It's a real shame that 1988's "Police Story 2" is more of the same from star/writer/director Jackie Chan because it could have been even greater than the classic "Police Story" (1985). The greatest of what "Police Story 2" suffers from is an uneven story and lack of trademark Chan fight scenes and stunts. "Police Story 2" has Hong Kong police detective Chan Ka Kui (Chan) busted down to patrolman because of the mall brawl fiasco in the first film. For those expecting an all-out stunt-fest like "Police Story," this first sequel in the series will be a disappointment. Although more character/story-driven (which is a plus for Chan and martial arts movies in general), those who came to see stunts and hard-hitting, slap-happy hand-to-hand combat action will be the ones feeling left-out or cheated. Now as a patrolman, Ka Kui finds himself at the mercy of girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung) and his superiors who are trying to keep him out of trouble. However, because Ka Kui is a Hong Kong super-cop in need of some action, the aforementioned trouble comes in the form of the gangster he locked up in the first film, in addition to more bloodthirsty criminals and a deaf, gonzo, high-kicking toymaker (Benny Lai) who has an aptitude for rigging RC vehicles with things that go BOOM. Like its predecessor, "Police Story 2" does have Chan battling criminals like any movie cop, but with a kung-fu vengeance. The action/fight sequences are few and far between, intermingled with comedic or dramatic scenes of Chan and company sorting through bureaucracy and political red-tape as they try to nab the bad guys, and many of these comedic or dramatic scenes seem to run on as you await the action. Perhaps it's a change for most martial arts movies, but an unneeded change for those accustomed to Chan's usual work. Albeit an entertaining and a conflicted and uneven tale, when it does come to action Chan doesn't disappoint. There are two early fights with hired goons, one in a restaurant and another in the park, and then there is also a truck chase that climaxes with Ka Kui diving into a window. Then there's the ending confrontation between Ka Kui and the criminals, with a deadly kung-fu brawl between him and the Toymaker, who has some pretty lethal moves of his own and proves to be Chan's most skilled opponent. It all ends with a huge display of fireworks.
8/10
8/10