Police Story vs Once Upon a Time in China

[Iron_Leopard]

Jackie Chan and Jet Li were put on the map with two old school kung fu movies "Drunken Master" and "Shaolin Temple". But I, like many others (I assume) feel they became the mega stars they are today with these two monster hits. "Police Story" was a modern day martial arts/action masterpeice that pretty much single handedly killed the period kung fu movie. "Once Upon a Time in China" was the period kung fu movie that brought the period kung fu movie back. Both actors have had hits outside of these two franchises but I think these are the two roles they will be most remembered for. If you want to discuss and compare the sequels that's fine also but this is mostly a comparison of the originals.

Which do you personally prefer? And which do you think was overall more influential?

[Secret Executioner]

Apples and oranges I would say - beside the fact they are movie series with one of the biggest HK actors as the lead, they can't be compared really.

 

That said, I haven't watched the original Police Story yet and I didn't like the original OUATIC - but from what I've seen with these guys I found myself preferring Jackie Chan's output over Jet Li's overall (though TBH I'm much more familiar with Jackie's output than with Jet Li's). Hero is the only Jet Li movie I've enjoyed so far, while even the weaker Jackie Chan films such as Thunderbolt and First Strike are enjoyable - I'm of course excluding the crap he made in Hollywood like the Rush Hour trilogy, the Shanghai-something films or the painful Around the World in 80 Days.

 

Reminds me I still have that Forbidden Kingdom film where they both appear in my 'to-watch" list. Heard some bad things, but I'll probably give it a try anyway.

[Tex Killer]

No contest, once upon a time is far more superior in both plot and action. Police story is one of most overrated flicks(or I underrate it but it still sucks)with good stuff in the beginning and in the end. Between those silly slapstick with very little to give for fight department.

 

I recently rewatched ouatic after ~15 years and was about to do wu shu leaps during it and was humming title tune when walked to shop. That was great cinematic experience.

 

In total jackie has made more flicks I love than jet but in this case police bites dust.

 

Edit:police story loses also in part 2 but in part 3 it wins...

Edited December 9, 2015 by Tex Killer

[Iron_Leopard]

I think they are comparable. People alway's like to compare Star Wars to Lord of the Rings. Two different genre's of films. If you are more of a Chan fan then you are going to love Police Story.

Forbidden Kingdom is watchable but that's about it. If it had starred anyone else besides those two it wouldn't be worth anyone's time. Although I do like how both actors are playing characters based on their original breakthrough roles with Chan playing a Drunken Master and Li playing a Monk.

[DragonClaws]

I could do with re-watching the OUATIC series with the exception of part five. Recently picked up Once Upon Tim In China & America and it was Sammo Hung's choreography that really drew me to it. I do prefer The Police Story films but both series's have negatives and positives. I cant decide which one has had the most influence on Hong Kong cinema at the time?.

Edited December 9, 2015 by DragonClaws

[DrNgor]

I haven't seen Police Story 2013, but if we consider the four main PS films plus New Police Story, they all are "good-but-not-great" in my book. The first one has a great start and even better finish, but might be a bit of a slog in the middle. The second one is a little better in the pacing department, but the finale Always left me a little cold. The third one (at least the Miramax release) doesn't stand out in the fight department, but keeps the action spaced out well enough to never bog down, and benefits from Michelle's presence. First Strike is the weakest of the four, but was the first JC film I saw in the theater, so I have fond memories of it. New Police Story has two solid fights, but the rest is okay, I guess.

 

I think the OUATIC series reached greater Heights in terms of story, music, thematic elements, etc., although its lows (re: OUATIC V) were far below the PS films, which maintained a fairly median level of quality to me, unless we count Project S, which was easily the low point of the series.

[sym8]

For me I'm more of a police story fan,I love quatic but I'm not a big fan of the wire work and I hated the end parts on the ladders.When  the wire works not so obvious it's a far better film than police story(and better directed)but you can't beat the action in police story especially the end fight sequence in the mall.

[andy338]

I first saw Police Story in about 1990 and it blew my mind, watching JC hang from a bus using an umbrella and then seeing stuntmen fly off the top deck and landing on concrete (and that's just a taste of the first 15 minutes) left me mesmerised. The movie is jam packed full of insane stunts and top fight choreography that still holds up well after 30 years. It truly was ground-breaking and set a new benchmark for action with some critics saying that it was the best action movie ever made.  

 

I didn't see OUATIC until the late 90s so for me personally it didn't seem so fresh as i'd seen other similar films (like Iron Monkey) and whilst it certainly is a very good movie as I tend to favour less wirework i'm still more inclined to pick Police Story as been the better of the two.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

I'm going to agree with Secret Executioner that it is certainly comparing apples and oranges.  Please watch Police Story though :D.

Both films were box office successes.  While OUATIC made more money, if you factor in inflation they probably sold close to the same amount of tickets.  Both films are revered by Hong Kong critics: both are on HKFA's The Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures and both are on Taiwan's Golden Horse's 100 Greatest Chinese-Language Films (both are in my top 50 HK films).   Both films were definitely influential, though I would argue that Police Story was more influential to US directors (not necessarily ones you will like though.)  Brett Ratner was tremendously influenced by the film.  Michael Bay would use a section in Bad Boys 2.  Stallone would use a scene in Tango and Cash. Quentin Tarantino is a big fan of the film.

Here are my elongated feelings on Police Story. I probably should do a full length review on the first OUATIC someday (as well as the second Police Story which I liked quite a bit and I wonder if my enthusiasm will hold up, I have seen it only a couple of times compared to the many times I have seen the first one; heck I've seen Supercop more times than the second.)  So I'm a bigger fan of Police Story, but that does not mean not liking OUATIC.  It's like Chaplin and Keaton.  I'm a bigger fan of Buster Keaton, but I still love the movies of Charles Chaplin.

[DragonClaws]

Police Story managed to impress friends of mine who normally wouldn't have bothered sitting down to a Hong Kong film. It converted a few people Ive known over the years into Jackie Chan fans. It came as a shock to some who had only watched his U.S productions. I'd be hard pressed to get those same people to sit down and watch a wire heavy Martial Arts flick though.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I guess I'll go with Police Story.  I like parts 1-4, haven't seen the newest one.  OUATIC- I only really like 1 and 2.  If Last Hero in China was part of the series it would be much tougher to choose.  

 

PS1 vs OUATIC 1- both are great but OUATIC 1 is the easy choice for me. The problem with PS1 is that it's missing a main villain for Jackie to fight.  

Edited December 11, 2015 by Morgoth Bauglir

[kami]

Hm, OUATIC is certainly the more influencial of the two since modern day actioners where already on their way when POLICE STORY was released whereas OUATIC ushered in a new (albeit short) era of historical martial arts movies.

But which of the two I prefer I can't decide. I guess I like them equally. Although all aspects considered POLICE STORY is perhaps the better movie. OUATIC sometimes stumbles over its own ambitions and the trashy elements hurt the overall impact. I love the film nonetheless.

[Cognoscente]

The real versus should be Ip Man vs OUATIC.