Fighting against pirates at the turn of the 20th century, the Hong Kong navy are failing miserably. It's up to Sergeant Dragon Ma to take matters into his own hands.Fighting against pirates at the turn of the 20th century, the Hong Kong navy are failing miserably. It's up to Sergeant Dragon Ma to take matters into his own hands.Fighting against pirates at the turn of the 20th century, the Hong Kong navy are failing miserably. It's up to Sergeant Dragon Ma to take matters into his own hands.
- Directors
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 1 win & 3 nominations total
Isabella Wong
- Winnie
- (as Winnie Wong)
Hoi-Sang Lee
- Li Chou Kou
- (as Hai-Shung Lee)
Hark-Sun Lau
- Admiral
- (as Hak Suen Lau)
Yen-Tsan Tang
- Pirate
- (as Yim Chan Tong)
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao and Samo Heung were all at the height of their considerable powers when this film was made and it shows. This blows just about every other martial arts film out of the water faster than any of San Pao's pirates ever could. With humour, suspense and a half decent plot thrown in to add to the blistering action I found this to be the 'three dragons' most accessible film to a western audience. The humour translates well and three sequences stand out as some of the best action scenes ever put to film the three being Jackie's homage to 'Safety Last' by falling from the clock tower, the bonkers bike chase through increasingly narrow city streets, and the final showdown defeat of San Pao by Jackie, Yuen Biao and Samo (with a little help from Mars and some wayward grenades). This is the pinnacle of Jackie Chans stunt career and is near impossible to better and I doubt that anyone will ever reach this level of stunt excellence again. If you only ever see one Jackie Chan film see this one as it is truly unique.
I once watched Jackie on a documentary mention how a specific audience likes his Hong Kong films and a specific audience likes his American films but they rarely overlap. I belong to the former group, and believe this movie is the perfect example why.
The story does not twist or turn much but does have a certain charm and separates itself from any average "beat anyone up" kung fu film - even if a few fights happen for the stupidest reasons. It's all about a group of soldiers put together to get rid of some pirates in nearby waters which is always in competition with the local police force for funding. But the film really entertains through the use of Jackie's stunts and gags. From cycling through the cramped streets of Hong Kong to grenade training in the police academy, you bound to sometimes be in a state of awe - or at least chuckle a few times.
It's amazing some of the stunts Jackie pulled off, including falling from a very high clocktower. If your interested in Jackie's films, or want a high quality kung-fu film then I recommend you have a look at 'Project A'.
The story does not twist or turn much but does have a certain charm and separates itself from any average "beat anyone up" kung fu film - even if a few fights happen for the stupidest reasons. It's all about a group of soldiers put together to get rid of some pirates in nearby waters which is always in competition with the local police force for funding. But the film really entertains through the use of Jackie's stunts and gags. From cycling through the cramped streets of Hong Kong to grenade training in the police academy, you bound to sometimes be in a state of awe - or at least chuckle a few times.
It's amazing some of the stunts Jackie pulled off, including falling from a very high clocktower. If your interested in Jackie's films, or want a high quality kung-fu film then I recommend you have a look at 'Project A'.
Incredible movie, it ranks up there with some of Jackie Chan's best movies. It is not to be missed by any martial art-movie fan. The stunts performed in this movie is incredible. The clock tower fall by Jackie Chan is the most amazing one but I also loved some of the falls that Jackie's opponents did, a lot of people must have gotten injured while making this movie. The fighting scenes are top-notch, maybe not quite as good as the ones in Drunken Master II, which still remains my favorite Jackie Chan movie even though this one gets really close. Jackie Chan must be the most exciting man ever to appear in a movie, he risks his life to bring us entertainment, is he dumb, crazy or out of his mind? I don't know, all I know is that he's entertained me more than any other man ever has. Watch this movie and prepare to be amazed.
Okay, let's judge this film overall, and not just by the fighting, which is obviously the best thing about this film.
The sets are very good, and you can tell that this was a big-budget film for the time. You get the feel of being in colonial turn-of-the-century Hong Kong. The costumes add to this feel too, not to mention the fact that a lot of the buildings used actually ARE Hong Kong landmarks from all those years ago. On top of this, there's the fact that the film ages less because it is a period piece. Police Story might as well be called, "Eighties Story." Acting - well, although I watched this movie in Chinese with English subtitles, and with English dubbing, I cannot find anything wrong with the acting. It's all done pretty well, with the obvious quirks that make Hong Kong movie acting what it is: strained facial expressions, a lot of pointing, and a lot of laughing that is laughable itself.
