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105-449: One of the most-frequently used practical stunts is stage combat . Although contact is normally avoided, many elements of stage combat, such as sword fighting , martial arts , and acrobatics required contact between performers in order to facilitate the creation of a particular effect, such as noise or physical interaction. Stunt performances are highly choreographed and may be rigorously rehearsed for hours, days and sometimes weeks before

210-466: A 2 million UK viewership in 2004 and 2006. Police Story 2 ( Chinese : 警察故事２ ), made in 1988 , features many of the same actors reprising their roles from the original. The story picks up with Chan Ka-Kui demoted to traffic cop for causing so much damage in his apprehension of Chu. Chu has been released from prison on the pretense that he is terminally ill, and Chu and his clan continue to harass Chan and his girlfriend May as Chan gets reinstated to

315-709: A B.A. (Hons) Degree in Acting & Stage Combat. Many of the societies offer certification programs for different weapons, which is used as an indicator about how much training an actor has had. During the early part of the Covid 19 Pandemic, several organizations made strides in distance/virtual training, including international virtual workshops. Stage combat training includes unarmed combat skills such as illusory slaps, punches, kicks, throwing and holding techniques; theatrical adaptations of various forms of fencing such as rapier and dagger , smallsword and broadsword , as well as

420-401: A car chase through a shanty town , Chan stopping a double-decker bus with his service revolver and a climactic fight scene in a shopping mall. This final scene earned the film the nickname "Glass Story" by the crew, due to the huge number of panes of sugar glass that were broken. During a stunt in this last scene, in which Chan slides down a pole from several stories up, the lights covering

525-496: A handbrake turn , also known as the bootleg turn , or as advanced as car chases, jumps and crashes involving dozens of vehicles. Rémy Julienne is a well known pioneering automotive stunt performer and coordinator. A Guinness Book of World Records holder stunt driver, Bobby Ore , performed in numerous movies and events and holds a world record for longest distance driven on two wheels in a London double decker bus (810 feet). Aviation stunts go back to those performed in balloons in

630-453: A shopping mall . This final scene earned the film the nickname "Glass Story" by the crew, due to the huge number of panes of sugar glass that were broken. During a stunt in this last scene in which Chan slides down a pole from several stories up, the lights covering the pole had heated it considerably and resulted in Chan suffering second-degree burns , particularly to his hands. Chan also suffered

735-436: A 100% approval rating based on 6 reviews, with an 8.3/10 rating. The site's consensus reads: "Blending brilliant physical comedy with thrillingly choreographed set pieces, Police Story makes a persuasive case for Jackie Chan as one of the all-time genre greats." On Metacritic , which uses a weighted average, the film received a score of 78 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". A review from

840-499: A Parisian fight director and martial artist who created performance fencing styles based on gladiatorial combat as well as Renaissance rapier and dagger fencing. Egerton Castle and Captain Alfred Hutton of London were also involved both in reviving antique fencing systems and in teaching these styles to actors. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, scenes of swordplay in touring theatrical productions throughout Europe,

945-400: A back injury and dislocation of his pelvis upon landing. Screenwriter Edward Tang said that he did not write this film the way normal Hollywood screenwriters work. Chan instructed Tang to structure the film around a list of props and locations, e.g. a shopping mall, a village, a bus, etc. In an interview with Chan, he discusses the stunt of sliding down the pole covered with lights. As with

1050-432: A birthday party for him, but May becomes angry with Ka-Kui after seeing Salina only wearing lingerie and Ka-Kui's jacket. Ka-Kui eventually explains to May that Salina is a witness, but only after much bumbling and embarrassment. While he tries to apologize to May, Salina discovers that the attack at her apartment was a sham, and decides to record over her taped confession about working for Chu Tao. She sneaks away while Ka-Kui

1155-512: A certain amount of historical accuracy, although, as the 2007 Encyclopædia Britannica puts it, "movie fencing remains a poor representation of actual fencing technique". The Star Wars films, the fights for which are choreographed by Bob Anderson & Peter Diamond (Episodes IV, V & VI) and Nick Gillard (Episodes I, II & III), tend to portray its lightsaber combat using swordsmanship techniques drawn from existing martial arts, but performed with fantasy weapons such as lightsabers or

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1260-547: A choice of Chinese-language soundtracks. Hong Kong-based company Kam & Ronsom Enterprise released the first three Police Story films on Blu-ray Disc in June 2009. The first film was released on Blu-ray on 14 September 2009. Shout! Factory released Police Story and Police Story 2 as a double feature on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on 16 April 2013. The Criterion Collection released both Police Story and Police Story 2 on Blu-ray on 30 April 2019 with 4K restoration on both of

1365-566: A dagger. The smallsword came into fashion in England and France in the late seventeenth century. It was used as a thrusting weapon and so sword movements were kept minimal to find the opening that a thrust could land. Most men of the period carried smallswords as fashion accessories so most were elegantly ornamented. An example of a smallsword duel can be seen in Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Christopher Hampton written in 1985, based on

1470-582: A defensive and offensive weapon. An important element in using a shield is to hold the shield arm in an upper diagonal so the fist is higher than the elbow so the top of the shield does not move when struck, and the danger being hit in the face with the shield or the weapon using to strike it can be avoided. Sword and shields can be found in battle scenes like in Shakespeare's Wars of the Roses history plays. A staple of modern action films due to its visual spectacle,

1575-629: A descender rig as a safe alternative to airbags) and a BAFTA award (for lifetime achievement in film). But the status of stuntmen in Hollywood is still low; despite the fact that few films of any genre or type could be made without them, stunt performers are still perceived as working mainly in action films. Repeated campaigns for a "Best Stunts" Academy Award have been rejected. In 2001, the first " World Stunt Awards " were presented in Los Angeles by actor Alec Baldwin . The event had A-list stars presenting

1680-422: A fellow policeman break into her apartment and pose as a knife-wielding assassin. Ka-Kui and Salina fight him off and she agrees to be more cooperative. The two drive away in her car, but are ambushed by Chu Tao's actual hitmen, who are scared away when Salina threatens them with Ka-Kui's revolver. When Ka-Kui arrives at his apartment with Salina, he is surprised to find his girlfriend, May, and her friends throwing

1785-516: A genre in part around the staging of elaborate martial arts derived fight scenes. Lanford Wilson 's play Burn This also includes a fight scene scripted to include elements of Aikido and Karate . While the play itself is not focused on martial arts, their inclusion is important in a pivotal moment of the play. An example of martial arts being centered in a scene of musical theatre can be found in Stephen Sondheim 's Company (musical) , during

1890-409: A human quality to the action. Stage combat Stage combat , fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet productions. With the advent of cinema and television the term has widened to also include

1995-411: A more efficient, practical attack would be taking a quicker, more direct line to the opponent's body. But the fight director knows that the audience couldn't follow the action as well if the attacks were faster (the audience might hardly be able to see the thin blades whip through the air), so most fight choreographers would make choices to help the audience follow the story. Of course, this is dependent on

2100-481: A number of ways of creating the safe illusion of a slap to the face (which is obviously something that could really be done in combat), none of these involve making actual contact with the victim's face. The overriding concern is for the safety of the actors and audience. This requirement has led to the adaptation of many standard martial arts and fencing skills specifically for performance. For example, many basic sword attacks and parries must be modified to ensure that

2205-432: A particular production. One of the biggest reasons that theatrical fight directors often do not aim for strict realism is that the live audience could not easily follow the 'story' of the action if bodies and blades were moving in the ways trained fighters would move them. For example, a production of Cyrano de Bergerac , by Edmond Rostand , using 17th-century rapiers, might show Cyrano making many circular cut attacks. But

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2310-502: A performance. Seasoned professionals will commonly treat a performance as if they have never done it before, since the risks in stunt work are high, every move and position must be correct to reduce risk of injury from accidents. Examples of practical effects include tripping and falling down, high jumps, extreme sporting moves, acrobatics and high diving, spins , gainer falls, "suicide backflips," and other martial arts stunts. Stunt airbags (or "stunt mats"), large deep airbags that may be

2415-655: A pole with exploding electric lights as he falls to the ground. Much of the film was created surrounding the action sequences, which Chan and the filmmakers developed via linear progression. Police Story was a box-office success in Asia and Europe, grossing an estimated US$ 18,724,000 (equivalent to $ 53,000,000 in 2023). It won the Best Film award at the 1986 Hong Kong Film Awards . According to Chan's autobiography, he considers Police Story his best action film . Since its release, Police Story has been frequently listed as one of

2520-463: A professional fight choreographer and may also include a fight captain , who runs fight calls and ensures that actors are remaining safe throughout the duration of the show. The fighting styles in movies set in the Medieval or Renaissance periods may be unrealistic and historically inaccurate. Most fight choreographers use a mix between Asian martial arts and sports fencing to re-enact fight scenes. This

2625-647: A recycled soundtrack score from J. Peter Robinson replacing Bassinson's music. On 19 December 2006, The Weinstein Company released the film on Region 1 NTSC DVD (under their Dragon Dynasty label) with special features and deleted scenes; it was also released in Canada on 23 January 2007. In late 2004, Hong Kong's Intercontinental Video Limited released a remastered anamorphic widescreen Police Story Trilogy boxed set in Region 0 NTSC format, featuring optional English subtitles and

2730-440: A religious festival in which they beat each other with staves but no one dies, staged combat has always existed. As it doesn't make sense to sacrifice citizens in rituals, many ancient civilizations turned to symbolic gestures of combat through dancing or bringing a weapon to someone's throat or neck without actually touching them to symbolize death or an act of violence. Fights staged for entertainment may also be in earnest for

2835-654: A result of often impressive choreography and stuntwork. This consists of hand to hand combat without weapon. Elements of unarmed combat include slaps, punches, kicks, grabs, chokes, falls, rolls, grappling, among others. Many fight directors rely on combinations of messy street fighting and martial arts such as aikido and Brazilian jiu-jitsu to create fights of this nature. Generally more common in modern contemporary plays, after swords have gone out of style but also seen in older plays such as Shakespeare's Othello when Othello strangles Desdemona. Found objects are objects that are not traditionally weapons but can be used so in

2940-406: A safe, exciting fight scene. In many forms of stage combat, distance is a key factor in technique. Many attacks are performed 'out of distance' so that there is no possible chance of one performer accidentally striking the other. Considerable professional judgement is called upon to determine what technical level may be appropriate for a given performer, taking into account allotted rehearsal time, and

3045-403: A shopping mall to download incriminating data from Chu Tao's computer system. Chu Tao notices this and he and his men rush to the shopping mall to intervene. Ka-Kui and May, who are monitoring Chu Tao's activities, follow. In the ensuing carnage, Ka-Kui defeats all of Chu Tao's henchmen (and destroys a good portion of the mall). The briefcase containing the computer data falls to the bottom floor of

3150-459: A speed that is both dramatically convincing and safe for the performers and their audience. Even stage combat is risky, and it is preferable for actors to have as much training and experience as possible. A "fight call" or a brief rehearsal before the show is performed each time, set aside for the actors to "mark" through the fight to increase their muscle memory . A show which involves fight choreography will typically be trained and supervised by

3255-542: A staple feature of traditional performing arts for centuries, such as in Japanese Kabuki theater (as tachimawari "fighting scenes"), Chinese Beijing Opera and Indian theater. Fencing masters in Europe began to research and experiment with historical fencing techniques, with weapons such as the two-handed sword , rapier and smallsword , and to instruct actors in their use. Notable amongst these were George Dubois,

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3360-486: Is a 1985 Hong Kong action comedy film directed by and starring Jackie Chan , who co-wrote the screenplay with Edward Tang. It is the first film in the Police Story franchise . It features Chan as Hong Kong police detective "Kevin" Chan Ka-Kui , alongside Brigitte Lin and Maggie Cheung . In the film, Ka-Kui helps arrest a drug lord, but must clear his own name after being accused of murder. Chan began work on

3465-405: Is a 2013 Chinese - Hong Kong action crime film starring Jackie Chan in another reboot of the Police Story film series . The film is directed by Ding Sheng, who previously helmed Chan's Little Big Soldier . According to Chan, unlike the previous Police Story films where he portrayed a Hong Kong cop, in the new film he portrays a mainland Chinese officer. Like New Police Story , 2013

3570-655: Is also known for his creativity in devising styles such as Batman's in The Dark Knight , Sherlock Holmes 'prevision' style in Guy Ritchie's two Sherlock Holmes movies. Combat reenactment is a side of historical reenactment which aims to depict events of battle, normally a specific engagement in history, but also unscripted battles where the 'winner' is not predetermined. Police Story (1985 film) Police Story ( Chinese : 警察故事 ; pinyin : Jǐngchá Gùshì ; Jyutping : Ging2 caat3 gu3 si6 )

3675-497: Is conflict between people or indeed it may be traced to the origins of the human species and primate display behaviour . Display of martial aptitude is a natural occurrence in warrior societies , and ritualized forms of mock combat often evolve into war dances . Whether it is the struggle between the men and women of Aristophanes ' Lysistrata in Ancient Greece or Ancient Egypt where Herodotus in his Histories talks about

3780-723: Is generally due to the look of the fighting asked for by the director. If the director wants the story to flow a certain way, then the fight director will choreograph the fights to fit that style and tell the story. For stage combat, all edges should be dulled and points blunted so that there is no risk of severe injury if someone is accidentally stabbed. In addition, weapons that are used, and not just for show, should be certified as combat-ready, thereby preventing any accidents involving blades accidentally breaking off. Melee weapons are used in large battle scenes and can include spears , axes , maces , flails , and more. These are other weapons that are best used in large playing spaces where there

3885-483: Is kidnapped. The film marks the last appearance of Maggie Cheung as May. Michelle Yeoh reprises her role in the spin-off , Project S (1993). Dimension Films released Police Story 3 in the US in 1996 under the name of Supercop with some edits to the film, the complete replacement of all music and sound effects, and English dubbing . Police Story 4 ( Chinese : 簡單任務 or Jackie Chan's First Strike ), made in 1996 ,

3990-646: Is known for his work on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the Matrix trilogy , in which the often unrealistic fighting techniques are complemented by directorial techniques such as bullet time . Ching Siu-tung is particularly noted in the field of Hong Kong action cinema for his use of graceful wire fu techniques. By contrast, films such as The Duellists , fight directed by William Hobbs, Once Were Warriors , fight directed by Robert Bruce and Troy & Ironclad , fight directed by Richard Ryan are widely famed for including gritty, realistic combat scenes. Ryan

4095-485: Is never suspended from it as it is brittle and can break under shock impacts. Hero (2003) and House of Flying Daggers (2004) are examples of wuxia films that use kung-fu and are heavily reliant on wire stunts . The Matrix is an example of extensive wire and rigging work in Western cinema. Performers of vehicular stunts require extensive training and may employ specially adapted vehicles. Stunts can be as simple as

