Review of Project A (1983) by Carl P — 01 Feb 2012

Project A sums up everything you could ever need from early 80s Hong Kong cinema. All of the fight scenes are well choreographed and long enough to keep the pace of the film running smoothly, the bike scene in particular is a work of genius which doesn't seem to end. Oh, and did I mention it's funny? Well it is. The bar brawl scene near the beginning shows some moments of great comedy, particularly the moments between Chan and Biao Yuen. But of course the true star of the film has to be Sammo Hung who steals the show with his perfect comic timing and his still surprising athleticism for a man of his build.

The story is pretty standard. Chan plays a sergeant in the coastguard who is part of a team preparing to bring down a pirate crime lord. Yuen is a police detective and Hung is a thief who is also friends with Chan. So when the 'bad guy' Mr Chow tries to hire Fey (Hung) to steal 100 rifles for the pirates he goes to Chan for help. There is plenty of double crosses throughout the film to keep anyone guessing just what is going on, but it is all lighthearted and for comical purposes. The films climax (when they implement Project A itself) is also pretty impressive with a great final fight, followed up by a truly funny end snippet on a boat.

Simply put, Project A is a very funny action film which I would certainly recommend. Now cue outtakes and the obligatory 'ouch!'.