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A計劃 (1983)
Project A


Reviewed by: Hyomil
Date: 04/07/2011


Reviewer Score: 1

Reviewed by: STSH
Date: 10/30/2010


Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: Gaijin84
Date: 07/29/2010
Summary: Incredible...

Not much to add to what has already been said. Incredible stunts, funny scenes and the unequaled presence of the trio of Jackie, Sammo and Biao. If you consider yourself a Jackie fan and haven't seen this, make it the next movie you watch.

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: Masterofoneinchpunch
Date: 09/23/2009
Summary: The Password is Beat Me Up

While Jackie Chan's previous film Dragon Lord (1982) did not have as much local success as Chan wanted* his next film Project A would be an artistic and commercial success. It is the maturation point for Jackie as a filmmaker and would start a string of successes that would help establish Chan as an action auteur. He directed, starred, co-written and even hired two "brothers" in Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao (they had grown up together in the same opera troupe and performed as the Seven Little Fortunes amongst others; Sammo was already an established success at this time and certainly is a prodigious presence in this movie) in the first film where they all had decent acting time -- kudos to those who can name the first film they acted in together.

Dragon Ma (Jackie Chan) is a sergeant in the Hong Kong Water Police where pirates are problematic on the coastline (they would remain an issue even past WWII), his department is poorly financed, there are interdepartmental squabbles with the landlubber police and their haughty commander Captain Chi (Kwan Hoi-San) and his nephew Inspector Hong Tin Chi (Yuen Biao: Knockabout) and they just had their remaining ships blown up real good (nice model sets in that scene). Project A is the codename to combat these buccaneers. However, it looks bad for the Water Police when they get merged back into the main police force and there is a plot to steal rifles and be sold to the pirates headed by Lo San Po (Dick Wei: The Five Venoms) who ultimately does not seem that bad to me. Later the pirates make the ultimate mistake in kidnapping a ship with a Rear Admiral aboard and take them hostage. This leads to Dragon Ma eventually teaming up with wayward thief and gambler Fei (Sammo Hung) and Inspector Hong to combat these irascible swashbucklers.

There are several stunts in this movie that are truly amazing. Much has been stated about the clock tower fall inspired by Harold Lloyd in Safety Last and with good reason. It is a superlative stunt and still one of my favorites as well as Jackie too. Jackie hangs by a clock hand about 50 feet above the surface and lets go to crash through two cloth awnings until the rude smacking into the ground proving that gravity is indeed a harsh mistress. It would be the first "superstunt" Jackie would do in a film and which would soon be a reoccurring theme in his movies to risk his life to please the audience. All three takes of this life-threatening drop are available to see on the film: two are shown in the movie and one is shown in the outtakes at the end. Every take looks quite painful. Leading up to this situation is another quick stunt that was quite dangerous. He climbs a flag pole to the top while handcuffed so he can unwrap himself from that mast and escape his predicament. But you look at how high he is from the concrete floor below and realize that if he messes this stunt it could be much worse than the fall through the awnings.

The comedic fighting in this film is also quite adroit and amazing in its action direction led by Jackie and Sammo. The first scene between the water and land police is a crazy melee of kung fu, throwing objects and spaghetti. It is quite reminiscent of an updated western bar fight. The Keatonesque bicycle chase and action sequence is a brilliant combination of the two. While the scene certainly had been influenced by such films as Sherlock Jr., especially in the bicycle camera view towards the end, Jackie gives it such a unique touch that makes it such an aesthetically pleasing and entertaining spectacle. Add in several other fight scenes and a fantastic finale with the three brothers and the antagonist and you have quite a satisfying film.

Project A was a hit in Hong Kong (19M HK dollars box office) and found critical support there as well. Jackie Chan would be nominated for Best Actor for Hong Kong Film Award; however, this film would win Best Action Design (Jackie Chan's Stuntman Association was even nominated against itself that year in Wheels on Meals) an award it truly deserved. It is also an important film for Hong Kong cinema. It helped push action movies into modern day locales and away from the Qing era and before dominated themes (though this film is considered a period film since it takes place in early 20th century).