4200-680: Is room to work at a safe distance. Quarterstaffs are used in shows that are performed in large playing spaces due to the large size of the weapon. One of the most popular quarterstaff fights is that between Robin Hood and Little John in the tale of Robin Hood from the 17th century ballad. Modern quarterstaff choreography has also integrated the techniques of the bō staff from the Japanese martial art Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū , which originated around 1447. Examples of this style can be seen in

4305-508: Is sleeping and is not present at the trial the next day, which ends with failure for the prosecution because of Salina's absence and tampering with the recording. Though Chu Tao is released on bail, he wants revenge against Ka-Kui. He captures Salina and threatens to kill her to ensure her silence. Ka-Kui finds and frees her, but is attacked by several of Chu Tao's men. When fellow Police Inspector Man arrives (Kam Hing Ying), he reveals that he had been working with Chu Tao and thus Salina's capture

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4410-571: Is the only film in the Police Story series made partially in English . The action shifts away from Hong Kong and East Asia , with a globe trekking espionage plot, lending the film the air of a James Bond adventure. New Line Cinema 's US release contained several alterations. Filmed on location in Ukraine and Australia , the film also marks the last appearance of Bill Tung , who plays Chan's superior in

4515-475: The Time Out Film Guide stated: "In Jackie Chan-land vehicles are for trashing small buildings, while big buildings are for falling off or sliding down... The likeable and graceful Chan directs, sings and performs jaw-dropping stunts". In advance of the film's 4K restoration release in 2018, Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film four out of four stars, saying that Police Story "is one of

4620-571: The Eiffel Tower . A backlash against dangerous stunts followed the fatal 42-foot backward fall of Sonja Davis off a building on the set of Vampire in Brooklyn . Despite speculation that developments in computer-generated imagery (CGI) would make stunts unnecessary and reduce stunt performers to the status of body doubles, stunt work has increasingly been made safer and enhanced by CGI effects; nevertheless, stunt performers remain essential to provide

4725-752: The Nordic Stage Fight Society (NSFS) and the New Zealand Stage Combat Society in 1995; the British Academy of Dramatic Combat (BADC, formerly known as The Society of British Fight Directors) in 1996; Art of Combat in 1997; New York Combat for Stage & Screen in 1999; Stage Combat Deutschland in 2004; and the Australian Stage Combat Association (ASCA) in 2010; The British Guild of Stage Combat in 2015. As of 2005, East 15 Acting School , London offered

4830-449: The choreography of filmed fighting sequences, as opposed to the earlier live performances on stage. It is closely related to the practice of stunts and is a common field of study for actors . Actors famous for their stage fighting skills frequently have backgrounds in dance , gymnastics or martial arts training. The history of stage fighting and mock combat can be traced to antiquity, with Aristotle quoted as noting that tragedy

4935-471: The silent-comedy era of Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton to find the equivalent of Jackie Chan in his Hong Kong prime—a star who’d put life and limb at risk to get the shot he wanted"—and that "Chan’s ’80s peak delivers a whole other level of insanity." He praised "the exuberant blend of comic knockabout thrills and heart-stopping spills from this landmark cop flick," especially his "batshit crazy" final stunt which "has since become celluloid legend." The film

5040-504: The "long complicated scenes of physical comedy " rather than the usual "awful one-liner your average hero spouts after wasting a bad guy." He called it "great action entertainment" but noted "many people" would "snub it because they'll have to read subtitles." He concluded that "Jackie Chan is the true last action hero." On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 7.57/10; among top critics, it holds

5145-677: The 1782 novel of the same name . There are many knife fighting styles from the Bowie knife to a switchblade . Knife fights tend to have quick sharp movements. An example of this can be seen in West Side Story 's fight between Riff and Bernardo. Often in plays however, it is one actor with a knife against someone who is unarmed like in Act I of Georges Bizet 's opera Carmen , written in 1875. LLyg The Sword and shields used in stage combat are commonly round and are strong enough that they can be used as

5250-419: The 18th century . After the advent of powered aircraft in 1903, barnstorming and aerobatics came into existence. Ormer Locklear invented or helped develop many of the basic tricks of stunt flying , which included wing walking and transferring between airplanes in mid-air. Hollywood and the public's fascination with aviation made great demands on stunt pilots, resulting in many injuries and fatalities. In

5355-462: The 1970s as actresses did not want to be doubled by men, and could be more convincingly doubled by a woman. SAG-AFTRA union rules for stunt performers say that to double an actor of a different gender or race the stunt must be so dangerous that there are no volunteers available of the appropriate gender or race. For example, in A View to a Kill , stuntman B.J. Worth doubled for the black Jamaican actress Grace Jones whose character parachuted off

