The Project A Collection: An Exciting Pair of Action-Packed Jackie Chan Adventures (Special Edition Blu-ray)

The Films:

Beloved action superstar Jackie Chan has been in the business for an incredible 60+ years, delivering many martial arts extravaganzas that are considered classics among the genre. From earlier works like "Drunken Master," "Meals on Wheels," and "Police Story," to later fan favorites like "Rush Hour" and "Shanghai Noon," Chan's involvement typically means that you're going to see some pretty wild moves that will leave you stunned. Two films he made on his remarkable climb to super-stardom were "Project A" and "Project A: Part II," two entries in his extensive filmography that are perhaps not quite as well known as some of his other works, despite them being well-received by critics and at the box office. To celebrate these lesser-known works of a master stunt artist, 88 Films is releasing a new set containing both films and a ton of extras, and so naturally it's time to dig into them and see what these classics have to offer.

Starting with the original "Project A," Officer Lung (Jackie Chan) is a member of the Water Police, a group that has been tasked with hunting down pirates, only they haven't been doing a particularly great job. This leads to the Water Police being disbanded and turned into regular land cops. However, things still aren't moving swiftly enough under Captain Chi (Kwan Hoi-san) and his nephew (Yuen Biao), causing Lung and some fellow officers to try their own methods. Soon Lung finds himself entangled with a shady associate (Sammo Hung), police corruption, and 100 stolen rifles that could end up in the hands of the pirates. Will he and his buddies be able to set things right before it's too late?

First off, I should note that there are two versions of the film included on the disc, and that I opted to watch the Extended Cut because I typically like to watch the most complete version available (the two only differ by nine minutes, with most of the trimming coming from a Mahjong sequence). With that out of the way, "Project A" is pretty what you'd expect from a typical Jackie Chan vehicle. There's a somewhat light plot included about trying to stop a gang of pirates, but really, it's there merely to serve as a template for the myriad action sequences that Chan is so well known for.

In that regard, the film certainly doesn't disappoint. There are scuffles aplenty between police, gangsters, and pirates, all filled with some very impressive moves, and culminating appropriately with an epic fight with the pirate boss. The only fair complaint that one could really make is that, with such a light plot tying it all together, the film does seem rather stretched out at nearly two hours in length. The Hong Kong Cut would obviously improve that a little, but even at 106 minutes, it would still feel rather long. It's not enough to pass up the film, but it does lend further support to the argument that a runtime should be suitably matched with a film's plot. Overall, this is still a rather amusing outing with the beloved action superstar that gives us plenty of exciting moments along the way. It may not rank way up there with Chan's best, but it's certainly worth a look.

Moving on to "Project A: Part II," we find the surviving pirates from the first film swearing and plotting their revenge on Lung (Jackie Chan). Meanwhile, Lung is put in charge of the district of Sai Wan after it's suspected that its former commander, Chun (David Lam), has been faking arrests. Lung immediately goes into action, setting his sights on arresting the biggest criminal in the area, Au Sam-Fu (Chan Wai-man), eventually detaining him with the help of some colleagues. However, he soon finds himself entangled in another complicated web, this time involving a revolutionary group, agents sent to hunt them down, more police corruption, and the aforementioned vengeful pirates. Will this be too much for our hero to handle?

Once more, we're offered two versions of the film (The 107-minute Hong Kong Cut and the 98-minute Export Cut), and once more I've opted to go with the longer version. The very first thing that pops out about this sequel is that it seems to have a better balance between its narrative and its action elements. The first film tilted a little more in favor of the latter, but here, the plot has significantly more meat to it, while still giving you highly-entertaining action sequences every now and again to satisfy the desire for thrills. It even goes so far as to change things up a little more by throwing in a delightful comic farce in the middle. The original had managed to get by on its high entertainment value, but the sequel feels more solid in that the plot has more substance to it, and in turn makes it move along at a better pace because its better able to fill its runtime. Ultimately, both films are fine examples of Jackie Chan's extraordinary body of work, but the sequel ends up being a rather impressive improvement upon its predecessor.

Video/Audio:

"Project A" and "Project A: Part II" come to Blu-ray in 2.39:1, 1080p High Definition transfers of outstanding quality. Both cuts of both films have been remastered in 4K from the original negatives, with each looking perfectly sharp & clear throughout their entire durations. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos & Mono audio tracks are fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, 88 Films has done a wonderful job restoring these action classics, giving them restored life for Jackie Chan fans new and old.

Special Features:

Disc 1 - Project A: Hong Kong Cut (106 Minutes) & Extended Cut (115 Minutes)

Audio commentary by Frank Djeng and FJ DeSanto [Hong Kong Cut]

Solo audio commentary by Frank Djeng [Hong Kong Cut]

Interview with Jackie Chan’s Best Stunt Double, Mars Cheung (15 Minutes)

Dancing With Danger — Interview with Stunt God Mars (15 Minutes)

Master Killer — Interview with Grandmaster Lee Hoi-san (22 Minutes)

The Elusive Dragon — Interview with Yuen Biao (18 Minutes)

The Pirates Den — Interview with Dick Wei (14 Minutes)

Can’t Stop the Music - Interview with Composer Michael Lai (17 Minutes)

Project Collector with Paul Dre (16 Minutes)

Plan B — Writer Edward Tang on Project A (15 Minutes)

Out-takes (24 Minutes)

Japanese Version Ending (2 Minutes)

The Making of Project A (12 Minutes)

Lunar New Year Introduction (4 Minutes)

Disc 2 - Project A: Part II: Hong Kong Cut (107 Minutes) & Export Cut (98 Minutes)

Audio commentary by Frank Djeng and FJ DeSanto [Hong Kong Cut]

Interview with Anthony Carpio (25 Minutes)

The Big Boss — Interview with Chan Wai-Man (20 Minutes)

Someone Will Know Me — 1988 documentary focusing on three members of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team (13 Minutes)

Full-Screen Jackie Chan Recording Session (3 Minutes)

Japanese Ending (4 Minutes)

This set comes with a ton of extras, totaling nearly three hours for the first film and just over an hour for the second. The bulk of them are fascinating interviews with several of the cast and crew, in addition to informative commentaries, and lots of intriguing on-set footage. Definitely more than enough here for anyone wanting to learn more about the making of both films.

Conclusion:

"The Project A Collection" contains two fascinating examples of action superstar Jackie Chan's extraordinary body of work, packed with plenty of excitement to satisfy any viewer's desire for thrills. The sequel may feature a slightly better balance between that action and its narrative, but both films are easily recommendable for their high entertainment value, ultimately making this set one that's worth picking up.

Score: 3.5/5

Available on Special Edition Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

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