Police Story 2013 警察故事2013 (2013): The One Where Jackie Chan Got Locked in a Bar, Lost His Hair, and Tried to Save His Daughter — While Critics Called It the Worst Police Story Ever
First, take a look at the movie trailer from back then.
One Sentence
A cop walks into a bar. His daughter is there. So are a hundred hostages, a vengeful villain, and a trap that took five years to set. And for the first time in 30 years, Jackie Chan isn't playing陈家驹.
The End of an Era
By 2013, the Police Story franchise had been running for nearly three decades. Jackie Chan had played Inspector陈家驹 through five films — a reckless, invincible, one-man army who smashed through shopping malls, hung off buses, and never backed down.
Then came Police Story 2013.
It wasn't a sequel. It was a reboot. A new character. A new director. A new tone. And a new haircut — Jackie Chan shaved his head for the first time in decades.
The result? The highest-grossing Police Story film in China — over 500 million yuan. And the lowest-rated Police Story film on Douban — just 5.9.
How did that happen?
What Is It About?
The setup is deceptively simple.
Inspector Zhong Wen (Jackie Chan) is a veteran cop who has been estranged from his daughter, Miao Miao (Jing Tian), for years. One night, she calls him out of the blue. They meet at a bar.
It's a trap.
The bar owner, Wu Jiang (Liu Ye), has been planning this for five years. He's not a common criminal. He's a man with a mission: revenge against the cop who failed to save his sister.
He takes everyone hostage. Zhong Wen is trapped inside with his daughter, a hundred strangers, and a man who has nothing left to lose.
The film unfolds over a single night, inside a single location. No globetrotting. No car chases through Hong Kong. Just a bar, a hostage crisis, and a father who has one chance to save his daughter.
The Cast That Divided Audiences
Jackie Chan plays Zhong Wen — not陈家驹, not the invincible cop, but a weary, aging father. He's slower. He's heavier. He's more human. He also shaved his head for the role.
Liu Ye plays Wu Jiang — the villain with a tragic backstory. He's not evil for the sake of evil. He's a man who lost everything and wants the world to pay.
Jing Tian plays Miao Miao — the estranged daughter who becomes the emotional center of the film. Critics called it her most "natural" performance.
殷桃, 那威, 刘仪伟, 柳海龙, 周晓鸥, 于荣光, 吴樾, 刘佩琦 — the supporting cast is stacked with familiar faces.
The Bigger, the Smaller
Here's the thing about Police Story 2013: it's not a Police Story film.
The original films were about陈家驹 — a reckless, invincible cop who could single-handedly take down a drug ring. They were about action, stunts, and the kind of physical comedy that made Jackie Chan famous.
This film is about a father trying to save his daughter. It's about guilt, sacrifice, and the weight of a life spent chasing criminals instead of raising a child.
The action is minimal. The stunts are restrained. The tone is serious. And the whole film takes place in a single bar.
For some, this was a bold reinvention. For others, it was a betrayal of everything the franchise stood for.
The Verdict That Split the Fans
The film's box office was impressive: over 500 million yuan in China, breaking Jackie Chan's personal opening-day record.
But the critics were brutal. The film holds a 5.9 on Douban — the lowest in the entire series.
Some called it "a betrayal of the franchise". Others praised its emotional depth and called it "a turning point for Jackie Chan".
One critic wrote: "If you remove Jackie Chan and Jing Tian, this is a low-budget thriller worth 5 million yuan".
Another wrote: "It's not陈家驹. But maybe that's the point".
Why It Still Matters
Police Story 2013 is not a great film. But it's an important one.
It marks the end of an era. The last time Jackie Chan played a Police Story character. The last time the franchise had a major release.
After this film, the Police Story series went silent for a decade. There were rumors of a sequel, but nothing materialized.
It also marks the moment Jackie Chan started being seen as "a nostalgia act". The man who once jumped off buses was now playing aging fathers in single-location dramas.
Final Thought
Police Story 2013 is the film that divided the fans. The film that made 500 million yuan and a 5.9 on Douban. The film that killed the franchise — and maybe, just maybe, saved it.
Because sometimes, the only way to move forward is to let go of the past.
Have you seen Police Story 2013? Do you think it deserves its low rating, or is it unfairly judged? Let me know in the comments.
Tom De · The Movie Prince 🎬
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