Police Story 3: Supercop – 88 Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1992
Director: Stanley Tong
Writers: Edward Tang, Fibe Ma, Lee Wai Yee
Cast: Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, Kenneth Tsang, Wah Yuen, Bill Tung, Josephine Koo, Kelvin Wong, Philip Chan, Ken Lo, Lieh Lo

Release Date: April 25th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 96 Minutes 30 Seconds (Police Story 3: Supercop), 90 Minutes 42 Seconds (Supercop Alternate US Version)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Stereo Cantonese, Dolby Atmos Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English (Police Story 3: Supercop), DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Supercop Alternate US Version)
Subtitles: English, English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $44.95

"To infiltrate a drug cartel, police Inspector Chan Ka Kui (Jackie Chan, Rush Hour, Rumble in the Bronx) goes undercover in a Chinese prison. There, he earns the trust of Panther (Yuen Wah, Kung Fu Hustle), a cartel member, by breaking him out of prison. With the help of another undercover agent (Michelle Yeoh, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), they travel to Hong Kong and join up with Panther's gang. Ka Kui is accepted by the gang's leader (Ken Tsang), but his operation is jeopardized when Ka Kui's girlfriend (Maggie Cheung, Hero) accidentally reveals his true identity." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD - Police Story 3: Supercop), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray - Police Story 3: Supercop), 4.5/5 (4K UHD - Supercop Alternate US Version), 4/5 (Blu-ray - Supercop Alternate US Version)

Police Story 3: Supercop comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 76.7 GB

Feature: 63.8 GB

Though 88 Films uses the same source as Eureka Video for their 4K UHD release, These two releases are not identical. There are differences when it comes to colors, and Eureka Video framed the image tighter than 88 Films. That said, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and contrast are solid, and the image retains a filmic look.

Police Story 3: Supercop comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.6 GB

Feature: 30.1 GB

The Blu-ray uses the same source as the 4K UHD does for its transfer.

Audio: (DTS-HD Stereo Cantonese, Dolby Atmos Cantonese - Police Story 3: Supercop), 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English - Police Story 3: Supercop), 4/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English - Supercop Alternate US Version, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Supercop Alternate US Version)

Police Story 3: Supercop comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Cantonese, a Dolby Atmos mix in Cantonese, and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Despite the fact that all audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. The Cantonese stereo and Atmos tracks sound noticeably more robust than the mono Cantonese and English tracks. It should be noted that the Cantonese audio tracks feature some dialog in Mandarin. Included with this version are removable English subtitles for all the dialog in Cantonese and Mandarin. Also, there are removable English SDH for the English language track.

Supercop alternate US version comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English and a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese. Both the audio mixes sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should. It should be noted that the Cantonese audio track features some dialog in Mandarin. Included with this version are removable English subtitles for all the dialog in Cantonese and Mandarin. Also, there are removable English SDH for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include Guy Laroche 1984 commercial with Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh (33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Chinese with removable English subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Japanese teaser trailer (41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), US teaser trailer (1 minute 39 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), US theatrical trailer (1 minute 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), seven US TV spots (2 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), US video screener promo (1 minute 37 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng for Hong Kong theatrical cut.

Extras for the Blu-ray disc include Guy Laroche 1984 commercial with Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh (33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Chinese with removable English subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Japanese teaser trailer (41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), US teaser trailer (1 minute 39 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), US theatrical trailer (1 minute 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), seven US TV spots (2 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), US video screener promo (1 minute 37 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), outtakes (51 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono, no dialog, music from the film playing in the background), an archival interview with Stanley Tong from 2004 (17 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Stanley Tong titled The Stuntmaster General (19 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Ken Lo titled The Fall Guy (21 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actress Michelle Yeoh titled Dancing with Death (21 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Jackie Chan titled Flying High (19 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Frank Djeng for Hong Kong theatrical cut.

Other extras include reversible cover art, six replica lobby cards, a double-sided foldout Poster, a slipcase, and an 80-page perfect-bound book with cast & crew information, an interview with John Wakefield titled Meet the cop that can’t be stopped!, an essay titled Threenage Kicks: The Joy of Supercop written by C.J. Lines, and selected archive materials.

Summary:

Jackie Chan (Drunken Master) returns for a third time as Inspector Chan Ka Kui. And just like its predecessors, Police Story 3: Supercop is a wall-to-wall action extravaganza that's filled with spectacular stunts that showcase Jackie Chan’s prowess as one of Hong Kong cinema’s most fearless martial artists when it comes to dangerous stunts.

Police Story 3: Supercop was directed by Stanley Tong, a director best known for his collaborations with Jackie Chan. Their notable collaborations include Rumble in the Bronx and First Strike.

The narrative revolves around Hong Kong police Inspector Chan Ka Kui, who is sent to China under the guise that he is a supercop. His mission once inside China is to make contact with a man named Panther who can get him closer to a notorious drug kingpin named Chaibat.

Despite the fact that Police Story 3: Supercop picks up where its predecessors left off in terms of content, the result is a film that is best described as a different breed. Most notably, the difference between Police Story 3: Supercop and its predecessors is that humor is not as prominent, and the addition of Michelle Yeoh (Yes, Madam!) in the role of inspector Yang Chien-Hua, provides Jackie Chan with a female equivalent who more than holds her own.

Besides Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh, the rest of the cast is filled with performances that all exceed expectations. Notable cast members include Maggie Cheung (The Heroic Trio) in the role of May, Chan Ka Kui’s neglected girlfriend; Lieh Lo (King Boxer) in the role of a general who supplies various crime bosses with drugs; and Kenneth Tsang (The Killer) in the role of Chaibat, a crime boss who resembles a James Bond villain.

Though most sequels fail to live up to the first film in their series, The Police Story films are a rare exception where each film somehow betters its predecessor. With Police Story 3: Supercop standing tall as the best of the three Police Story films.

88 Films gives Police Story 3: Supercop an excellent release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer