For people who've discovered Jackie Chan through his American hit Rush Hour and want to learn what his Hong Kong movies are like, Project A is an excellent place to start. Chan plays a sailor in 19th-century Hong Kong; pirates have been terrorizing the seas for months, and all efforts to combat them have been sabotaged by the corrupt chief of police and a criminal gang, who are in cahoots with the pirates. But the plot is hardly the point--a Jackie Chan movie is about astonishingly acrobatic action sequences and breathtaking stunts, and Project A has plenty. Of particular interest is a bicycle chase that is more suspenseful than any car chase you've ever seen. Chan is joined by Sammo Hung (star of TV's Martial Law) as a shifty con man who comes through when the chips are down. Project A also features Yuen Biao, a frequent costar in Chan's movies, who's yet another astounding martial artist. But what separates Jackie Chan movies from other kung fu flicks is his sense of humor; every fight scene is punctuated by something--a clever use of a prop or sudden reversal of your expectations--that will make you bark with laughter. Sometimes it's just so exquisitely choreographed that the entire movie seems to float on a cloud of giddy delight. Purists may object to the movie being dubbed, but given the overall hamminess of the acting, it's not particularly intrusive. Jackie Chan is often compared to the classic silent comedians for his grace and timing--he lives up to it. --Bret Fetzer
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Project A Comment: I asked for and paid for Project A. What I recieved was a dvd cover of project A with a dvd labled Project A. In fact the dvd contained a copy of Project A 2 - the sequel. This is not acceptable. Another point I would raise was that I checked the box to wait until all the dvd's in my order where all ready to be shipped together, they were shipped in two packages over two different periods. Please explain. Customer Rating: Summary: a...navigational error. Comment: Where to begin? This is a terrific movie, and one of Jackie Chan's very best. Full of imaginative fights and stunts, Jackie's athleticism will amaze even those already familiar with him. It also features fantastic moments from Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, and a couple of Shaw Brother's alumni in Dick Wei and Lee Hoi San.
Jackie is Dragon Ma, a naval officer in early 20th century Hong Kong. His navy is taking crap from the police for losing ships and not capturing the pirate, Lo Sam Pau (Wei) and his henchmen. After they lose two more ships, the navy is forced to merge with Yuen Biao and the police department to fight local corruption and then go after the pirates.
This version from Dimension has a very good, widescreen picture with some bad English dubbing and no subtitle options. For Dimension, the dubbing is actually pretty good. If you want bad, check out any of the many Jet Li films that they've released. This one does have Danny Trejo as the voice of Lo Sam Pau. So if you're into pirates but have a hard time getting through those long, narcolepsy-inducing Johnny Depp films, give "Project A" a shot. This one has good fights AND pays homage to Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd. Customer Rating: Summary: PIRACY PRODUCT Comment: Dear Ragini !
Thank's for your email UNFORTUNATELY the DVD that I received yesterday is
not the same that I bought from you.
This is A JET LI movie with a BAD QUALITY ....I'm sure this product is
PIRACY.
What can we do now? I'm very dissaponited with AMAZON.....
Best,
Roberto
Customer Rating: Summary: classic fun-filled non-stop action Comment: If you are like me, you may find it difficult to explore some earlier creations of martial arts films, simply because the newest ones look poor enough sometimes with their low budgets. I was very hesitant to watch Project A for the longest time, thinking its going to be such poor quality, with cheesy old kung fu fights accompanied by bad sound effects, and lousy dubbing. I was surpirsed to find out that Project A creates action scenes that you just can't find with today's films, and that includes many of today's Jackie Chan films.
The quality wasn't as bad as I expected, even though the poor dubbing might make it seem that way at first. It definetly has a classic look to the film with picture quality and sound effects, but its really not bad and is forgotten quickly, for action scenes begin almost immediately and consume the film, as well as a plot that just keeps going. Overall, pacing is great and the viewer should never feel bored. Whether its introduction to new characters, something comedic, a new unfolding in plot, or a terrific action scene, there is always something happening.
Perhaps the best thing about Project A are some of the main characters. In addition to Jackie Chan, there are other martial art greats such as Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, and Dick Wai. All get to show off their skills impressively in the film. A final fight lasting a good 4 minutes is just awesome in this film, pitting Chan, Hung, and Biao against the pirate leader - played by Dick Wai.
As previoulsy mentioned, there is more than enough action to please in this film. Every scene is intense and offers something exciting and new. Stunts galore and bodies fly, as editing is used to a minimum to really show off the real work that is being created by these guys. The best stunt in the film was actually repeated during the movie, showing Chan falling from a multi-story clock tower through some cloth overhangs and down to the ground. Another great scene, is the bicycle chase, which is much more clever than your typical car chase that is seen in hollywood all the time.
This will no doubt please anyone who loves good classic martial arts action and stunts. Expect to see some stuff that you can't find in today's movies, and you'll be saying "they just don't make em like they used to" Customer Rating: Summary: Great action, bad acting Comment: I know not to expect great dialogue or Academy-worthy performances from Jackie's Hong Kong movies, and this one meets expectations. The story is not bad but the original acting is pretty bad, even before it was dubbed. That said, it still is a worthwhile view. The action scenes are top-notch, and Jackie's humor is evident throughout. Sammo Hung puts in a good performance and the chemistry between him and Jackie works. The final fight scene is very entertaining. If you like Jackie's Chinese movies, you'll appreciate this one. If you've only seen him in his American releases, you may be disappointed in the acting and production.