While the film may not know what to do with female characters like Wong Man-Ying and the plot is not the most sublimely cohesive -- there is a grenade scene early in the film which seemed a bit excessive, not that funny and did not seem to fit -- this film is consistently fun and beautifully directed (cinematographer Cheung Yiu-Jo does not get enough credit for the work he has done with Jackie Chan). Action aficionados certainly talk about this film though it is somewhat overshadowed by Police Story (one of my favorite films) when they discuss the oeuvre of Jackie Chan. With the humor, the dangerous stunts with complete disregard for human life and the awesome action scenes it is easy to recommend this. I certainly love this film and find multiple viewings rewarding. There does remain one question that I will resolve soon: which film is better: this or the sequel?

The DVD I have of this movie is the slightly antiquated Media Asia R0 which is uncut but not as preferable as the R2 HKL release or the R3 Fortune Star release if you are region free. I do prefer it over the Dimension release which is cut, dubbed-only and a modified score. You can find a variety of links explaining the differences between the uncut and the Disney release but all you need to know is that the end credits are cut (like in Dragon Lord). Anyone who would cut the "ouchtakes" of these movies does not understand the audience who would purchase these DVDs. One huge negative of this is that you miss one take of the clock tower fall where things do not go quite right.

* I feel it has been overstated as being a flop since it was a success in Japan and made a modest amount of money in Hong Kong. The idea that this film was a flop was possibly done to increase the stature of Project A, but regardless Project A is a seminal movie in the history of Hong Kong cinema. I do think if Golden Harvest had any qualms about helping finance this film the presence of Sammo Hung during one of his most popular periods certainly soothed any worries.

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: Chungking_Cash
Date: 05/11/2009

"Project A," Jackie Chan's impressive Victorian era slapstick swashbuckler, is the brainchild of ideas brooding in the actor during his [first] forgettable stint in early 1980's Hollywood ("The Big Brawl," "Cannonball Run") and the need to transcend his previous accomplishments (sans 1982's "Dragon Lord" Chan's first iconic flop in the domestic market).

Golden Harvest Studios, despite receiving disappointing returns on their preceding Jackie Chan endeavor, spared no expense so the newly minted star could lavish his audience with an early colonial Hong Kong homage to a number of Hollywood's great physical comedies from the silent era.

A recognizable first in many regards "Project A" helped fuel the momentum away from Shaolin -- the temples and their inhabitants the fizzling subjects of popular Cantonese cinema by the early '80s -- as well as unite former classmates Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao on the first of three pictures that the trio headlined.

The net result is some of Chan's best laid plans that occasionally went awry as evidenced in the blooper reel over the end credit sequence (another first in the Jackie Chan cannon).

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: cal42
Date: 06/06/2006
Summary: Faultless

Dragon Ma (Jackie Chan) is a sergeant in the troubled HK Navy. Problems abound, not least their so far unsuccessful capture of ANY pirates in the recent past. Things reach a head when most of the Navy’s ship are sunk prior to Project A – an operation designed to capture the evil pirate San Po (Dick Wei) and put an end to his reign of terror for good. The Navy is disbanded and incorporated into the police force – and their cruel inspector Hong Tin Chi (Yuen Biao). However, circumstances lead to a chance to take down San Po after all – with help from the unlikeliest of sources including Inspector Hong and local ne’er do well Fei (Sammo Hung)…

Project A (along with its sequel) is Jackie Chan’s homage to his silent-era film heroes. As a pirate movie, it doesn’t work – only about 5% takes place on the sea – but in every other regard, the film is a masterpiece. In this age of CGI, the real flesh and bones that are risked in the film’s stunts can seem passé, but taken in the context of the film and the age in which it was made it is truly breathtaking. It’s too easy to forget that before computers could put you anywhere and make you do anything, people like Jackie Chan (and before him, the likes of Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd) did it for real. And would YOU want to be up on that clock tower with just a few awnings to break your fall? Especially when you’ve watched the outtakes and seen how easy it is for it to go horribly wrong?

There are far too many stand out moments to mention, but apart from the clock tower scene, you also have the wildly inventive (and funny) bicycle chase scene, and the finale against the pirates. Here, Dick Wei establishes himself as the quintessential 80’s bad man as San Po. Apart from the obvious show-stoppers, we have a nice line in sight gags in the background that add a nice touch – such as the loyal sailor trying to wear his navy cap OVER his police hat, and the sailors playing Frisbee with their police hats!