Sound - not very good, but when you consider that all the sound had to be re-dubbed, it makes sense, and allow for more leniency.
The plot is not wafer-thin, as has happened in earlier Chan movies, but this isn't Pi. To be honest, it's about as complicated as a Jackie Chan movie is ever going to get, and if the only reason for watching a kung-fu movie is plot, you're an idiot, anyway.
Right, then - action - and boy oh boy, this film is full of incredible action. I have over sixty Jackie Chan films in my collection, so I know what I'm talking about when analysing his films. Project A ranks among the best of his films, when looking at the action. There are so many fights staged, and so many pay-offs. You get to see Jackie, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biu fighting each other, and the bad guys in such a fast, furious, and creative way that this is an action movie you'll never forget. Dick Wei is muscular and mean as the head of the pirates, and is a formidable foe, who forces the three brothers to come together to dispose of him.
As usual, the stunts would not have been allowed in Britain or America, but hey, this is Kong Kong, so let's blow these guys up, and watch them flip and fly across the set for our own satisfaction.
Overall, this is a top notch film, with wonderfully edited fights, excellent creativity, and superb Chanesque humour along the way. It's a showpiece of the efforts of the three special ones of Hong Kong cinema in the eighties, and any fan of Hong Kong cinema should only miss this at their peril.
The sets are very good, and you can tell that this was a big-budget film for the time. You get the feel of being in colonial turn-of-the-century Hong Kong. The costumes add to this feel too, not to mention the fact that a lot of the buildings used actually ARE Hong Kong landmarks from all those years ago. On top of this, there's the fact that the film ages less because it is a period piece. Police Story might as well be called, "Eighties Story." Acting - well, although I watched this movie in Chinese with English subtitles, and with English dubbing, I cannot find anything wrong with the acting. It's all done pretty well, with the obvious quirks that make Hong Kong movie acting what it is: strained facial expressions, a lot of pointing, and a lot of laughing that is laughable itself.
Sound - not very good, but when you consider that all the sound had to be re-dubbed, it makes sense, and allow for more leniency.
The plot is not wafer-thin, as has happened in earlier Chan movies, but this isn't Pi. To be honest, it's about as complicated as a Jackie Chan movie is ever going to get, and if the only reason for watching a kung-fu movie is plot, you're an idiot, anyway.
Right, then - action - and boy oh boy, this film is full of incredible action. I have over sixty Jackie Chan films in my collection, so I know what I'm talking about when analysing his films. Project A ranks among the best of his films, when looking at the action. There are so many fights staged, and so many pay-offs. You get to see Jackie, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biu fighting each other, and the bad guys in such a fast, furious, and creative way that this is an action movie you'll never forget. Dick Wei is muscular and mean as the head of the pirates, and is a formidable foe, who forces the three brothers to come together to dispose of him.
As usual, the stunts would not have been allowed in Britain or America, but hey, this is Kong Kong, so let's blow these guys up, and watch them flip and fly across the set for our own satisfaction.
Overall, this is a top notch film, with wonderfully edited fights, excellent creativity, and superb Chanesque humour along the way. It's a showpiece of the efforts of the three special ones of Hong Kong cinema in the eighties, and any fan of Hong Kong cinema should only miss this at their peril.
Many people state that this film is dated by todays standards! I disagree.... The stunts are incredible and the fight scenes are breath-taking!
Anyone who loves films for sets & scenery will have a field day here!
Just one thing....Get the Hong Kong Legends UK 2 DVD pack with AAALLLLLLL those gorgeous extras, interviews, documentaries and everything else! Well worth the extra 5 squid! (sorry US residents....it isn't available over there!)
Anyone who loves films for sets & scenery will have a field day here!
Just one thing....Get the Hong Kong Legends UK 2 DVD pack with AAALLLLLLL those gorgeous extras, interviews, documentaries and everything else! Well worth the extra 5 squid! (sorry US residents....it isn't available over there!)
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Jackie was doing the stunt at the clock tower, he was afraid of falling voluntarily. So he held on until he literally lost his grip and fell.
- GoofsThe clock tower fall was shown twice, but each used a different take.
- Quotes
Captain Chi: Who is laughing like that?
Jaws: Me, sir.
Captain Chi: Do you know what you're going to do?
Jaws: To laugh one thousand times?
Captain Chi: Police, shoot him dead!
- Crazy creditsOuttakes from the film, including one of the takes from the famous clock tower scene
- Alternate versionsThe US version deletes scenes from the HK version
- ConnectionsEdited into Traces of a Dragon (2003)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
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- Also known as
- Jackie Chan's Project A
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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