Jackie Chan revived his Police Story franchise by slapping New in the title and making it more dramatic — his squad is killed in front of his helpless eyes and he becomes an alcoholic until a young cop gets him back in the game.
If I were to rate the series, I’d put this fifth installment below II and above IV. Police Story III: Supercop was the best, though the first was also excellent.
New Police Story has a couple of very good stunts, the reliance on dramatics is not a bad idea, but overall it’s a bit dry. Worth a rental.
The Lions’ Gate Region 1 DVD is said to include original audio tracks plus English dubbed features.
Meanwhile, out of Japan comes the sequel One Missed Call 2. According to the Media Blasters web site: “The One Missed Call curse has become an urban legend in Tokyo. Your cell phone rings with a chilling tone. Your violent demise is heard on the other end. Moments later, you die a horrible death. However, the curse has mutated to fool a wiser public and reach a broader audience.”
The two-disc edition probably includes a lot of neat stuff, but the Media Blasters site proved too challenging for me to surf effectively. It’s also out today.
A Better Tomorrow 