Written by Fantasma el Rey 

High flying kicks, a stupendous explosion, and even with a mediocre plot, Jackie Chan’s Police Story 2 is a very enjoyable film. I say it’s due to the genius of Chan himself. His none-too-complicated stories provide more time for his top-of-the-line stunts and stunt team to make more of an impact and for this epic Jackie brought in U.S. pyrotechnics for his grand finale.

This follow-up to Police Story opens with a recap of the events leading to our hero, Chan, being demoted. Because of his offbeat manner of catching criminals, he’s busted down to traffic cop. The mob boss he put in prison is out on the streets again and begins to harass Chan and his longtime girlfriend. Meanwhile, a group of mad bombers are blowing things up around town. Chan quits after a few fights with mob henchmen but is promptly reinstated to help find the bombers, who find a way to kidnap said girlfriend. And it all rolls from there.

That’s about it as far as the plot goes. Our man wins, of course, recovers his girl, and all is well until Police Story 3. Yet it is Jackie Chan’s vision of what Hong Kong cinema could be that hooks you. Chan’s humor is great; a silent, surprising comic vibe fill his films. His Kung-Fu slapstick and desire for bigger and better drive the action to consistently new heights.

The three major fight scenes are awesome. Fight one in the restaurant serves as a true appetizer. The action is good and we know that Chan will do more in the next conflict. Here we notice the superhero image in the background. It’s a kick that the mob boss refers to Chan as “super-hero” or “super-cop,” depending if you’re watching the dubbed version or the original Cantonese with subtitles.

Fight two in the playground is the master fight for P.S. 2 (pardon the pun). Using his environment is a Chan trademark and here it shines like Hong Kong fireworks. Swing sets and monkey bars, it’s all part of the game for this masterful stunt crew. Falling through bars, over each other, and well, all over the damn place as our boy sends them flying in every direction, chasing their tails or fellow goons. Bravo!