Crime Story: Deluxe Limited Edition – 88 Films (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1993
Directors: Kirk Wong, Jackie Chan
Writers: Chun Tin Nam, Chan Man Keung, Chan Lai Lin, Cheung Chi Shing, Teddy Chan
Cast: Jackie Chan, Kent Cheng, Law Kar-ying, Blackie Ko, Ken Lo, Pan Lingling, Christine Ng, Chung Fat  

Release Date: June 23rd, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 107 Minutes 32 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese, LPCM Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £35.00 (UK)

"Troubled Hong Kong CID inspector Eddie Chan (Jackie Chan) is assigned to oversee the safety of controversial businessman Wong Yat-Fei (Law Kar-Ying), who is then kidnapped. A major investigation is launched and leads to Taipei and back to Hong Kong but, unbeknownst to Chan - his new partner, Inspector Hung (Kent Cheng) is an accomplice to the crime, throwing the authorities off the trail." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand-new 4K restoration from the original camera negative presented in Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR10 Compatible)."

Crime Story comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 82 GB

Feature: 80.9 GB

The 88 Films Crime Story 2019 Blu-ray was one of the best-looking Jackie Chan releases, yet this new version enhances that release in every aspect. The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, and image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. That being said, this release represents another outstanding 4K upgrade from 88 Films.

Crime Story comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.9 GB

Feature: 35.4 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English), 4.25/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with four audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Cantonese, a LPCM mono mix in English, and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. All four audio mixes are in excellent shape. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Range-wise, all four audio tracks sound great. That said, the two mono tracks offer a better sound experience than the two 5.1 tracks. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks, removable English SDH for the Cantonese language track, and removable English SDH for the English language track.

Extras: 

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an archival audio commentary with filmmaker Arne Venema and Hong Kong film expert Mike Leeder and an audio commentary with NY Asian Film Festival’s Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), scenes from Singapore version (6 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Kirk Wong (10 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with screenwriter Teddy Chan Talk-Sum (7 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with stuntman Bruce Law (24 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with assistant director P'ng Kialek titled Looking for a New Direction (19 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Police Story on Crack! Mike Leeder on Kirk Wong's Crime Story (7 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film critic Tony Rayns (18 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film critic Victor Fan (21 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Arne Venema and Mike Leeder, and an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a rigid slipcase, a double-sided poster, six art cards, and an 80-page perfect-bound book with cast & crew information, an essay titled A Perfect Crime, An Imperfect Story: Crime Story - The Police Story Sequel That Should Have Been written by Paul Bramhall, an interview with actor and director Jamie Luk titled Working With Jackie conducted by Mathew Edwards, an essay titled Hong Kong Blues: The Real Crime Story written by C.J. Lines, and archival images. 

Summary:

Co-directed by Kirk Wong, whose other notable films are Love to Kill, Organized Crime & Triad Bureau, and Rock N'Roll Cop. Crime Story’s action sequences were directed by Jackie Chan. Also, Crime Story is based on the events surrounding the 1990 kidnapping of Chinese businessman Teddy Wang.

The narrative revolves around a police inspector suffering from emotional distress after being involved in a shootout. The police inspector encounters a wealthy businessman who has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. Doubting that the kidnappers will release the businessman even if the ransom is paid, the inspector faces a race against time to find the missing man.

When one thinks of the films of Jackie Chan, the two things that spring to mind are elaborate action sequences and an ample amount of humor. Films like Crime Story showcase Jackie Chan stepping outside his usual style to deliver a gritty and more realistic portrayal of crime. The character Inspector Eddie Chan incorporates elements that highlight Jackie Chan’s strengths. However, the distinction of this character from those Jackie Chan typically portrays may stem from the fact that Jet Li was initially considered for the role.

The thing that immediately grabbed me when watching Crime Story is how great all the performances are, especially Jackie Chan (Dragons Forever) in the role of police inspector Eddie Chan. He does a phenomenal job conveying the various emotions his character goes through. Another performance of note is that of Kent Cheng (Once Upon a Time in China) in the role of Detective Hung Ting-bong, a character that is the polar opposite of police inspector Eddie Chan.

Though there are not as many hand-to-hand fight sequences in Crime Story. The three main action sequences are all exceptional. That said, the stunt work is on par with Jackie Chan’s most memorable moments. The most impressive fight sequence is the finale, which takes place in a building engulfed in fire.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where Crime Story does not deliver in spades. The briskly paced narrative has plenty of twists that keep you on your toes, and there is an ample amount of tension. Another strength of the narrative is how it builds momentum. Ultimately, Crime Story is a perfect blend of action and melodrama that fans of 1980s and 1990s Hong Kong action cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Crime Story gets an exceptional release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative 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 MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer