Police Story 4: First Strike
Encyclopedia
Police Story 4: First Strike , (released in English-speaking
markets as Jackie Chan's First Strike), is a 1996 Hong Kong martial arts
action
comedy film
made in the typical humorous style of Jackie Chan
.
Jackie reprises his role as Chan Ka-Kui
(also known in some versions as Jackie) yet again as a Hong Kong cop who works with Interpol
to track down and arrest an illegal weapons dealer. Later Ka-Kui realizes that things are not as simple as they appear and soon find himself a pawn of an organization posing as Russian intelligence.
The movie was shot partially in Brisbane
in Queensland
, Australia
, where the last half of the movie is based. Chinatown, Brisbane
in Fortitude Valley and Underwater World on the Sunshine Coast
were used. The movie was shot in the months between August and November 1995.
To advertise First Strike, Jackie recorded the song Zenmo Hui and also made music-video for it. As is typical with Chan's pictures, the US version does not feature the theme song.
(played by Jackie Chan
) is assigned to follow leads of a nuclear smuggling case. He follows a woman named Natasha to Ukraine, when he realises that she had been hiding vital information. When Jackie calls for backup, she is arrested. However, Natasha's partner is an unknown man, who turns out to be Tsui (Jackson Lau), a Chinese American nuclear scientist with CIA links, suspected of stealing a nuclear warhead. Jackie follows Tsui to a restricted area, and after a trap set by Tsui, CIA agents together with Ukrainian authorities engage in battle. Jackie finds a briefcase which contained evidence that Tsui had, but as he is chased by unknown forces, he loses the briefcase as he fell into frozen waters.
When he recovers in Russia, he meets Colonel Gregor (Yuri Petrov) who explains the situation. Jackie goes with the FSB and is taken to Moscow where he discovers he has been assigned to work with Colonel Gregor to solve a similar case involving nuclear weapons being smuggled out of Ukraine
. His task is to track Tsui, who disappeared after their last encounter. He is taken by a Russian submarine to Brisbane
, Australia
, where Tsui's attractive younger sister Annie Tsui (Annie Wu
) works at an aquarium doing shark shows. Uncle 7 (Terry Woo), the Tsuis' father and the local Triad boss, is seriously ill, and Chan suspects the criminal will show up soon. Unbeknown to Jackie, Tsui is hiding at the hospital, and has given a nuclear warhead to Annie, who hides it at the aquarium. Whilst following Annie, Jackie gets to meet the aquarium animals and is kidnapped by Tsui, who claims to have a deal with Colonel Gregor. Jackie, after realising he has been used by Gregor decides to return home, but two toughs are sent to kill him, and he is framed for the murder of Uncle 7. He attempts to clear his name by going to see Annie at the memorial hall, but he is (unsurprisingly) unwelcome, having to fight bodyguards and Tsui has to eventually rescue him. Tsui explains that Gregor caught him on a CIA assignment three years before, and forced him to turn into a triple agent: a CIA agent ostensibly turned by the FSB, but in reality serving Gregor's private criminal schemes.
Annie, Jackie and Tsui decide to work together to fight Gregor. Uncle 7's elaborate Chinatown funeral then becomes the scene for a complex showdown between the various parties. Annie and Jackie attempt to retrieve the stolen warhead from the shark pool (so that they can return it to the police), but Gregor and his toughs follow them, leading to a climatic confrontation underwater. In the midsts, Gregor attacks the aquarium and shatters the aquarium glass which releases the killer shark, which makes a good diversion for him to escape. Jackie then saves the tourists and follows Gregor. While Gregor escapes with the weapon and Annie as hostage in a getaway boat, Jackie comes up with an unusual plan that allows him to recover the weapon and return it to the proper authorities, while Annie makes her escape, in which he drives and launches a display car onto the boat.
Gregor and Tsui are apprehended by Australian police and turned over to Russian authorities. The case is solved, Jackie is thanked for his work by the FSB, and the film ends. As is usual in Chan's films, out-takes (generally accidents involving the star) are shown under the closing titles.
The film was released on January 10, 1997 in 1,344 North American theatres, grossing US $5,778,933 ($4,299 per screen) in its opening weekend. Its total North American box office gross was US $15,318,863.
The version of the film released in North American cinemas by New Line
was met with mixed critical response. It currently has a 52% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Mike LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle
was among the most enthusiastic of the reviewers:
re-edited the film, adding in an opening sequence of Hong Kong scenery, making some cuts and changing the film's score. Although much of the film is in English, almost all of the remaining Cantonese, Mandarin, and Russian soundtrack was completely dubbed into English. The Mei Ah Entertainment
VCD
and the Japan
ese Warner Home Video
DVD are the only versions to date that contain the film uncut and without the language dubbing. The Mei Ah VCD is the only one that has English/Chinese subtitles for the original version of the film, however.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
markets as Jackie Chan's First Strike), is a 1996 Hong Kong martial arts
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
action
Hong Kong action cinema
Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. It combines elements from the action film, as codified by Hollywood, with Chinese storytelling and aesthetic traditions, to create a culturally distinctive form that nevertheless has a wide transcultural...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
made in the typical humorous style of Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
.
Jackie reprises his role as Chan Ka-Kui
Chan Ka-kui
Inspector Chan Ka-kui is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Police Story film series, played by Jackie Chan who created it with Edward Tang. He is also known as Jackie or Kevin Chan in the English language versions of the films. He is an Inspector with the Royal Hong Kong Police...
(also known in some versions as Jackie) yet again as a Hong Kong cop who works with Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
to track down and arrest an illegal weapons dealer. Later Ka-Kui realizes that things are not as simple as they appear and soon find himself a pawn of an organization posing as Russian intelligence.
The movie was shot partially in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where the last half of the movie is based. Chinatown, Brisbane
Chinatown, Brisbane
Chinatown is a precinct in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. Chinatown mall is a major destination for Brisbane residents and tourists. Since opening, it has become a significant landmark in Brisbane and a recognizable focus for Chinese social and commercial activity....
in Fortitude Valley and Underwater World on the Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
The Sunshine Coast is an urban area in South East Queensland, north of the state capital of Brisbane on the Pacific Ocean coastline. Although it does not have a central business district, by population it ranks as the 10th largest metropolis in Australia and the third largest in...
were used. The movie was shot in the months between August and November 1995.
To advertise First Strike, Jackie recorded the song Zenmo Hui and also made music-video for it. As is typical with Chan's pictures, the US version does not feature the theme song.
Plot
Whilst working for the CIA, Jackie Chan Ka-KuiChan Ka-kui
Inspector Chan Ka-kui is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Police Story film series, played by Jackie Chan who created it with Edward Tang. He is also known as Jackie or Kevin Chan in the English language versions of the films. He is an Inspector with the Royal Hong Kong Police...
(played by Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
) is assigned to follow leads of a nuclear smuggling case. He follows a woman named Natasha to Ukraine, when he realises that she had been hiding vital information. When Jackie calls for backup, she is arrested. However, Natasha's partner is an unknown man, who turns out to be Tsui (Jackson Lau), a Chinese American nuclear scientist with CIA links, suspected of stealing a nuclear warhead. Jackie follows Tsui to a restricted area, and after a trap set by Tsui, CIA agents together with Ukrainian authorities engage in battle. Jackie finds a briefcase which contained evidence that Tsui had, but as he is chased by unknown forces, he loses the briefcase as he fell into frozen waters.
When he recovers in Russia, he meets Colonel Gregor (Yuri Petrov) who explains the situation. Jackie goes with the FSB and is taken to Moscow where he discovers he has been assigned to work with Colonel Gregor to solve a similar case involving nuclear weapons being smuggled out of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. His task is to track Tsui, who disappeared after their last encounter. He is taken by a Russian submarine to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where Tsui's attractive younger sister Annie Tsui (Annie Wu
Annie Wu (actress)
Annie Wu is a Taiwanese actress and model.She has mainly acted in mainland Chinese TV series, and was featured in Jackie Chan's Police Story 4: First Strike. Though not fluent in Cantonese, she has also been featured in several Hong Kong films and magazine spreads...
) works at an aquarium doing shark shows. Uncle 7 (Terry Woo), the Tsuis' father and the local Triad boss, is seriously ill, and Chan suspects the criminal will show up soon. Unbeknown to Jackie, Tsui is hiding at the hospital, and has given a nuclear warhead to Annie, who hides it at the aquarium. Whilst following Annie, Jackie gets to meet the aquarium animals and is kidnapped by Tsui, who claims to have a deal with Colonel Gregor. Jackie, after realising he has been used by Gregor decides to return home, but two toughs are sent to kill him, and he is framed for the murder of Uncle 7. He attempts to clear his name by going to see Annie at the memorial hall, but he is (unsurprisingly) unwelcome, having to fight bodyguards and Tsui has to eventually rescue him. Tsui explains that Gregor caught him on a CIA assignment three years before, and forced him to turn into a triple agent: a CIA agent ostensibly turned by the FSB, but in reality serving Gregor's private criminal schemes.
