The majority of the American movie-going audience is probably familiar with Jackie Chan through his wacky team-ups with Chris Tucker and Owen Wilson. Those who were around in the mid-90’s may have been introduced to him when a dubbed version of Rumble in the Bronx was released to theaters in the US. Maybe some of you grew up with the cartoon series Jackie Chan Adventures starring an animated Jackie searching for magic talismans.
Jackie’s career spans nearly seven decades from appearances as a child actor to bit roles and stunts in Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon. Chan received his training in acting and martial arts at the China Drama Academy, alongside future Hong Kong stars Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung. Nicknamed the Three Dragons, the trio would work together on some classic action flicks like Dragons Forever, My Lucky Stars, and Wheels on Meals, which features an amazing one-on-one fight sequence between Jackie and Benny “The Jet” Urquidez.
Another at the top of the list is 1983’s Project A, which not only stars all Three Dragons, but is also directed by Chan himself and features one of his crazier stunts. Courtesy of 88 Films, Project A has been released on Blu-ray and 4K as a collection with its sequel, Project A Part II.
Project A
Set during the turn of the century, Jackie Chan stars as Dragon Ma, a member of Hong Kong’s Marine Police. Due to a lack of success in combating piracy, the Marine Police are disbanded by the colonial government. Ma and his comrades are transferred to the land-based Hong Kong Police Force, under the supervision of Inspector Hong Tin-Tzu (Biao), who holds very little respect for his sea-faring compatriots. Their working relationship gets off to a rocky start following a bar room brawl and heavy hazing. However, Ma earns the Inspector’s admiration by arresting a renowned gangster against overwhelming odds. From there, Ma must also foil an attempt by infamous pirate leader San Pao (Dick Wei) to acquire a 100 police rifles. For this mission, Ma enlists the aid of his old friend Fei (Hung), a con artist who secretly wants to steal and resell the rifles for himself.
Project A is an entertaining mix of fisticuffs and slapstick. The movie starts off with two wild brawls. The second takes place at a fancy restaurant with Jackie Chan swinging off light fixtures and falling down stairs. Chan also gives us a fun bicycle chase through narrow back alleys and a climatic battle between San Pao and the Three Dragons. The highlight of Project A sees Chan fall off a clock tower in a stunt reminiscent of Harold Lloyd in Safety Last. Poor Chan dangles from a clock hand, bounces off several awnings below, before landing on his head.
Project A Part II
Following his success with bringing down the pirate warlord San Pao, Dragon Ma is placed in charge of the Sai Wan district of Hong Kong. His superiors suspect the current superintendent Inspector Chun (David Lam) of impropriety, including employing criminals to stage crimes. Once again, Ma must earn the respect of a precinct that’s become lazy and corrupt. Our hero also becomes sweet on a pair of lovely ladies in Yesan (Maggie Cheung) and her cousin Carina (Carina Lau). The women sell flowers to fund the revolutionaries fighting against the Qing Dynasty. As such, the Empress Dowager has sent a team of assassins to find them and procure a black book containing the names loyal to the cause. If that weren’t enough, a band of pirates who escaped custody have vowed revenge against Ma.
The sequel does suffer from the absence of Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung though Chan does his best to keep the story moving at a brisk pace. There’s almost always something happening. Much like its predecessor, Part II features a wild brawl with Chan and a bunch of gangsters in a restaurant. After that, the sequel brings in a lot more slapstick than before. In a sequence inspired by the Marx Brothers, Ma arrives at Yesan’s apartment, not realizing several other parties are there as well, each hiding in various spots. The movie builds to a wild showdown where everyone’s path converges. The action sees Chan running up walls, bouncing off awnings, and fighting a guy inside a contraption that looks like a giant hamster wheel. The chaos is punctuated when an enormous wall collapses on top of Chan, mimicking a scene out of Buster Keaton’s Steamboat Bill, Jr.
Video/Audio: 8
The video is presented in 1080p with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1. These new remastered transfers look great with certain colors like red and blue really popping. The image quality still looks like it was shot on film without the waxy skin tones.
The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 for both Cantonese and Mandarin, along with an English dubbed track in the latter. These old mono sound mixes don’t exactly benefit from current technology. The audio is fairly straightforward with foley effects given an emphatic oomph.
Extras: 7
The Project A Blu-ray includes an audio commentary with Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng and movie producer FJ DeSanto and a solo commentary track with Djeng. Both tracks are brisk and informative with very little silent spots. While Djeng and DeSanto delve into the movie, the solo track goes more into detail about the Hong Kong movie industry in general.
Interview with Jackie Chan’s Best Stunt Double, Mars Cheung (14:35) is a discussion with the actor playing Dragon Ma’s partner, Big Mouth. Mars goes in depth about his start as a stuntman, the HK film industry, and working with Jackie Chan.
Dancing with Danger – Interview with Stunt God Mars Cheung (15:26) is an older interview with a younger Mars who gives more details about his training, fight scenes, and how he came up with his nickname.
Master Killer – Interview with Grandmaster Lee Hoi-san (22:03) is a sit down with the martial artist who once trained under the legendary Yip Man. Lee talks about the difficulties of translating martial arts into something breathtaking on camera.
The Elusive Dragon – Interview with Yuen Biao (18:07) is Baio discussing training at the Peking Opera House, early work with Bruce Lee, and collaborating with Chan and Hung.
The Pirates Den – Interview with Dick Wei (13:57) is a discussion with the actor going over his career and giving us a tour of his home.
Can’t Stop the Music – Interview with Michael Lai (17:27) discusses his start as a child actor before transitioning into music producing and composing scores for Jackie Chan’s films.
Project Collector with Paul Dre (16:17) is a fun interview with a UK fan with a massive collection of Jackie Chan merchandise including VHS tapes, DVDs, magazines, and more.
Plan B – Writer Edward Tang on Project A (15:11)
The Making of Project A (11:45) gives us vintage behind-the-scenes footage set to the movie’s score.
Lunar New Year Introduction (3:32) is Jackie Chan (in Mandarin) wishing everyone a Happy New Year and introducing a preview of Project A.
Rounding out the disc are outtakes, the Japanese ending (the extended end credit bloopers), trailers, and a still gallery.
The Project A Part II disc features another audio commentary track with Frank Djeng & FJ DeSanto.
An Interview with Anthony Carpio (25:25) is a discussion with Carpio, a member of Jackie Chan’s stunt team since 1986.
The Big Boss – An Interview with Chan Wai Man (19:40) the veteran martial artist talks about his background in kickboxing, the influence of Bruce Lee on himself and the HK film industry, and meeting Sammo Hung.
Someone Will Know Me – Archive Documentary (13:12) is a vintage behind-the-scenes featurette about the making of the sequel.
Full Screen Jackie Chan Recording Session (2:33) is basically a music video of Chan recording the theme song for the movie.
Rounding out the disc are trailers, a still gallery, and the Japanese ending.
Film Value: 8
Police Story and Project A set the standard for the modern Jackie Chan action flick with their blend of action, humor, and outlandish stunts. All of this is buoyed by Chan’s likeability as a plucky underdog protagonist. 88 Films’ Project A Collection boasts a beautiful presentation and a wealth of extras, which makes it a must-own for any fan.
