Project A and Project A 2

Trust Jackie Chan to unleash a firework of slapstick comedy (paired with his trademark martial arts shenanigans) in these two action crackers from 1983 and 1987!

Jackie Chan not only stars but also wrote and directed both movies, is there anything this man can’t do?
PROJECT A sees Chan as Sergeant Dragon Ma Yue Lung, in short Dragon, who is a member of the Hong Kong Marine Police under Captain Chi – that is Hong Kong at the turn of the century though judging by the clothes everyone wears it’s more like the 1920’s. The Marine Police is entrusted with suppressing plundering pirates but of course all is easier said than done as two of the Marine Police ships get blown up. Dragon Ma and his squad are demoted to regular police officers as there aren’t enough ships anymore to carry the more elite Marine Police. To make the humiliation even worse, Dragon Ma and his men are forced to undergo rigorous training under the sadistic Hong Tin-tsu (Yuen Biao), who happens to be the nephew of Captain Chi. After much brouhaha, Dragon Ma fiercely tries to expose corruption among the police force though suffice to say he doesn’t stand a chance and soon finds himself on the streets of Hong Kong where he gathers his very own squad to take on gangsters, pirates and everyone else who stands in the way of justice. Get ready for mind-boggling kicks and punches, non-stop action, explosive gags and a spectacular stunt from a clock tower inspired by Harold Loyd’s famous stunt in the 1923 silent comedy classic SAFETY LAST! There is also a cliffhanger of sorts, which takes us to:

PROJECT A – Part 2 and straightaway we’re amid mighty action at the high sees where runway pirates make a vow to kill Dragon Ma to avenge their late captain. This time Dragon Ma is transferred to the district of Sai Wan to be in charge of bringing criminal activities to a standstill. That won’t be straightforward either for Dragon gets mixed up with pretty Yesan (Maggie Cheung) and her cousin Carina (Carina Lau) who sell flowers in a teahouse in order to fund Chinese revolutionaries. As if he hasn’t his hands full enough already Dragon is also put in charge of the Governor’s security for a birthday bash he is throwing for his adopted daughter. As it so happens, a group of revolutionaries are after the Governor’s priceless diamond pendant and indeed manage to steal it and implicate Dragon, followed by the kidnapping of Carina, an attack by revenge-hungry pirates and many things more. The plot and sub-plots are really quite complex and the action sequences break up halfway through to make space for a lengthy slapstick comedy farce before it’s full throttle and non-stop martial arts stunts yet again. As a special treat for his fans, Jackie Chan even sings the film’s theme song at the end just as the credits roll.

Eureka has released the films in a brandnew 2K restoration and a set containing both movies.