Annie, Jackie and Tsui decide to work together to fight Gregor. Uncle 7's elaborate Chinatown funeral then becomes the scene for a complex showdown between the various parties. Annie and Jackie attempt to retrieve the stolen warhead from the shark pool (so that they can return it to the police), but Gregor and his toughs follow them, leading to a climatic confrontation underwater. In the midsts, Gregor attacks the aquarium and shatters the aquarium glass which releases the killer shark, which makes a good diversion for him to escape. Jackie then saves the tourists and follows Gregor. While Gregor escapes with the weapon and Annie as hostage in a getaway boat, Jackie comes up with an unusual plan that allows him to recover the weapon and return it to the proper authorities, while Annie makes her escape, in which he drives and launches a display car onto the boat.
Gregor and Tsui are apprehended by Australian police and turned over to Russian authorities. The case is solved, Jackie is thanked for his work by the FSB, and the film ends. As is usual in Chan's films, out-takes (generally accidents involving the star) are shown under the closing titles.
Box office
First Strike was an enormous box office success in Hong Kong, grossing HK $57,518,795 during its theatrical run. It remains Jackie Chan's highest grossing film in Hong Kong.The film was released on January 10, 1997 in 1,344 North American theatres, grossing US $5,778,933 ($4,299 per screen) in its opening weekend. Its total North American box office gross was US $15,318,863.
Critical reception
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
was met with mixed critical response. It currently has a 52% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Mike LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
was among the most enthusiastic of the reviewers:
Distribution
New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
re-edited the film, adding in an opening sequence of Hong Kong scenery, making some cuts and changing the film's score. Although much of the film is in English, almost all of the remaining Cantonese, Mandarin, and Russian soundtrack was completely dubbed into English. The Mei Ah Entertainment
Mei Ah Entertainment
-History:The company was established in 1984 in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong. A number of TVB TV series were redistributed by Mei Ah after airing nightly on national broadcasts. Movies distributed by the company are also branded in the film and on the boxes. The company continued to expand until it...
VCD
Video CD
Before the advent of DVD and Blu-ray, the Video CD became the first format for distributing films on standard 120 mm optical discs. The format is a standard digital format for storing video on a Compact Disc...
and the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
DVD are the only versions to date that contain the film uncut and without the language dubbing. The Mei Ah VCD is the only one that has English/Chinese subtitles for the original version of the film, however.
Awards and nominations
- 199716th Hong Kong Film AwardsCeremony for the 16th Hong Kong Film Awards was held on 13 April 1997 in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and hosted by Lydia Shum. In total, sixteen winners in fifteen categories were unveiled. Peter Chan's Comrades: Almost a Love Story became the biggest winner for the year with nine awards, setting...
Hong Kong Film Awards- Won: Best Action Choreography (Stanley TongStanley TongStanley Tong is a film director from Hong Kong.According to IMDb , he customarily attempts stunts himself before asking actors to risk themselves...
) - Nominated: Best Picture
- Nominated: Best Actor (Jackie ChanJackie ChanJackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
) - Nominated: Best New Performer (Annie WuAnnie Wu (actress)Annie Wu is a Taiwanese actress and model.She has mainly acted in mainland Chinese TV series, and was featured in Jackie Chan's Police Story 4: First Strike. Though not fluent in Cantonese, she has also been featured in several Hong Kong films and magazine spreads...
) - Nominated: Best Film Editing (Peter Cheung, Yau Chi-wai)
- Won: Best Action Choreography (Stanley Tong
- 1996 Golden Horse Film Festival
- Won: Best Action Direction (Stanley TongStanley TongStanley Tong is a film director from Hong Kong.According to IMDb , he customarily attempts stunts himself before asking actors to risk themselves...
)
- Won: Best Action Direction (Stanley Tong
- 1997 MTV Movie AwardsMTV Movie AwardsThe MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...
- Nominated: Best Fight