Here we also have the archetypal “Three Brothers” film. It’s hard to believe sometimes that they only made three films together where they were all given decent screen time, but this was the first and paved the way for the characters they would play in future productions; Jackie as a happy-go-lucky hero (pretty much his standard role), Sammo as a somewhat shady character from the underworld and Yuen Biao as a manic “loose cannon”, capable of wildly unpredictable behaviour. It’s interesting that their characters never stray too far from this template in subsequent three-handers.

Although its success is taken for granted today, it’s worth mentioning that quite a lot was at stake for this film. The previous year’s DRAGON LORD had failed to light up the Asian box-office, and even his previous vehicle (1980’s Golden Harvest debut YOUNG MASTER) didn’t fare as well as expected. In fact, it was starting to look like Jackie was a one-trick pony, and the success of DRUNKEN MASTER was starting to seem like quite a long time ago. By moving away from the period piece and setting the action in the early twentieth century, Jackie proved that he could also be an innovator. This film really does mark the decline of the Qing period pieces that had been so popular during the seventies, and gave action fans a reason to go back to the cinema.

I would have to say it’s faultless.

Reviewer Score: 10

Reviewed by: mrblue
Date: 10/26/2005

Chan plays Dragon Ma, a tough member of the Hong Kong Coast Guard who is put in charge of "Project A," an ambitious plan to arrest a group of pirates led by Dick Wei. As the movie progresses, Chan teams with a by-the-book cop (Yuen) and a shifty thief (Hung) to stop the pirates.

This is without a doubt one of Chan's best movies. There's plenty of action and comedy, the plot is original (at least for a Chan movie) and thankfully, there's no ditzy female sidekick weighing Chan down. Project A starts off a bit slow, concentrating mostly on Chan and his group training under Yuen, but once it takes off, Project A is wall-to-wall action. I could go into some lengthy reasons why you should see this movie, but I won't. If you're a Jackie Chan fan and haven't seen this film by now, then you're really missing out.

Note: Dimension's US version is edited, has a pretty bad dub job and is re-scored. It should be avoided unless you can't find the HK version. Some of the cut scenes include:

* In the bar room brawl, the scene of the guy getting hit on the face with a plate of spaghetti and all the scenes of him trying to hit other people with spaghetti, and also the part where two marines get on top of the table and start doing their routine making fun of the police is gone. The scene has also been radically re-scored so the movements don't match to the music like they did in the HK version.

* Most of the training scenes are cut, including the scene where all the marines are taking a shower and Biao makes them come out of the shower naked (probably cut to keep a PG-13 rating) and the grenade sequence.

* The introduction of Sammo's character at the casino is cut, as is the scene of him talking to the gangster at the VIP club. The first time we see him is when Jackie and Yuen Biao enter the VIP club. The dubbing cuts out some of the humor between Jackie/Yuen and the snotty doorman, since the whole part is dubbed into English, instead of the HK version where just the doorman speaks English (the part where the doorman says "do you understand? And Jackie replies "no" doesn't make sense in the US version).

* Some of the island sequence is cut, such as when Jackie finds the hostages and tells them everything's going to be okay. The final fight is also trimmed, again probably to keep the PG-13 rating.

* All the outtakes at the end of the movie are cut in the US version.

[review from www.hkfilm.net]


Reviewed by: Arshadnm6
Date: 04/11/2005
Summary: Specatuclar Movie, Lots of Laughs and Hilarious Action!!!......

At the turn of the century in Hong Kong, Dragon Ma (Jackie Chan), a courageous no-nonsense coast guard tries of catch San-Po ‘King of the Seas’ (Dick Wei), a notorious pirate responsible for looting and smuggling goods from foreign export, but fails miserably due to several double-crossings by other high-classed crooks (led by Dick Wei). Therefore, he is placed in a difficult situation to become a police officer with the rest of his coastguard buddies (including Mars and Tai B) and team up with a small-time crook and con-artist friend from his past (Sammo Hung) and a detestable police inspector (Yuen Biao) to thwart the efforts of several crime-lords and capture the notorious fleet of pirates. Wan Man-Ying and Kwan Hoi-San feature as two opposing leaders of the coastguards and Hong Kong police respectively and Wu Ma makes a guest appearance.

