New Police Story 新警察故事 (2004): The Movie Where Jackie Chan Cried, Begged, and Broke His Own Rules — And It Was His Best Performance in a Decade
One Sentence
The unbeatable cop who never loses — loses everything. Then a street kid helps him stand back up, and the most dangerous game in Hong Kong begins.
What Is It About?
Inspector Chan Kwok-wing (Jackie Chan) is a legend. His team is the best. His record is flawless. He has never failed a case.
Then he meets Joe (Daniel Wu).
Joe is the son of the Deputy Police Commissioner. He grew up in a police family — but he was beaten by his father. He hates police. He has gathered four other rich kids (Coco Chiang, Terence Yin, Andy On, Hayama Go) to play the most twisted game in Hong Kong history.
They rob banks. They trigger alarms. They wait for the police to arrive. Then they hunt them.
Chan's team walks into a trap. They are led into an empty warehouse where the criminals have set up a video game-style killing floor. One by one, Chan's men are executed. Chan is left alive — to live with the guilt.
He quits. He drinks. He loses his girlfriend (Charlie Yeung). He becomes a ghost.
Then he meets Fung (Nicholas Tse), a street-smart kid who wants to be a cop. Fung lies his way into the police department, claiming to be a new recruit sent to help Chan. He drags Chan back to the station. He forces him to face the past.
Together, with the help of Officer Sha Sha (Charlene Choi), they discover the truth: the criminals have turned their attacks into a video game. They are playing for real. And they want revenge against the man who never loses.
The Cast That Made It Work
Jackie Chan plays Chan Kwok-wing — not the invincible hero, but a broken man. This is not the Jackie Chan of the original Police Story. He's older. Tired. Vulnerable. And for the first time in his career, he cries. He begs. He kneels. It's the most dramatic performance of his career.
Nicholas Tse plays Fung — the energetic street kid who becomes Chan's partner. Tse performed his own stunts, including a scene where he was suspended from the 28th floor of a building by three steel cables. He nearly died during one scene.
Daniel Wu plays Joe — the villain you can't help but pity. Wu won the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role. His performance is cold, calculating, and deeply tragic.
Charlie Yeung plays Chan's girlfriend. She's the emotional anchor of the film.
Charlene Choi plays Sha Sha — the police officer who helps Chan and Fung. She brings lightness to the darkness.
Andy On, Terence Yin, Coco Chiang, Hayama Go play Joe's gang — the rich kids who kill for fun.
The Stunts That Defy Logic
This is not the CGI-heavy action of modern Hollywood. This is real.
Jackie Chan jumped off a building. From the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. No wires. No safety net. Just a man and the ground.
Nicholas Tse was suspended from the 28th floor. He hung upside down from three steel cables. He nearly suffocated during one take.
The bus fight. Ten minutes of Jackie Chan fighting on top of a double-decker bus in the middle of Hong Kong traffic.
The car chase. Cars, motorcycles, and skateboards through the streets of Hong Kong.
No CGI. No green screens. Just actors risking their lives for a shot.
The Scene That Changed Jackie Chan
There is a scene in the film that fans still talk about.
Joe has captured Chan. He forces him to kneel. He puts a gun to his head. He laughs.
Chan begs.
He begs for his life.
This is the moment that defines the film. Jackie Chan — the man who never loses, never gives up, never shows weakness — is on his knees, crying, begging for mercy.
It's the most powerful moment in any Jackie Chan film. And it's the moment that proves Chan is not just a stuntman. He's an actor.
The Awards and Recognition
New Police Story was a critical and commercial success.
- Hong Kong Box Office: Over HK$21 million.
- Mainland China Box Office: Over 40 million yuan — the best performance for a Hong Kong film in a decade.
- Global Box Office: $8.7 million.
- Golden Horse Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Daniel Wu) and Audience Choice Best Film.
- Hong Kong Film Awards: 8 nominations, including Best Film.
- Golden Rooster Awards: Nominated for Best Feature Film.
The film holds a 7.9 on Douban with over 350,000 ratings. It is considered one of the best Hong Kong action films of the 2000s.
Why It Matters
New Police Story is not a sequel. It's a reboot. It's a film that takes the Police Story franchise in a new direction — darker, more emotional, and more dramatic.
It's also a film that proves Jackie Chan is more than a stuntman. He's an actor. He can cry. He can beg. He can show weakness. And he can still be a hero.
The film also features one of Daniel Wu's best performances. His Joe is not a cartoon villain. He's a tragic figure — a product of abuse, neglect, and privilege. You hate him. But you also understand him.
The Legacy
New Police Story is one of the most beloved Hong Kong action films of the 2000s. It revitalized Jackie Chan's career. It introduced a new generation of actors — Nicholas Tse, Daniel Wu, Charlene Choi — to international audiences. And it proved that Hong Kong action cinema was still alive.
It also gave us one of the most iconic lines in Hong Kong cinema: "收手吧，阿祖！外面全是警察." ("Give up, Joe! The place is surrounded by police.")
Final Thought
New Police Story is not a perfect film. The plot is predictable. The villains are over-the-top. The CGI is dated. But it's a film that understands something fundamental about action cinema: that the best action is the kind that makes you feel.
And this film makes you feel. You feel Chan's grief. You feel Joe's rage. You feel Fung's hope. And by the end, you understand why this film is considered one of the best in the franchise.
Please enjoy this movie clip
Have you seen New Police Story? What did you think of Jackie Chan's dramatic performance? Let me know in the comments.
Tom De · The Movie Prince 🎬
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