Project A (1983 - Jackie Chan) 4.5/10 - I don't want to get too in depth here, because a lot of the problems I had with the original, I also had with the sequel and I'll cover those in a little bit. However, I just couldn't bring myself to watch Part II, without watching Part I and since they were both streaming on Netflix, it wasn't a big deal to treat myself to a Chan double feature. If you watch this, keep your eyes peeled for the bicycle chase, an amazingly choreographed scene and as a matter, of fact all of Chan's stunts here are jaw dropping. The only problem was that they eventually ended and we'd be forced back to the silly plot, reminiscent of a B movie.
Running Time: 102 minutes
Directed By: Jackie Chan
Written By: Jackie Chan
Main Cast: Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Bill Tung, Rosamund Kwan, Carina Lau
Click here to view the trailer
ON MY JOURNEY I MET A MAN NAMED CHAN
Believe it or not, prior to watching "Project A" I had never seen a Jackie Chan film in full. Sure, I'd seen clips and pieces of them before, but never had I sat down and watched an entire Chan film and so I was excited to finally do so. I just wish I had received them more positively.
Boy oh boy, where do I even begin in retelling the plot of "Project A, Part II"? Well, for starters, Chan plays Sergeant Dragon Ma, a member of the Marine force who is given a new assignment as the Superintendent of Sai Wai Police Station, after their hotshot Superintendent Chun is thought to be staging his arrests. Dragon takes control of the police force and finds that almost the entire squad is taking bribes, save for one member. The one member, Ho, tells Dragon that the police force is being controlled by villainous mobster Tiger Ow. When Dragon and his the small crew of men that he trusts confront Tiger, they are severely outnumbered and are only able to arrest Tiger after they are provided backup by the Marine force. Once Tiger is behind bars, the police are inspired to do a better job, but still have corruption in their ranks, in the form of Superintendent Chun. The rest of the plot picks up when Dragon is called upon to head up security at the birthday party of the Governor's daughter. There, Chun, along with revolutionary forces, plan to frame Dragon for the theft of the Governor's jewels. They are successful and Dragon is arrested for theft, but gets loose, because...hey, he's Jackie fucking Chan! He goes on to kick some heavy duty booty, be chased by a band of pirates seeking revenge and provide his audience with the jaw dropping stunts that make him a success.
That is a quote from Jackie Chan and while it might be common knowledge to Chan fans, I wasn't aware of the influence that certain silent greats had on the career of Jackie Chan, prior to watching this movie. I was able to discover for myself the obvious influence that, primarily, Buster Keaton had on Chan. Chan is a man who writes and directs his own scripts, does all of his own stunts, mixes comedy and action as if they were a genre that warranted mixing and puts his body on the line for the sake of entertaining his audience. It's just amazing to learn that Keaton and Chan are so similar. When I think of Jackie Chan, I think of a martial artist and when I think of Buster Keaton, I think of a comedian and yet they are two very similar movie makers. Chan defies gravity and left me with my eyes popping out of my head and having to pick my jaw up off the floor. THE BOOK is of the opinion that "no one watches a Jackie Chan movie for the plot" and if that's the case, then fine; these were spectacular examples of Jackie Chan's talents on display and if we're not going for the story, then everything you want in a Jackie Chan movie, you'll find here. However, I go to every movie for a good plot and when you can't provide me with at least a decent storyline, then you've severed my umbilical cord to the screen. Lets me just put it this way - if you were to take Jackie Chan, the star, out of this picture, then you'd have bupkis. You'd have something that no movie producer in the world would even commission for a straight to video release, with a down right BAD plot. There are too many characters and more specifically, too many bad guys. You have Chun, Tiger Ow, the band of pirates and the Imperial agents and it all gets too muddled and too hard to keep track of.
Despite my dislike for this film, however, I can say that I did come out of this double feature with a new respect for Jackie Chan. His work was brilliant and although I keep saying it, I'll say it again: His stunts and what he's able to do with his body is JAW DROPPING and I can think of no other way to describe it. If you could pack the movie with Chan simply beating up bad guys, utilizing everyday objects and set pieces, then I'd be all for that and I'd love every minute of it. I have a hard time believing that THIS was the best example of a Jackie Chan movie and I really hope that there are stronger options out there when I go looking for my third Chan movie. I've already added "Police Story" and "The Legend of Drunken Master" to my personal watch-list and will gladly entertain any other suggestions.
RATING: 5/10 I'll say that it was just a hair better than it's predecessor. If I was rating it on just the merits of Chan, I'd give it a '10', but when analyzing the full picture, I can't help but cut that number in half.
P.S. Expect lots of reviews this upcoming week, as I am on vacation from work with nowhere to go but in front of the T.V.
MOVIES WATCHED: 557
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 444
October 23, 2012 8:54pm
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