This movie has everything: action, well-worked comedy, death-defying stunts and strong camaraderie. The different actors also help give the movie wonderful direction (i.e. Yuen Biao being strict and principled, whereas Sammo Hung is more practical and streetwise in his ways) where the movie mainly focuses on Jackie Chan (as done time and again in all of the other productions with the three professional theatre acrobats). Moreover, this movie is obviously high-budget and features some top-notch surroundings and locations. The movie never gives a claustrophobic feel (even when there are so many great actors on screen all at the same time). The character development, friction between different personalities and background to them is very superbly worked by the movie and shows that it was thoroughly thought-through. Jackie Chan also tries to be dramatic at specific points when needed and succeeds at some level; therefore this movie is not simply a melee of laughs.

Here all of the actors were given specific roles and none of them had any pressure put on them, to over-perform; this is the key to success for this feature. Unfortunately, this movie has the involvement of so many male stars that it hardly leaves any space for the few female actors to take the lead role (in this movie they are always the damsels in distress) and have no character whatsoever (being cute, pretty and cultured in stature) which is disappointing. Producer Leonard Ho must have earned great credit for this movie and it is among one of the finest collaborations between so many great actors (especially Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao) to-date. The plot is also quite unique viewing the simple aim of the movie to destroy the pirates and contains various sub-plots and an array of twists.

Overall, this movie is not very intellectually challenging but is bound to keep everyone interested, features great action and seems to have barely recognisable actors popping up here and there in nearly every different scene. It also moves at a fairly fast pace throughout, keeping everybody entertained and never slows down unless absolutely necessary.

Overall Rating: 8.6/10


Reviewed by: balstino
Date: 07/04/2003
Summary: Good stunts, functional story but run of the mill otherwise

This is not as good as Jackie's other top films (Police Story 1 & 3, Drunken Master, Young Master, Miracles etc.) but is still quite good. I just thought that the fights and comedy weren't particularly amazing. Watch, maybe own, but not a keeper for me.


Reviewed by: pjshimmer
Date: 12/16/2002

It seems that no HK director knows how to make an interesting beginning, as almost every good movie I've seen has terrible beginnings. Project A is a revolutionary film that almost put me to sleep in its first half. I really wanted the rest of the film to suck so I could give it a bad rating, but unfortunately that was not to be the case.

If anything, Jackie Chan should be hailed as the greatest action actor for his life-risking stunts. Most people wouldn't dream about the dangerous stunts he undertakes, such as the hard fall from the top of the tower and the bicycle chase. The production value is also impressive; no previous HK film has featured this kind of budget.

My favorite scene is Jackie's greatest onscreen humor - when he tries to get around Lee Hoi San's words in front of the pirates. It alone is worth watching the film for.

[8/10]


Reviewed by: Sahid Yaqub
Date: 07/26/2002
Summary: JACKIE AT HIS TOP FORM- AS GOOD AS DM2

Some of you have got your heads stuck up your arse! This is not only one of Jackie Chan's best but on of the best HK movies ever!!!! It is equal to DM2 and a bit better than Dragons Forever. The plot is actually a very good one, the characters are great (especially Dick Wei's Lo Sam Pow) he actually got to do something else from being a thug who flashes a few kicks until Jackie beats the hell out of him. The action pieces are top notch and what can I say- IT HAS BEEN ONE OF MY TOP MOVIES SINCE CHILDHOOD!!!!

5/5


Reviewed by: Inner Strength
Date: 01/13/2002
Summary: Another 'borrowed' movie! But good.

Based on a movie done in the US a few years early, a movie about the Navy and pirates. I don't think anything like this had been done at the time in Hong Kong, so it looked new to alot of viewers, but don't let that make you think this is an original idea.

THe story is not very interesting, and the comedy is very standard, but the action scenes make up for that I think. Yuen Biao does the most impressive stunt I think, when he drops from the top of a building to the ground, landing on his legs...and I don't think there was a safety mat there either. Jackie tries something similar, but messes it up and lands on his neck!

Rating: 3/5

(This rating is based on the year & genre, so don't think it's based as a comparison on new releases etc.)


