Project A

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Lore & Background

In the late 19th century, Sergeant Dragon Ma is part of the Hong Kong Marine Police's effort to combat pirates, who have been raiding ships for months. Members of the Hong Kong Police Force and the Marine Police, who have strong inter-service rivalries, get into a fight in a bar. Shortly after this, Captain Chi releases all of the sailors to their commanding officer, and two of the Marine Police's ships get blown up. Gangsters Chiang and Mr. Chou meet at a VIP Club and discuss fleeing to Vietnam. As soon as Chiang leaves, he meets one of the pirates and they laugh about sabotaging the Marine Police ships. The pirate tells Chiang that his boss, San Pao wants 100 police rifles. Dragon Ma and his squad are forced to become regular police officers. They have to undergo 'hard training' with the police under Captain Chi's nephew, Hong Tin-tsu. After the police learn that Chiang is at the VIP Club, and that the guests there are not to be disturbed, Dragon and Tin-tsu go to arrest Chiang. A big fight breaks out. Tiring of the blatant corruption in the police force, Dragon arrests Chiang outright and tells Tin-tsu to take the credit. That is his last official act as an officer with the Hong Kong police.

In Their Own Story

Fei finds Dragon in the street. They have a conversation and Fei reveals that someone in the police force is selling rifles. Fei tells Dragon that all he wants are the guns, and Dragon can catch the traitor. At night, Dragon and Fei interrupt a gun deal between the Army and the police Captain. After pushing everyone into the water and making off with the guns, Fei hides the rifles inside a log and marks it with a red flag. He later tries to sell the guns to the gangsters and pirates, but Dragon has removed Fei's red flag and put flags on other logs instead. Having thwarted Fei's plan to sell the rifles to the pirates, Dragon has a conversation with the Admiral's daughter, Winnie. He learns that the Captain wasn't smuggling rifles for San pao, he was buying the rifles from the army to arm his men. Overhearing this, Fei gets into an argument with Dragon. The gangsters come after Fei, and he tells them that Dragon is to blame for the missing rifles. Dragon is forced to flee with Winnie. After teaming up with Fei, being tortured for information about the rifles, and falling from the face of a clock tower, Dragon is tracked down by the police for a third time, and they help him get away as they arrest the gangsters. Having lost the rifles, the pirates take a ship hostage, the passengers including a Rear Admiral. Mr. Chou proposes an arms-for-hostages deal and the Colonel consents. Having overheard the conversation, Dragon confronts the Colonel and convinces him that the gangsters and the pirates will never fear the law if the police force are corrupt. It is agreed that Dragon will assume all responsibility for the mission to save the hostages, and the Colonel allows the Marine Police to be brought back into full force. Mr. Chou is brought in by the police and beaten until he tells Dragon and Tin-tsu how to get to San Pao. Dragon, posing as Mr. Chou, gets on board a ship that takes him to San Pao's hideout, and they are followed by the rest of the squad. Fei sneaks aboard and poses as a pirate. After a lot of tricky undercover work, the cavalry arrives, and there is a final confrontation in the middle of the pirate's lair. Dragon, Tin-tsu, and Fei engage in a hand-to-hand battle with San Pao, eventually killing him with a hand grenade when he's rolled into the carpet. After the battle, they sail a raft to take the hostages back to Hong Kong.

Reader's Guide

Project A was released theatrically in Hong Kong on 22 December 1983. The film was a box office success in East Asia. At the 4th Hong Kong Film Awards, Chan received two nominations for the film (and another for Wheels on Meals), including his first Best Actor nomination, and won his first Best Action Choreography award. A sequel, Project A Part II, was released in 1987. The film is also known in West Germany as both Piratpatrullen and Der Superfighter marketed next to Der Superfighter III (The Fearless Hyena) and Der Superfighter II (Fearless Hyena Part II). The Philippines also released the film under the title Superfly 2 and marketed it next to Superfly (Armour of God II). In the Philippines, the film was originally released as Mark of the Dragon, but First Films later rereleased it as Superfly 2 on 17 September 1992, connecting it to the unrelated film Armour of God II: Operation Condor (released as Superfly). Project A (along with Dragon Lord) marked Chan's return to Asian cinema after his first attempt to break into the Hollywood market with a small role in The Cannonball Run and a starring role in the commercially disappointing Battle Creek Brawl. In contrast, Project A was a huge success at the Hong Kong box office, earning HK$19,323,824 (US$2,659,852).

Did You Know?

• Chan performed the 60 ft (18 m) clock tower fall three times because he was unhappy with the first two takes.
• Project A was originally going to be titled Pirate Patrol, but it was feared that other Hong Kong film producers would rush to copy and release films featuring pirates.
• Chan halted filming of the bicycle chase sequence to watch the finale of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial at a local cinema, to ensure his scene and Steven Spielberg's scene were not the same.
• Isabella Wong is the only female actress with a substantial role in this film.
• Project A earned HK$19,323,824 (US$2,659,852) at the Hong Kong box office.

From Stuntman to Action Icon

A decade later, he found himself working as a stunt performer alongside martial arts legend Bruce Lee during the filming of Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon. This film, produced under a loan-out deal with Seasonal Film Corporation, paved the way for massive successes such as Drunken Master and The Young Master. It was during this era that Chan began experimenting with increasingly elaborate stunt sequences, particularly in Dragon Lord (1982). These early experiments laid the groundwork for his unique cinematic identity, blending physical peril with comedic timing long before he achieved global superstardom.

The Birth of a Signature Style

The release of Project A in 1983 marked a definitive turning point, officially establishing the Jackie Chan Stunt Team and cementing his signature aesthetic. This film perfected a formula combining dangerous, high-flying stunts with traditional martial arts and slapstick humor, creating a distinct genre that had never been seen before. Chan immediately expanded upon this foundation in modern settings like Wheels on Meals (1984) and the critically acclaimed Police Story (1985), which featured large-scale action sequences now regarded as some of the best ever filmed. This specific style defined his subsequent career, appearing consistently across sequels to Police Story, the Armour of God series, Project A Part II, Dragons Forever, Twin Dragons, City Hunter, and Drunken Master II. By integrating comedy into high-risk physical feats, Chan created a unique brand of entertainment that distinguished him from other martial arts stars of his generation.

Global Expansion and Box Office Dominance

This success launched a lucrative Hollywood career featuring franchises like Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon, alongside ventures into animation with Jackie Chan Adventures and dramatic roles such as his appearance in The Karate Kid. By the mid-1990s, he was the premier action star across Asia and Europe, commanding net incomes of $5 million per film. His box office dominance spans decades, with over $1.84 billion earned in North America and billions more in China and Japan.

A Legacy Spanning Nearly Two Centuries

His influence extends beyond mere entertainment; he redefined the possibilities of action cinema by prioritizing practical stunts over special effects. His films have topped box offices across Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Europe for decades, selling tens of millions of tickets globally. From a humble start as a child extra to becoming a cultural icon whose movies have grossed over $5 billion worldwide, Chan's career represents a unique evolution of action filmmaking that continues to inspire performers and filmmakers around the globe.