Movie Review: Supercop (1992) directed by Stanley Tong
After two spectacularly successful cases, Chan Kar Kui (Jackie Chan, “Kevin” in the dub) has acquired the nickname “Supercop.” And now there’s a new dangerous assignment on the horizon. His superiors trick him into volunteering by letting overhear a conversation about how they feel the case is too dangerous even for Kar Kui. Since it’s a secret assignment, naturally Kar Kui has to keep his tour guide girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung) in the dark, making it sound like a milk run courier task.
The actual assignment is to infiltrate a prison camp in Communist China and free Panther (Wah Yuen), the brother of drug kingpin Chaibat (Kenneth Tsang.) This will, in theory, allow Kar Kui to get inside the drug smuggling gang and take them down from within. The escape goes off mostly well, despite some hiccups. Panther and his new best friend head to Wu Han(!) where they are joined by Red Chinese/Interpol agent Jessica Yang(Michelle Yeoh), posing as Kar Kui’s sister.
Our heroes manage to convince Chaibat to let them join his gang in Hong Kong, but it’s soon time to head off to the Thai border, where Chaibat uses an elaborate plan involving a bulletproof vest with dynamite plates to corner the market in heroin. But to pay for it, Chaibat will need access to his Swiss bank account. And the codes are in the possession of Chaibat’s wife, who is about to be sentenced to death in Malaysia.
Time for another prison break, but at this point May shows up in Malaysia and mistakes Kar Kui’s fake sibling relationship with Jessica as dating. Sparks fly, and this leads into the final exciting action sequence.
This was the third in the Police Story series in Hong Kong, but retitled for the American market (and a theme song by Devo!) With the handoff of Hong Kong from Britain to China a few scant years away, the theme is cooperation, even though the mainland officers are straitlaced and are irritated by Kar Kui’s more casual ways.
Jackie Chan plays Kar Kui as someone who may be “super” in some ways, but is still very human and flawed. He’s far too easily distracted by a pretty face (and his initial behavior towards Officer Yang is unprofessional.) And while he’s good in a fight, Kar Kui has some bad luck and is certainly not invulnerable.
Michelle Yeoh’s Jessica Yang is a cool, competent professional, though she does lighten up a bit when in disguise to tease Kar Kui as a sister should. While the movie goes ahead and points out she’s pretty, it doesn’t waste time playing her as sexy or have the camera ogle her body. The character was popular enough to get her own spinoff movie.
Wah Yuen and Kenneth Tsang do a good job as the villains, with the latter chewing the scenery as he arranges for more and more death. Maggie Cheung’s May has a more thankless damsel in distress role, and is off camera for most of the movie.
As always with Jackie Chan movies, there’s some top-notch stunts and fight scenes, including a traintop battle.
I note that this is one of the movies where the cops committing a number of crimes (grand theft auto, aiding in prison breaks, murder) is supposed to be justified by the criminals being just so much worse. The good news is that none of these shenanigans will come out at the villains’ trials because there’s no one left to arrest.
Recommended for Hong Kong action fans–this movie works fine as a standalone, but purists may want to see the first two movies beforehand.
