AA.VV.
Jackie Chan - Supercop

Before reviewing this album, it's only fair to provide some information about the film from which this engaging soundtrack was derived, a film unfortunately never discovered by the general Italian public (and now completely forgotten... or almost!).

The year was 1991, and in the East, action film superstar Jackie Chan (light years away from his American bastardization) presented to his audience the third installment of a series that, in the East, is considered the bible of action cinema! That is "Police Story," the film that definitively established Jackie Chan as the King of Action Movies. This charming and reckless actor initially set out (without success) as Bruce Lee's heir, only to then distance himself from the style of the little dragon, inventing a unique and brilliant genre that combines the physical comedy of silent cinema with the daring stunts of stuntmen, spiced with incredible sequences of "modern" martial arts that deviated from the classic "schema" of past fight scenes. This massive success prompted Western distributors to export his films to our country, initially with mediocre success, until 1998 when Jackie became a superstar in America as well (after the success of "Rush Hour"). From that moment on (despite Jackie, due to age and the style imposed by Americans, lost his true style and became a caricature of himself), Jackie Chan's films were distributed worldwide but unfortunately westernized by production companies to align with the tastes of the American and European public?

"Police Story 3" from 1991 was released in Italy in 1997 with the title "Supercop," featuring a completely different soundtrack from the original! Usually, these reworkings do nothing but uglify the films, stripping them of their charm, but in this case, it must be admitted that the work done by various musical artists for this film reaches quite satisfying levels. The soundtrack of "Supercop" is a mix of genres, with particular emphasis on metal and rap. Most of the tracks are nothing more than covers of successful songs re-recorded for the film's occasion.

Among the most famous (and covered) artists, we find Tom Jones with "Kung Fu Fighting" performed by a certain Ruby, whose identity remains a mystery! A funny song dedicated to Jackie Chan and his fights. Among the famous rappers, there is also a cover of 2Pac's "Made Niggas" performed by another semi-unknown artist, The Outlawz, who nevertheless delivers a good melodic rap piece characterized by a very pleasant background keyboard combined with a smooth rap voice. Among the featured guests are also No Doubt and Devo, all engaged in mediocre/sufficient rap covers. For metal lovers, there are also some great aggressive and engaging gems like "Harry The Dog" by Black Grape, a song capable of giving you remarkable metal energy! Almost destroyed my living room with this song! Meanwhile, I was about to kick my neighbor with the powerful "Caged In A Rage" by Dimebag Darrel, animalistic voice, impressive electric guitar, and drum performances... a great metal song worth discovering. Chaotic and wild, too, are Rocket From The Crypt with "On A Rage", a super-fast song (the tempos are almost ska music levels, especially in the chorus, although much more aggressive).

The album also dedicates space to more pop tracks which, however, are not up to the mark and seem slightly out of place in an album mostly characterized by rap and metal. Abominations are not lacking, such as the horrific and unlistenable cover of "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees performed by Siobhan Linck, who destroys the legendary '70s hit with chilling electronic sounds worthy of a Commodore 64 and a vomitous female voice distorted by a vocoder. Forgettable! Even the song that gives the film its title turns out to be pretty banal and predictable (aside from the pleasant guitar riff of the interlude).

In conclusion, "Supercop" is a soundtrack recommended for those who want to rediscover a certain type of B-grade metal and rap, not very commercial but of notable interest. The album, aside from four or five lackluster songs, manages to engage and entertain the listener. Also dedicated to those who want to organize a party with chaotic music. Perhaps at my place, where breaking everything is allowed.