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5460-427: The 1980s television show The Fall Guy sought to raise the profile of the stunt performer and debunk the myth that film stars perform all their own stunts. Noted stunt coordinators Hal Needham , Craig R. Baxley , and Vic Armstrong went on to direct the action films The Cannonball Run , Action Jackson , and Joshua Tree . Vic Armstrong became the first stuntman to win both an Academy Award (for developing

5565-578: The British Commonwealth and the United States were typically created by combining several widely known, generic routines known as "standard combats", identified by names such as the "Round Eights" and the "Glasgow Tens". Cinematic fencing has its roots in the 1920s, with the movies of Douglas Fairbanks . One of the more celebrated fight directors who emerged in this time was Paddy Crean who revolutionized stage combat, specifically sword play, for

5670-597: The Bronx among others. Other Hong Kong action movie stars who became known for performing elaborate stunts include Chan's Peking Opera School friends Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao , as well as " girls with guns " stars such as Michelle Yeoh and Moon Lee . Other Asian cinema stars also known for performing elaborate stunts include Thai actor Tony Jaa ; Indonesian actors Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian ; and Indian actors Jayan , Akshay Kumar , Vidyut Jammwal and Tiger Shroff . Films such as Hooper and The Stunt Man and

5775-461: The English historical European martial arts (HEMA) revival, was a fight director for stage and screen, and later a teacher of stage combat at London drama schools, with an emphasis on historical realism. Informal guilds of fight choreographers began to take shape in the 1970s with the establishment of The Society of British Fight Directors, 1969 to 1996. Training was established in the United States with

5880-605: The Force , whereas the action featured in The Lord of the Rings also choreographed by Bob Anderson employed fantasy weapons and fighting styles, designed by Tony Wolf . During the 1970s and 1980s, Bruce Lee , Sonny Chiba , Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung became famous for both choreographing and acting in martial arts action films, and were influential in the development of stage combat on film. Hong Kong -based fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping

5985-588: The Late Medieval German masters distinguish mock fights ( fechten zu schimpf , 'rant fighting') and real combat ( fechten zu ernst , 'earnest fighting'). The history of European theatrical combat has its roots in medieval theatre , and becomes tangible in Elizabethan drama . Richard Tarlton , who was a member of both William Shakespeare 's acting company and of the London Masters of Defence weapons guild,

6090-537: The Rings film series and the Star Wars prequel films often display stunts that are entirely computer generated. Examples of computer-generated effects include face replacement and wire removal . In 1982, Jackie Chan began experimenting with elaborate stunt action sequences in Dragon Lord , which featured a pyramid fight scene that holds the record for the most takes required for a single scene, with 2900 takes, and

6195-459: The United Kingdom, the film (released as Jackie Chan's Police Story ) was watched by 1.2 million viewers on television in 2004, making it the year's fifth most-watched foreign-language film on television (below four other Hong Kong action films ). It was later watched by 800,000 UK viewers in 2006, making it the year's most-watched foreign-language film on Channel 5 . Combined, the film drew

6300-536: The United States to give fight direction a more specific shape. J. Allen Suddeth founded the National Fight Directors Training Program in the United States and wrote the book "Fight Direction for the Theater" (1996). Martial arts movies emerge as a distinct genre from the 1940s, popularized by Bruce Lee and Sonny Chiba from the 1960s. Starting in the mid-1960s, John Waller , a pioneer in

6405-643: The United States, the film was screened in 1993 at the Hogg Memorial Auditorium in Austin, Texas , along with Police Story 3: Supercop , with both films well-received among Austin audiences at the time. The film later had a limited US release in 2019, grossing US$ 113,164. Upon release, the film received critical acclaim in Hong Kong. At the 5th Hong Kong Film Awards in 1986, it won Best Picture and Best Action Choreography, out of six nominations. Overseas,

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6510-435: The actors do not bring the points of their weapons past their partner's face or otherwise inadvertently risk the other actor's health and well-being. Attacking actions in stage combat are extended past the performance partner's body, or aimed short of their apparent targets. Likewise, whereas their characters may be engaged in vicious unarmed combat, the actors must operate at a high level of complicity and communication to ensure

6615-429: The body. This is timed to the moment an impact would happen and is staged so it is hidden from the audience. This allows the audience to believe that an actual blow or slap has landed because they hear a corresponding sound and see a reaction. The combat phase of a play rehearsal is referred to as a fight rehearsal . Choreography is typically learned step by step, and practiced at first very slowly before increasing to

6720-512: The bus and bring it to a halt by threatening to shoot the driver with his service revolver. Later, Ka-Kui is reprimanded by Chief Inspector Raymond Li for letting the operation get out of hand, but is subsequently presented to the media as a model police officer to please the police brass. His next assignment is to protect Chu Tao's secretary, Salina Fong, who is pressured to testify in court about Chu Tao's illegal activities. At first, Salina insists that she does not require protection, but Ka-Kui has

6825-419: The clock tower stunt from Project A (1983), Chan described his fear at the thought of performing the stunt. During the filming of Police Story , there was the added pressure of strict time constraints, as the shopping mall had to be cleaned up and ready for business the following morning. One of Chan's stuntmen gave him a hug and a Buddhist prayer paper, which he put in his trousers before finally performing

