set.

Please note that all screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and are downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

We have already posted a review of the Blu-ray release of the new 4K restoration of Supercop 3 which can be accessed here. The 4K Blu-ray release offers a native 4K presentation of the same restoration.

I viewed the entire film with HDR and paid close attention to areas where the superior dynamic range of 4K could and should make a difference. Also, I was very curious to see how the expanded color palette of 4K affects the dynamic range. First, I think that the party that graded the new 4K master did a wonderful job of retaining the proper color temperature of the native grade. This was quite easy to determine in 1080p as well, so the HDR grade, which is quite restrained, made this even more obvious. However, in 1080p there were some areas where the finest dark nuances would almost merge and leave the impression that small black nuances are crushing. (Srcreenapture #13 is taken from one such area). In native 4K, darker areas reveal superior balance and specifically color separation among these darker nuances, so the perception of depth is more convincing. Delineation and sharpness are excellent as well, but I have to say that they looked very good in 1080p too. However, the outstanding fluidity of the visuals definitely makes some of the very fast action footage -- like the one at the end of the film that features the helicopter and the train -- appear tighter, clearer, and sharper. On my system, the superiority of the 4K visuals was simply undeniable. During action footage where the camera follows closely Jackie Chan, abrupt cuts leading to close-ups look better as well. The surface of the visuals looks very attractive. Everything looks clean and very attractive, exactly as you would expect after a proper 4K makeover. All in all, I think that Supercop 3 looks gorgeous in 4K and more importantly has the right period appearance. (Note: This is a Region-Free release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Police Story 3: Supercop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard audio tracks on this 4K Blu-ray release: Cantonese: LPCM Mono, Cantonese: LPCM 2.0, Cantonese: Dolby Atmos, and English: LPCM Mono. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I had made a decision to view the entire film with the Cantonese Dolby Atmos track because I did not use it extensively when I viewed the Blu-ray release. I spent quite a bit of time with it and have to say that it is not my favorite. Why? There are certain action sequences where it feels like it does a lot of optimizations on the fly to make the sound quite aggressive. Some are fine, but some felt a bit awkward. This is just my take on it, so perhaps other viewers will have a different experience with it. I think that the Cantonese Mono track might be the best option, but my personal preference would be for the English Mono track, which is quite funny.

Police Story 3: Supercop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Frank Djeng (New York Asian Film Festival) and F.J. DeSanto. The two commentators discuss in great detail the production history and box office success of Police Story 3, the various casting choices that were made, the evolving relationship between the main characters, and the quality of Jackie Chan's stunt work. Also, there are some comments addressing potential similarities between the first two Police Story films and Police Story 3.

• Commentary Two - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Mike Leeder and Arne Venema. It is a very enthusiastic commentary because the two commentators quickly admits that Police Story 3 is their favorite Police Story film. Well, I actually wholeheartedly agree with all of the reasons they state to prove its superiority and enjoy it the most as well. There are plenty of interesting comments about the unique characterizations and even some of the political overtones that sneak into the film. It is good, at times hilarious, and informative commentary recorded by big fans of the film.

• U.S. Version - presented here is the U.S. version of Police Story 3 titles Supercop, which features original overdubbing by Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh. This version of the film can be seen with English Dolby Digital 5.1 and alternate Cantonese Dolby Digital 1.0 tracks, as well as optional English subtitles. 1080p. (92 min).

• John Kreng Interview - in this exclusive new program, action choreographer and stuntman John Kreng recalls his early work in Hong Kong and the first time he saw Police Story 3, and addresses some of the main differences between Hong Kong and American action. Also, there are some interesting comments about Michelle Yeoh's career. In English, not subtitled. (24 min).

• The Ultra Violent Jackie Chan Video Games - this exclusive new program takes a closer look at a few popular video games featuring Jackie Chan that were created during the early '90s. It features commentary by Arne Venema. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Police Story Location Guide - this exclusive new program highlights some of the original locations in Hong Kong where the three Police Story films were shot. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Archival Interviews - cast and crew members discuss their contributions to Police Story 3 and address its style and international appeal. There are some interesting comments about personal careers, martial art training, and past work and future goals.
  
  1. Flying High: Jackie Chan. In English. (20 min).
  2. Dancing with Death: Michelle Yeoh. In English. (24 min).
  3. The Stuntmaster General: Stanley Tong. In English. (20 min).
  4. The Fall Guy: Ken Lo. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (22 min).
  5. Stanley Tong 2004 Interview. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (18 min).
  6. Stanley Tong 2004 Interview. In English. (32 min).

• Outtakes - presented here is a large collection of outtakes from Police Story 3. With music. (52 min).

• Trailers and Promos -
  
  1. Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
  2. Japanese Teaser Trailer
  3. UK English Export Trailer
  4. U.S. Theatrical Teaser
  5. U.S. Theatrical Trailer
  6. U.S. TV Spots
  7. U.S. Video Promo

• Booklet - 100-page perfect bound collector's book featuring essays by James Oliver on each film, as well as archival materials, imagery, and ephemera.

• Case/artwork - limited Edition hardcase featuring new artwork by R.P. "Kung Fu Bob" O'Brien.

Police Story 3: Supercop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mike Leeder and Arne Venema declare that Police Story 3 is the most enjoyable entry in the Police Story trilogy and I was glad to hear them do so because I have always ranked it a bit higher than the other two films as well. It delivers an astonishing amount of top-quality action and has a terrific atmosphere, plus Jackie Chan looks more relaxed in it. I have now viewed the new 4K restoration of Police Story 3 in native 4K and think that it looks wonderful, so there is no doubt in my mind that fans of the film will be very happy with it as well. Let's hope that the party that graded the new 4K master of Police Story 3 will eventually be tasked to redo the "restorations" of the previous two films. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.