- runtime: 99 minutes (erroneously listed in many publications as 101 minutes), 94 minutes (possibly in some theaters during theatrical release)
- some older releases contain a slightly shortened version that allegedly played in some HK theaters that removes several scenes from the setup for the witness protection of Selina Fong, and most of the telephone calls scene in the Sha Tau Kok police station. Can be found on the Tai Seng VHS and some Mei Ah VCDs.
- released with a new HK dub (produced by Omni Productions or its usual talent in the late 90s or early 2000s) on the DVD release by Hong Kong Legends, and on Blu-Ray by Shout! Factory (?)
- received a newer HK dub possibly recorded in 2004, based on the same script as the previous dub, with many of the same performers in different roles. Released on DVD by Dragon Dynasty in 2007 and on Blu-Ray by Eureka Entertainment in 2018.
- Japanese extended version:
- first release: 28 December 1985 (Japanese theatrical release)
- runtime: 106 minutes
- Cantonese dubbed, with Japanese subtitles
- adds an extended opening sequence and ending scene with new outtakes, also a few additional shots throughout the film
[1]- released on Laserdisc and VHS and later on Blu-Ray with a new 35mm transfer (the only true HD transfer of the film available until 2018)
- first release: 21 August 1986 (West Germany, theatrical release, German dubbed) ?
- later released on 26 September 1987 at the New York Film Festival with new
Jackie Chan's Police Force title and title card
[2]- runtime: 87 minutes- removes around 13 minutes of footage
[4]- features an alternative shot found in the Japanese cut mentioned above by mistake in some copies (Inspector Wong and Francis outside the police station after Kevin takes the superintendent hostage)
- inserts shot of Selina pressing record on the tape recorder before the sexual innuendo scene
- English dub produced in Hong Kong, dialogue written by Barry Haigh
- newly recorded score by Kevin Bassinson
- also released in European countries like the U.K., France and Germany, theatrically and on home video
- available on anamorphic French DVD release by distributor TF1, but with the French dub only, and in English as a bonus feature on Eureka Entertainment's Blu-Ray
- the same version was also released in Hong Kong on VHS, but with the Cantonese dub [5]
original export version trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq56HalOHgooriginal German theatrical opening:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y43rUtohCicexport ending credits (possibly the same as in the international version):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq8FYPP7eWk- first release: unknown, first discovered on Dutch VHS releases by the distributors "Bestsellers" and "Video Network". Sourced for Eureka Entertainment and The Criterion Collection's presentations of the dub on BD.
- runtime: 99 minutes
- same English dub as found in export cut, but with original score by Michael Lai
- first release: 19 August 1998 (Laserdisc and VHS release)
[4]- runtime: 89 minutes
- recycled score by J. Peter Robinson (originally composed for
Rumble in the Bronx,
Jackie Chan's First Strike, and
Mr. Nice Guy)
- new English dub recorded with Ping Wu dubbing Jackie Chan, and other New Line adjacent talent, such as Burton Sharp as Bill Tung. Based on export/international dub's script and keeps occasional fighting interjections from dub.
- outtakes are shown textless, with new end credits following them
- Hong Kong version ("Jackie Chan cut"):
- first release: 20 August 1988 (Hong Kong theatrical release)
- runtime: 105 minutes
- Cantonese dubbed (and a Mandarin dub made for Taiwan around the same time)
- released with a new HK dub (produced by Omni Productions in the late 90s or early 00s) on the DVD release by Hong Kong Legends in the UK
- it was available on older HK DVD releases and the above mentioned UK DVD and the German DVD/Blu-Ray release, and currently as bonus features on the Eureka Entertainment BD (in standard definition) and The Criterion Collection BD (HD scan of an HK release print with theatrical subtitles)
- Taiwanese extended version:
- first release: 22 October 1988 (Taiwanese theatrical release)
- runtime: 124 minutes(?)
