Project A2 (1987)
Review by Doc Ezra
Film:
DVD:

Written & Directed by Jackie Chan
Starring Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, David Lam, Rosamund Kwan, Carina Lau

Released by: Dimension
Region: 1
Rating: PG-13
Anamorphic: Yes

My Advice: Chan completists will want it, all others rent.

Fresh from defeating the notorious Pirate Lo, Hong Kong Coast Guard officer Dragon Ma (Chan) is re-assigned as the superintendent of a corrupt police precinct. His no-nonsense attitude and refusal to allow the bribery and corruption to continue quickly earn him enemies not only with the local criminal element, but also with some within the force itself. He also has to perform some tricky public relations with the local populace, where the rampant police misconduct has fomented a bit of a revolutionary attitude amongst some. And as a last bit of complication, a few of Pirate Lo's surviving henchmen are in town and looking to take a hatchet to Dragon Ma's head.

Things really heat up when Ma is framed for a jewelry heist, and finds himself on the run from pirates, crooks, and the police. With few friends to turn to, Ma scrambles to clear his name and put an end to a massive organized crime operation and the misbehavior in his own department. To his rescue (sort of) come the tiny crew of locals trying to stir up rebellion (Cheung, Kwan, and Lau, notably). All of this culminates in a chase and fight sequence that involves some of Chan's most amazing stuntwork ever filmed.

Following up on the success of the original, Project A2 is sadly missing Chan collaborators Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, and the film suffers for it. The first two-thirds of the movie are mediocre story fare, with the occasional moment of quality stuntwork from Chan, but the final reel really makes the whole movie worthwhile. Chan's inventiveness and trademark stunts provide some truly exhilaring moments in the last portion of the movie, including an excellent homage to one of Chan's biggest inspirations, Buster Keaton. Aside from the action, however, this is strictly an average movie even by Hong Kong action standards.

There's really nowhere to point fingers but the script, as the actors involved all do their parts gamely. The story just doesn't have a lot of depth, and serves as little more than a setup to move from one stunt sequence to the next. This is perhaps understandable given that Chan wrote the picture in addition to starring and helming. That many hats being worn by one person is bound to result in some aspect suffering, and to be honest, I'd rather it were the story than the stuntwork. I don't know many viewers that show up for a Jackie Chan movie expecting to be blown away by the dialogue and subtle nuances of plot.

The DVD looks good, with a bright and crisp video transfer and good 5.1 sound. There are, alas, no extras whatsoever, which is par for the Dimension course on HK action movies, but disappointing nonetheless. Chan has contributed a good bit to other DVD releases of his films, and certainly seems willing to do so. So why not go find the star/writer/director and have a few words said about the movie? Hell, an expanded outtake reel would make an excellent inclusion. Something. Anything, for crying out loud. The lack of additional material really makes owning this one a job for hardcore Jackie Chan completists only. Even those that generally like his work might be a bit put off from buying it, as it's a simply a mediocre movie with no bonus material.