6930-566: The combatants, as was the case with the Roman gladiators , and any public duel , such as the judicial duel of the European Middle Ages . The medieval tournament and joust are a classical examples of competitive ritualised mock combat. The joust from the time of Maximilian I developed into a sport with enormous cost involved for each knight and correspondingly high prestige attached, comparable to contemporary Formula One races, while at

7035-430: The concept of choreographed fights directly from the theatrical fight. Douglas Fairbanks in 1920 was the first film director to ask a fencing master to assist the production of a fencing scene in cinema. A second wave of swashbuckling films was triggered with Errol Flynn from 1935. Renewed interest in swashbuckling films arose in the 1970s, in the wake of The Three Musketeers (1973). Directors at this stage aimed for

7140-410: The context of the scene. A classic example of this is breaking a bottle over someone's head. As with all stage combat, the objects are rigged so as not to actually pose any danger to the recipients. In the case of bottles or plates, sugar glass molds are used rather than actual glass bottles. Fight choreography can vary widely from true realism to outright fantasy depending upon the requirements of

7245-423: The criminals spot the officers and the shootout ensues between the two groups. Civilians either flee the town or are caught in the crossfire. Chu Tao and his men successfully flee in their car by driving through the town but crash it immediately after going downhill and escape on foot. Ka-Kui persists in his chase on foot as Chu Tao and his men attempt to escape in a double-decker bus. Ka-Kui manages to get in front of

7350-482: The detective unit when criminal bombers begin extorting money from businessmen. Police Story 3 ( Chinese : 警察故事３超級警察, or Supercop ) was made in 1992 . Michelle Yeoh joins the cast, portraying a police officer from Mainland China . The story involves Chan and Yeoh's characters going undercover to break up a drug smuggling ring in Malaysia. The action moves from China to Kuala Lumpur , where Chan's girlfriend May

7455-415: The early Middle Ages in Europe, the broadsword was notable for its large hilt which allowed it to be wielded with both hands due to its size and weight. Used for slashing rather than stabbing, this weapon is used in plays set in this period like Shakespeare's Macbeth and is also seen in fantasy epics like Lord of the Rings . The first school instructing on the correct use of the rapier in England

7560-406: The expectations of the director. Another important element of stage combat is sound. Sound increases the believability of an action for the audience. There are two kinds of sounds that can be made. One is vocal reactions. By adding a gasp, groan, or grunt when struck, the combatants make the moves come to life. The other kind of sound is a knap or a percussive sound made by hitting a resonant part of

7665-521: The famous Kabuki play Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura , written in 1748. Replicating Asian martial arts on stage is often an imitation of their cinematic representation, and often involves creating the illusion of high level skills that the performers themselves do not possess. Often, they are choreographed with stylized movements that are inspired by Asian martial arts cinema more so than actual martial practices. The Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company , helmed by Qui Nguyen and Robert Ross Parker, have built

7770-607: The film "still lacks much of the aesthetic appeal and occasional comic grace of the more traditional period kung fu films such as Project A , Drunken Master , Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Dragon Lord ". Vincent Canby wrote in The New York Times that at a screening of the film at the New York Film Festival Chan was promoted as a hybrid of Buster Keaton and Clint Eastwood , with Canby noting that Chan

7875-525: The film after a disappointing experience working with James Glickenhaus on The Protector (1985), which was intended to be his entry into the American film market. Police Story contains many large-scale action sequences with elaborate, dangerous stunts performed by Chan and his stunt team , including car chases , Chan hanging off a speeding bus, parkour-like acrobatics, and a shopping mall fight with shattering glass panes, leading up to Chan sliding down

7980-458: The film had a limited theatrical release in North America on 1 February 2019. A sequel, Police Story 2 , was released 1988. The Royal Hong Kong Police Force is planning Operation Boar Hunt, a major undercover sting to arrest crime lord Chu Tao. Sergeant Chan Ka-Kui (or Kevin Chan in some versions) is part of the operation, along with undercover officers stationed in a shantytown. However,

8085-508: The film in The Daily Texan and rated it three-and-a-half stars in 1993, calling it a "great action thriller " that leaves "most American action films in the dust." He praised the "absolutely stunning" action scenes, saying the "film must have set a new record for the number of people thrown through windows in a single action film" as Chan eventually "perfects another action scene" with his final stunt. He also praised Chan's unique humor with

8190-535: The film initially received a mixed reaction in contemporary English-language reviews. Kim Newman wrote, in the Monthly Film Bulletin , that Police Story starts well with its car chase described as an "astonishing set-piece", but that "once the mix of realistic settings and fantasy action seems to have been established, the film falls back on Chan's clowning and turns into a slapstick comedy heavily dependent on cake-in-the-face jokes". The review concluded that

8295-468: The films, as well as including the Hong Kong-release version of Police Story 2 . The release also includes bonus features on Jackie Chan himself; new programs on his screen persona and action-filmmaking techniques, a stunt reel, and archival interviews with Chan and stuntman Benny Lai, as well as a 1964 TV program about Peking opera training that was akin to the education Chan received as a child. In

