Reviewer's Rating 2 out of 5 听 User Rating 4 out of 5
Supercop (1993)
18

Michelle Yeoh's talents were not exploited in "Tomorrow Never Dies" as her performance in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" proved. That film was a splendid example of how wrong it is to deride all Kung Fu films as nonsense. Hong Kong movies like "Once Upon a Time in China", or the intoxicatingly brutal "Beast Cops" are vivid and exciting, but unfortunately, "Supercop" is very humdrum in comparison.

Yeoh is a hard-working dedicated member of the police force in China. She loves her job so much that when her boyfriend leaves for Hong Kong to seek his fame and fortune, she reluctantly stays behind. After six months she is called to Hong Kong to assist the local police in combating a massive crime wave. What she doesn't know is that her boyfriend is behind it all and to further complicate matters, he's working on the investigation too.

While not original, it's a good set-up for an action film. Conflicts of loyalty, moments of terrible realisation, and the facing up to of terrible choices are on offer here, but a muddy script structure and some very weak attempts at comedy hamper the flow of the film as Yeoh is partnered with muppet-like partners.

The Kung Fu is all good, but little use is made of props or sets to showcase the moves that the talent involved are capable of. A nice stunt with a bus and an explosive finale raise the temperature a little, but otherwise this is an action film strictly set to 'simmer'. And as for Jackie Chan's cameo? Well, bizarre is one way of putting it, disappointing, the other.

Read a review of the DVD.

End Credits

Director: Stanley Tong

Writer: Stanley Tong, Mok Tang Han, Sui Lai Kang

Stars: Michelle Yeoh, Yu Rong Guang, Emil Chau, Fan Siu Wong, Chu Yan, Jackie Chan

Genre: Action

Length: 117 minutes

Cinema: 1993

DVD: 19 February 2001

VHS: 19 February 2001

Country: USA

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