Overlay: Police Story (1985) Film Rating and Content Analysis

Errors	Missing	Unverified	Supported
2	2	0	8

#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION

Regarding the film Police Story (1985), what was the film rated (e.g. R, PG, G), and what elements of the film contributed to that rating?

#M ANNOTATED LLM RESPONSE

The film Police Story (1985) has been given different classifications depending on the country and specific release (which often contain different cuts or translations).

In the United States, a prominent rating is:

PG-13
- Note: Some specialty US Blu-ray releases have been listed as "Not Rated" as they did not go through the MPAA rating process.

Elements Contributing to the Rating

The PG-13 classification (for "Parents Strongly Cautioned—Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13") is primarily due to the film's intense, sustained, and highly destructive action and violence, which pushes the boundaries of the rating. The specific elements include:

Intense and Sustained Action/Violence: The film contains prolonged, elaborate, and destructive set pieces, including a large-scale opening car chase and shootout in a shantytown where numerous cars are destroyed and civilians are caught in the crossfire.
Martial Arts Combat: The action includes frequent and "spectacularly brutal" hand-to-hand combat and stunts, notably the famous climactic fight sequence in a shopping mall that involves falling through multiple panes of glass, a fight on escalators, and the hero sliding down a pole with exploding electric lights.
Implication of Serious Crime: The plot centers on an investigation into a drug lord and features elements of attempted murder, with the hero being framed as a fugitive cop killer.
Language and Suggestive Themes: Some international reviews mention the presence of bad language [cite: 3 (from step 1)]. Additionally, some scenes contain potentially uncomfortable material presented in a comedic light, such as police incompetence while taking emergency calls about domestic violence or rape. There is also a scene where a female character is seen in lingerie, which contributes to the mature themes [cite: 1 (from step 1)].
(Note: This summary was generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash + Search)

#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)

[1] The film has multiple ratings, including PG-13 (US), 15 (UK), and Category II (Hong Kong).

[2] The 1998 US release by New Line Cinema was officially rated PG-13.

[3] Criterion and other boutique labels often release the original unrated Hong Kong version.

[4] The MPAA rating reason for the 1998 release is 'martial arts violence and action, and for brief strong language.'

[5] The shantytown sequence is a hallmark of the film's high-impact violence.

[6] The mall fight is widely cited as one of the most violent and dangerous sequences in action cinema.

[7] The plot involves the protagonist being framed for the murder of a fellow officer.

[8] The film contains a scene where Jackie Chan's character handles emergency calls comically and a scene with Maggie Cheung in lingerie.

[9] Gemini 2.5 is not a valid model version as of early 2025.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

Medium

The PG-13 rating was specifically for the 1998 New Line Cinema US release, not the original 1985 release.

The original 1985 film was unrated in the US; the PG-13 rating applies to a later, slightly edited/dubbed version.

Low

The BBFC (UK) rating is 15.

The UK rating provides a useful international benchmark for the film's level of violence.

Low

The specific MPAA reason text includes 'brief strong language'.

The AI summary mentions 'bad language' but misses the specific phrasing used by the MPAA.

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 What were the specific differences between the 1985 Hong Kong cut and the 1998 New Line Cinema cut of Police Story?

#02 How did the BBFC rating for Police Story change over time?

#03 What injuries did Jackie Chan sustain during the filming of the mall sequence?

#S SOURCES

wikipedia.org reddit.com

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

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The film *Police Story* (1985) has been given different classifications depending on the country and specific release (which often contain different cuts or translations). In the United States, a prominent rating is: * **PG-13** * *Note: Some specialty US Blu-ray releases have been listed as "Not Rated" as they did not go through the MPAA rating process.* ### Elements Contributing to the Rating The PG-13 classification (for "Parents Strongly Cautioned—Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13") is primarily due to the film's **intense, sustained, and highly destructive action and violence**, which pushes the boundaries of the rating. The specific elements include: * **Intense and Sustained Action/Violence:** The film contains prolonged, elaborate, and destructive set pieces, including a large-scale opening car chase and shootout in a shantytown where numerous cars are destroyed and civilians are caught in the crossfire. * **Martial Arts Combat:** The action includes frequent and "spectacularly brutal" hand-to-hand combat and stunts, notably the famous climactic fight sequence in a shopping mall that involves falling through multiple panes of glass, a fight on escalators, and the hero sliding down a pole with exploding electric lights. * **Implication of Serious Crime:** The plot centers on an investigation into a drug lord and features elements of attempted murder, with the hero being framed as a fugitive cop killer. * **Language and Suggestive Themes:** Some international reviews mention the presence of **bad language** [cite: 3 (from step 1)]. Additionally, some scenes contain potentially uncomfortable material presented in a comedic light, such as police incompetence while taking emergency calls about domestic violence or rape. There is also a scene where a female character is seen in lingerie, which contributes to the mature themes [cite: 1 (from step 1)]. (Note: This summary was generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash + Search)

#A DIRECT ANSWER (VERIFIED ANALYSIS)

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Police Story (1985) is most commonly associated with a PG-13 rating in the United States, which was assigned by the MPAA for its 1998 theatrical re-release by New Line Cinema. The official reason for this rating is 'martial arts violence and action, and for brief strong language.' The original 1985 Hong Kong release was unrated in the US but is often sold as 'Unrated' on boutique Blu-ray releases (e.g., Criterion). Key elements contributing to the rating include: 1) Intense Violence: The opening shantytown car chase and the climactic shopping mall fight involving extensive glass breakage and dangerous stunts. 2) Martial Arts: Frequent, high-impact hand-to-hand combat. 3) Suggestive Themes: A scene featuring a female character (May) in lingerie and a controversial comedic scene where the protagonist handles emergency calls regarding domestic violence and rape with dismissive humor. 4) Language: The 1998 dub contains instances of profanity that warranted the 'brief strong language' descriptor. Internationally, the film is typically rated 15 in the UK (BBFC) for frequent moderate violence.

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