8400-559: The final fight scene where he performs various stunts, including one where he does a back flip off a loft and falls to the lower ground. In 1983, Project A saw the official formation of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team and added elaborate, dangerous stunts to the fights and slapstick humor (at one point, Chan falls from the top of a clock tower through a series of fabric canopies). Police Story (1985) contained many large-scale action scenes, including an opening sequence featuring

8505-495: The formation of the Society of American Fight Directors in 1977. Following this, further academies and associations worldwide have been established to uphold the craft, training and quality of work in the art-form of stage combat nationally and internationally, including: The British Academy Of Stage & Screen Combat (BASSC) and Fight Directors Canada (FDC) in 1993; the Society of Australian Fight Directors Inc. (SAFDi) in 1994;

8610-437: The great 1980s action films. It is also one of the most 1980s action films", commenting its "cop-on-the-edge clichés" and synthesizer music. Seitz further wrote that "The entire film has the mentality of a master showman who wants to dazzle in every moment, big or small.... A stunt near the end gets repeated at full length three times, from three different angles; this would seem like a display of narcissism if it weren’t one of

8715-461: The greatest action films of all time. It is also considered one of the best martial arts movies of all time. In 2016, Police Story was voted the fifth best action movie of all time in Time Out ' s poll of film critics, directors, actors and stunt performers . Chan's final action sequence in the mall is considered one of the greatest stunts in the history of action cinema. A 4K restoration of

8820-534: The greatest stunts in the history of movies, right up there with the collapsing house in Steamboat Bill, Jr. and the final fall in Sharky’s Machine ". In 2016, when Time Out polled 50 film critics, directors, actors and stunt actors to list their top action films of all time , Police Story was voted the fourth best action film of all time. Film critic Trevor Johnston wrote that "you have to go back to

8925-410: The late 20th century stunt men were often placed in dangerous situations less and less as filmmakers turned to relatively inexpensive (and much safer) computer graphics effects using harnesses, fans, blue- or green screens , and a huge array of other devices and digital effects. The Matrix (1999) is an example of a film that extensively enhanced real stunts through CGI post production. The Lord of

9030-433: The mall, but Chu Tao and his men retrieves it after attacking May. Ka-Kui, at the top floor, slides down a pole wrapped in light bulbs to the bottom floor and catches Chu, but the rest of the police force quickly arrives and prevent him from further taking matters into his own hands. Salina attests to them that Chu had Sergeant Man killed and evidence of his crimes is in the briefcase. Chu's defense attorney shows up and accuses

9135-561: The performer. Audiences may also fear for their own safety if large combat scenes seem to be out of control. Therefore, stage combat is not simply a safety technique but is also important for an audience to maintain uninterrupted suspension of disbelief . Having its roots in Medieval theatre , stage combat enters classical theatre choreography with Elizabethan drama ( Shakespeare 's simple and oft seen stage direction, they fight ). Classical stageplays with sword fight scenes: Cinema inherited

9240-450: The pole had heated it considerably, resulting in Chan suffering second-degree burns , particularly to his hands, as well as a back injury and dislocation of his pelvis upon landing. Chan performed similarly elaborate stunts in numerous other films, such as several Police Story sequels, Project A Part II , the Armor of God series, Dragons Forever , Drunken Master II , and Rumble in

9345-417: The police of misconduct, prompting a beating from an at-wit's-end Ka-Kui, who goes on to extend the beating to Chu Tao before being stopped by his friends. The film contained many large-scale action scenes, including an opening sequence featuring a car chase through a shanty town , Chan dangling from a speeding double-decker bus before stopping it with his service revolver , and a climactic fight scene in

9450-413: The production, the director and other stylistic choices. One school of fight choreographer thought says that an unusual aspect of live stage combat, such as in a play, is that audiences will react negatively to even simulated violence if they fear the actors are being harmed: for example, if an actor is really slapped in the face, the audience will stop thinking about the character and, instead, worry about

9555-498: The same time minimizing the danger of injury with highly specialized equipment. In the Late Middle Ages , staged fencing bouts, with or without choreography, became popular with fencing schools . Some German fechtbuch ("combat manuals", literally 'fight' or 'fence book') have sections dedicated to flamboyant techniques to be employed in such Klopffechten ("knockabout fighting"), which would be impractical in serious combat, and

9660-472: The series. New Police Story ( Chinese : 新警察故事 ), made in 2004 , is a reboot of the Police Story series. Chan portrays a disgraced detective named Wing, and acts alongside younger Hong Kong actors including Nicholas Tse , Charlene Choi and Daniel Wu . The story features a more dramatic focus, taking a darker and more serious tone. Police Story 2013 ( Police Story: Lockdown in North America)

9765-530: The silver screen and theater. Paddy created the flamboyant style of sword play that can be seen in Errol Flynn movies , among others. He promoted the use of safety above all things and then focused on story of the fight. B. H. Barry and J. Allen Suddeth, students of Paddy Crean, are two fight masters who have continued developing Paddy's legacy. Barry helped found the Society of British Fight Directors and then came to

