Police Story 4: First Strike 警察故事 4：簡單任務 (1996): The One Where Jackie Chan Fought a Shark, Skied Down a Mountain, and Saved the World from Nuclear War

One Sentence

A simple task turns into a nuclear crisis. Jackie Chan skis down a mountain, fights a shark in an aquarium, and saves the world — all while being framed as a traitor.

What Is It About?

Inspector Chan Ka-kui (Jackie Chan) is back. This time, he's working with the CIA. His "simple task"? Escort a female prisoner to Ukraine. Then go on vacation.

Nothing is simple.

He follows a suspect to a nuclear missile base. He witnesses a deal going down in the snow. He's chased. He crashes into a frozen lake. He's rescued by Russian soldiers.

Then he's sent to Australia to find the suspect's sister, Annie (Wu Chen-chun). But nothing is as it seems. The Russian colonel who saved him is the real villain. Everyone is after nuclear warheads. And Chan is caught in the middle.

The Stunts That Keep Getting Bigger

Snow Ski Chase — Chan skis down a mountain while being chased by gunmen and a helicopter. It's snowy, cold, and completely real. No green screens.

Underwater Fight — The climax takes place in a massive aquarium. Chan fights enemies in the water. Sharks swim by. It's tense, claustrophobic, and beautifully shot.

The Car Jump — Chan jumps a sports car onto a moving hovercraft. It's ridiculous. It's dangerous. It's classic Jackie.

The Upgrade

This is not a "Police Story" film in the traditional sense. Chan is no longer just a Hong Kong cop chasing local gangsters. He's now a globe-trotting secret agent fighting international terrorists.

The action is bigger. The scope is wider. The budget is higher. And the jokes still land.

The Record Breaker

Police Story 4 was a massive hit. It grossed HK$57.5 million in Hong Kong — the highest-grossing Hong Kong film of all time at that point, beating Rumble in the Bronx.

It was also the highest-grossing Hong Kong film worldwide that year.

The Awards

The film won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography. It was also nominated for Best Film, Best Actor, and Best New Actress.

Why It Matters

This is the last "Police Story" film starring Jackie Chan as Ka-kui. After this, the character retired. Chan moved on to international projects.

But this film also marks the moment Hong Kong action cinema became truly global. The stunts are bigger. The locations are exotic. The stakes are world-ending.

And Jackie Chan is still the one doing all the work.

Final Thought

Police Story 4 is not the best film in the series. The plot is confusing. The James Bond-style villain feels out of place. And Maggie Cheung is missing.

But it is the most ambitious. The most expensive. The most spectacular.

And that underwater shark fight? Still one of the most thrilling sequences ever filmed.

Please enjoy this short video (This video clip is so funny)

If you can't watch it, click to go to YouTube.

Have you seen Police Story 4? Did you prefer the Hong Kong-style sequels or this globalized version? Let me know in the comments.

Tom De · The Movie Prince 🎬