- Mandarin dubbed
- primarily based on the Japanese version, with some scenes from the Hong Kong version included, and several scenes found only in this version [7]
- released on VHS in Taiwan
- first release: 17 August 1989 (West Germany, theatrical release by Splendid Film, German dubbed)
- runtime: 95 minutes
- removes around 10 minutes of footage
[2]- English dub produced in the UK by General Screen Enterprises Ltd.
- also released on home video in other European countries like the UK, France, Germany and Sweden
- available on an old French DVD release by distributor TF1, but only with the French dub and another 10 minutes of footage were cut
[3]- the German Blu-Ray release contains a reconstruction of the export cut using the Fortune Star transfer
[3]original international trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdAZY04KqGgtransfer of German dubbed trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG6eOv75brs
- first release: 10 May 1999 (Laserdisc and VHS release)
[6]- runtime: 98 minutes
- recycled score by J. Peter Robinson (originally composed for
Rumble in the Bronx,
Jackie Chan's First Strike, and
Mr. Nice Guy)
- reinserts three shots from the Hong Kong version's recap intro sequence before the opening titles
- new English dub recorded with Ping Wu dubbing Jackie Chan, and other New Line adjacent talent, such as Burton Sharp as Bill Tung. Again based on export dub with occasional fight scene interjections kept.
- outtakes are again shown textless, with new end credits following them
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References:
[1] http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=842[2] http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1322[3] http://www.schnittberichte.com/schnittbericht.php?ID=970102 (German only, compares the old French DVD release to the reconstruction of the export cut found on the new German Blu-Ray)
[4] http://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/08670/ID5853LI/Police-Story-2------------------------------------
Police Story 3: Super Cop - Hong Kong version ("Jackie Chan cut")
- first release: 4 July 1992 (Hong Kong theatrical release)
- runtime: 95 minutes
- Cantonese, sync sound, the first Hong Kong film to feature Jackie Chan's real voice.
There was also a Mandarin dub made for Taiwan around the same time
- has only been officially released in Asian countries, as far as I know
- first release: 1993-1994 ? (it was released on VHS in Germany on May 1st 1994)
(- according to IMDB, there was a limited US theatrical release on 8 October 1993, but I haven't found out if this was just the HK version)
[1]- runtime: 95 minutes
- English version produced in the UK by Cine Media Ltd., London; re-recording by Worldwide Studio, London
- released on home video in most European countries like the UK, France and Germany
- a non-anamorphic transfer is available on a Russian DVD release, with the English dub included
German dubbed international trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8VAJmneZXo
- first release: 26 July 1996 (U.S. and Canadian theatrical release)
- runtime: 87 minutes
- removes about 8 minutes of footage
[2] - newly recorded score by Joel McNeely
- new English dub recorded with Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh dubbing their own lines
- besides being released on DVD and VHS, there was a Laserdisc release by Criterion, that included the Cantonese track synced to this version (Dragon Dynasty did the same for their DVD release later)
- this version was shown on the German TV channel "RTL Nitro" on June 1st 2014, with a new German dub and German location titles
[3] theatrical trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SBsRA28ZfYPolice Story 4: First Stirke
- Hong Kong version ("Jackie Chan cut")
- first release: 10 February 1996 (Hong Kong theatrical release)
- runtime: 107 minutes
- Multilingual Cantonese/Mandarin/English/Russian, sync sound. All dialogue (including spoken English) is Chinese/English subtitled in the theatrical version. There was also a Mandarin dub made for Taiwan around the same time.
- only available on VCD and LaserDisc in Hong Kong, and on non-anamorphic DVDs in Japan released by Towa Film and Warner Home Video Asia.
- first release:10 January 1997
- runtime: 84 minutes
- removes 21 minutes of footage
- new opening credits over Hong Kong scenery
- newly recorded score by J. Peter Robinson
- English dub with Jackie Chan dubbing his own lines
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