Project A (1983)

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Project A (1983) – J. Chan

Having watched Operation Condor (1991), Jackie Chan’s take on Raiders of the Lost Ark which is all big scale stunts, I thought it might be time to show the boys an earlier film with more hand-to-hand choreographed action. Back in 2011, I wrote the following about Project A:  “Jacky directs and choreographs amazing fights of 20 or more kung fu guys (playing 19th century Hong Kong police/coast guard/pirates) in one of his first big comedy-action hits. Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, old mates from the Peking Opera School are here as well and their camaraderie shows.  Not sure whether I prefer this series (more kung fu) or the Police Story series (more action) -- both are great for old school (young) Jacky fans!”  Watching with Amon and Aito was fun, especially seeing them laugh uproariously at the opening fight between coast guard and police in a bar and at the subsequent bicycle escape from gangsters. Later, I worried that things got a little too violent (when guns and hand grenades were introduced) and serious (when Jacky quit the force to go rogue) but it’s still all slapstick and stunts and the kids know that it’s all fake and outlandish. This film also contains Chan’s nod to silent comedy star Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last – he dangles from the minute-hand of a clock tower precipitously (but unlike Lloyd, Jackie falls through two awnings to crash to the ground, apparently really injuring himself in the process). An important stepping stone in Jackie’s career and one of his best films.