9870-444: The size of a small swimming pool, are typically used by professional stunt performers to cushion their landings from staged falls from heights. A physical stunt is usually performed with help of mechanics. For example, if the plot requires the hero to jump to a high place, the film crew could put the actor in a special harness, and use aircraft high tension wire to pull them up. Piano wire is sometimes used to fly objects, but an actor

9975-504: The song "The Little Things You Do Together." They also appear in some of the works of David Henry Hwang . Pan Asian Rep produced Shogun MacBeth twice, which transposed Shakespeare's play to feudal Japan, with the appropriate style of swordplay. Also adapting the same play to a Japanese setting, Ping Chong created a stage version of Kurosawa's Throne of Blood . In terms of Asian theatre, fight scenes in genres such as Kabuki are often highly stylized. A large sword commonly used in

10080-443: The statues to Hollywood's stunt performers. Arnold Schwarzenegger was presented with the first "Lifetime Achievement" award. He presented the awards in 2001. The awards show hands out eight awards: Best Fight, Best Fire Stunt, Best High Work, Best Overall Stunt by a Stunt Man, Best Overall Stunt by a Stunt Woman, Best Speciality Stunt, Best Work with a Vehicle and Best Stunt Coordinator or 2nd Unit Director. In past Hollywood films it

10185-474: The stunt. Stuntman Blackie Ko doubled for Chan during a motorcycle stunt in which his character drives through glass towards a hitman. In the double decker bus scene, Jackie used a metal umbrella because a wooden one kept slipping when he tried to hang onto the bus. The film grossed HK$ 26,626,760 at the Hong Kong box office, becoming the third highest-grossing film of the year. In Taiwan, it grossed NT$ 20,549,670 between 1985 and 1986, becoming one of

10290-627: The top ten highest-grossing films of 1986. In Japan, it was the eighth highest-grossing foreign film of 1986, grossing ¥ 1.9 billion at the Japanese box office. In South Korea, it was the third highest-grossing film of 1988, with 192,327 ticket sales in Seoul City . In Europe, the film sold 245,452 tickets in France (released 1987), 846,700 tickets in Hungary (released 1988) and 65,700 tickets in Romania. In

10395-483: The use of other weapons, notably the quarterstaff and knives ; and more specialized skills such as professional wrestling and different styles of martial arts . However, stage combat can include any form of choreographed violence and the options are limited only by safety concerns, and the ability of the participants involved. As a note, most of these techniques are drawn from actual fighting techniques, but modified to be safer for actors. For example, although there are

10500-503: Was "more like a scaled-down, oriental Sylvester Stallone , with energy and a willingness to smile fondly at himself". Canby also noted the excessive pie-in-the-face gags, and that Chan "participates in several elaborately staged gun fights and car chases" which were "mildly amusing" but not as amusing as the dubbed dialogue. Canby concluded that the film "is of principal interest as a souvenir of another culture". The film went on to receive wide acclaim in later reviews. Michael Zey reviewed

10605-466: Was among the first fight directors in the modern sense. Sword duels depicted in plays showed how popular the pastime was in actual life. Before 1615 in England, many plays featured duels and the duels were regarded as highlights of the show. As opposed to after 1615, when dueling was publicly condemned by King James and the duels were used as a last resort in regard to the plot. During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, stylized stage combat has been

10710-474: Was common for men to double for women and white American stunt performers to double for African American performers, in a practice known as "wigging". Veteran stunt man Dave Sharpe , a man of shorter than average height, often doubled for women in film serials of the 1930s and '40s. Veteran stunt performer Jeannie Epper , who doubled for Lynda Carter in Wonder Woman , explained that the situation improved in

10815-587: Was merely a ruse to trap Ka-Kui. To Man's grim surprise, the plan is also to include Tao's men killing him with Ka-Kui's gun to frame him for murder. Now a fugitive cop killer, Ka-Kui must try to catch Chu Tao and clear his name. He returns to the police station to plead his case, but the Chief Inspector orders him to be arrested. Ka-Kui takes the Chief Inspector as a hostage in order to escape custody, though he soon lets his co-operative superior go free to continue his investigation. Salina goes to Chu Tao's office at

10920-508: Was released on VHS in the United States by the distributor Cinema Group under the title Jackie Chan's Police Force , using Golden Harvest's export version created for international distribution, and featuring a new music score by composer Kevin Bassinson. The export cut is shorter than the original cut by 13 minutes. New Line Cinema acquired the rights to the export version of the film, distributing it on VHS and Laserdisc on 4 August 1998, with

11025-472: Was started in 1576 by Rocco Bonetti from Italy. Bonetti took over the lease from playwright John Lyly to open his school in Blackfriars . The rapier has the advantage of the thrust over the slash which means it could be a much smaller and lighter weapon than the broadsword. It is popular in Shakespeare plays like Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet where duels are performed and can be used in combination with

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