Film

Police Story 4: First Strike

Name: Police Story 4: First Strike
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama
Released: 1996
Cast: Jackie Chan, Jackson Liu, Annie Wu, Bill Tung Biu, Yuri Petrov

Jackie Chan's fourth Police Story film sends him undercover with Interpol against a Russian crime syndicate. It's a globe-trotting action-comedy with stunts that defy physics and a plot that barely holds together—but that's the whole charm. For anyone who wants their action heroes funny, dangerous, and genuinely committed to breaking their own bones.

TMDb rating

3.3

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love physical comedy-action where the stunts use whatever is lying around and the jokes land mid-punch, with a hero who visibly hurts when he falls.

Skip it if you want a tight, plot-driven thriller, since the intrigue is loosely stitched and the jokes often interrupt tension just as it builds.

What it asks of you: Roughly an hour and three-quarters, with a brisk middle and a noisy finale; the mood swings from slapstick to scrapping, so you can relax and let it roll.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Rush Hour1998

Chan teams with Chris Tucker for a buddy-cop comedy with the same energy: witty banter, outrageous stunts, and the sense that nobody's using safety nets. Huge heart alongside genuine danger.

But It leans harder on Hollywood comedy than Police Story does. If you want pure action, the humor might feel like padding.

Police Story 3: Super Cop1992

The third Police Story film is tighter and more confident than First Strike. Chan hangs from helicopters, drives motorcycles off cliffs, and plays it completely straight while doing impossible things. Pure adrenaline.

But Even simpler plot than First Strike. If you want narrative complexity, you're in the wrong franchise.

Drunken Master III1994

Chan's masterpiece. Martial arts choreography so inventive you'll rewind sequences just to understand how it's anatomically possible. Fewer one-liners, more artistry, same commitment to doing everything for real.

But It's a period piece and significantly slower-paced. The comedy is visual rather than verbal, which doesn't land the same way for everyone.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Police Story 4: First Strike

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Tango & Cash1989

Both are films where the plot is purely an excuse to throw the heroes into increasingly absurd international scenarios. Logic isn't the point; the point is watching charismatic people survive ridiculous circumstances.

Stallone and Russell play mismatched cops in a loud, dumb buddy-cop action-comedy that doesn't care if the plot breaks. It's pure 80s excess: one-liners, explosions, and the kind of commitment to spectacle that makes First Strike look restrained.

But It's aggressively silly and the effects are dated. The movie is almost two hours and does not reward attention to logic.

Rumble in the Bronx1995

Chan's first major US release has the same globe-trotting buddy energy as First Strike but set in New York. He fights in roller skates. The stunts are absurd and often improvised. Pure joy.

But The plot makes even less sense than First Strike, and the dated 90s vibe might feel thin on rewatches.

Lethal Weapon 41998

Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in their late-series, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink phase. Jet Li shows up as a villain. It has the same bloated, fun energy as Police Story 4—more spectacle than sense.

But It's the weakest in the Lethal Weapon cycle. Some action setups feel borrowed, and the humor strains harder than it lands.

The Protector1985

Jackie Chan's earlier work where he and Danny Aiello protect a dog from traffickers in New York and Hong Kong. Absurd premise, stunning action, the same kind of globetrotting chaos as First Strike.

But It's rougher and cheaper-looking than his 90s work. The script feels more scattered than playful, and it hasn't aged as well visually.

Police Story: Lockdown2013

A late-career return to the franchise that proves Chan's stunts haven't slowed. Set in a prison, it's smaller-scale but focused. A reminder of why you loved these films at all.

But It's a quieter, more dramatic film than First Strike. If you came for wisecracking chaos, you'll find introspection instead.

Red Dragon2002

Edward Norton and Anthony Hopkins in a slick crime thriller with international scope and double-crosses. Same complicated-plot-with-a-villain-behind-the-villain structure as First Strike, but played completely straight and tense.

But It's a serial killer film: dark, adult, and entirely devoid of humor. The tone couldn't be further from Police Story if it tried.