Reviewed by: Sydneyguy
Date: 05/05/2001
Summary: One of Jackie's BEST!!

A very funny movie with lots of action and stunts!! his "2 brothers" are in this which enhances the film in more!!
I wont say much since there are so many reviews but i am a big Jackie fan and seen lots of his movies and this a must SEE!!

8.5/10

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: dragyn
Date: 02/18/2001
Summary: Classic Chan

"Project A" is the quintessential period action movie: great stunts, great fights, great period set peices, never mind the plot. It even features a battle between pirates and coast gaurds, although only one very small scene is filmed at sea.

In my humble openion, "Project A" wouldn't stand as the timeless classic it stands as today if it didn't have Jackei Chan in it. The slightly thin plot and very thin charactization is covered up slickly by the bouncing, ebullient, energetic presence of Chan at his very best.

It is peppered with Chan's trademark comedy, and his tighly choreographed fight scenes. One fight that springs immediately to mind is the wonderful, comedic barroom brawl that pits Chan against in impossibly stretchy Yuen Biao, set against a backdrop of the complete coastguard fighting energetically (and messily!) with the entire police force.

And there are stunts. And what stunts! There is one homage to Harold Lloyd: a dangle from a clockface that Lloyd had done previously; however, Lyoyd used trick camera angles and mirrors to achieve the effect he wanted, whereas Chan simply went old-fasioned and did the stunt himself. There is also an impressive drop from the clocktower to the hard ground beneath, which Chan did no less than three times - ever the perfectionist. In the outtakes, you can see just how wrong it went, with Chan staggering away from the stunt in agony, supported by two helpers.

On another level, the movie works because of the obvious cameraderie and companionship between the three opera school brother who appear in "Project A": Samo Hung, Jackie Chan, and Yuen Biao. They are Hong Kong's equivelant to the Three Muskateers, and between them, they ahve helped to create movie history with classics such as "Project A" and "Dragons Forever".

In short, "Project A" is an action classic made by the best names in HK movies. A great movie.

(10/10)


Reviewed by: toto63
Date: 07/17/2000
Summary: funny

Not a great movie, but there are some runs very funny.
great action as usual.


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/21/1999

A good movie that starts out slow but picks up and gives us some of the greatest Jackie stunts and fights... highlights include Jackie, Samo and Yuen beating up pirates, Jackie using a bicycle in many ingenious ways to fight off baddies and Jackie Chan falling about 50 feet and hitting concrete (and it took him 3 takes to get it right!!! Ouch!)...

(6/10)

[Reviewed by Andrej Blazeka]


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

It is Hong Kong at the turn of the century. Jackie's detachmentof Marine Police have made a dismal mess of trying to capture the most notorious pirates that infest the China Sea. Little do they know there is a traitor in their midst. A rivalry develops between Jackie's group and the Land Police over this mission, culminating in the most spectacular bar room brawl ever filmed. Eventually the two rival groups talents of Jackie Chan with those of Samo Hung and Yuen Biao, and has made box-office history wherever it has played.

[Reviewed by Rim Films Catalog]


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

Jackie Chan (the hero of the "Coast Guard") must contend with Yuen Biao (the person assigned to train Chan's Men). Eventually they learn to get on with one another and in the end they must unite together with Chan's "friend" Samo Hung (the portly prince of thieves who robs from the rich and gives to himself) to wipe out the leader of the pirates and his men. An ambitious new direction was undertaken in this film which spelt the end of the old style "avenge the death of my master" films. A great movie with many comic sequences and some amazing stunts. This has the infamous fall from the clock tower, from where Jackie hurt himself quite badly!! Another must see film.

(10/10)



[Reviewed by Dave Warner]


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

A high-action tale set at the turn of the century, and telling of a unit of marines who are sent to eradicate a gang of of cutthroats who infest the China Seas. A sequel followed.

(3/5)



[Reviewed by Elliot's Guide to Films on Video]


Reviewed by: spinali
Date: 12/08/1999
Summary: NULL

Coast Guard officer Jackie Chan fights pirates and police corruption, with several superior set pieces spicing things up -- including a brilliant chase scene on bicycles.

(2/4)



[Reviewed by Steve Spinali]

Reviewer Score: 5