Projeto China 2: A Vingança

Project A II is a classic Jackie Chan movie with all the kung fu, crazy stunts and slapstick humor you expect. Not as good as the prequel but still it is a great movie if you just want something fun to watch. The story is simple, jackie chan versus the evil men. So if you want a movie that you don't have to be a braniac to understand, i would suggest this one.

Well, this is a Jackie Chan movie, so you know what you are getting here - heaps of action and impressive stunts. So it all boils down to the storyline, doesn't it?

I will say that "Project A 2" (aka "'A' gai wak 2") wasn't the best of Jackie Chan's movies. But don't get me wrong, because I am not implying that it is a bad or poor movie; far from it. This movie was entertaining for sure, and yeah there were good action and impressive stunt feats here as well, but the storyline was just a bit on the trivial side, wasn't it?

The movie boasts a rather impressive cast ensemble with the likes of Jackie Chan, Carina Lau, Bill Tung and Rosamund Kwan. Which leaves me to mention the gorgeous Maggie Cheung, one of my all-time favorite actresses in the Hong Kong cinema.

Entertainment-wise then "Project A 2" was adequate, but it wasn't an outstanding notch in Jackie Chan's formidable career.

Needless to say that I was impressed with the fighting, stunts and choreography, because it is always top notch and fabulous when you watch a Jackie Chan movie. And I was especially impressed with the fact that he actually chowed down on real chilies for that scene - as it was shown in the clips during the end credits. Now that was definitely commitment to the movie.

I am rating "Project A 2" a six out of ten stars. It was watchable and entertaining enough, just doesn't rank among the best of Jackie Chan's movies.

For me, this sits happily as the ultimate Jackie Chan movie: a super-fast paced journey of mad cap martial arts, hilarious humour, all mixed together in a fine comedy-cum-adventure concoction with plenty going on to keep the entertainment value high. Indeed, this film is so relentless and high-octane that I barely found time to breathe while watching it; every second brings something fresh and exciting to the screen, every plot point seems original and intriguing. At this stage in his career, Jackie knew exactly what the audience wanted and reached his cinematic peak of perfection with differing projects that all retained the same winning formula: comedy, action and danger, rolled into a fast and frenetic combination.

The ultra-complex storyline drags in a corrupt police official who plans to have Chan killed, an underground rebel cause who plan to overthrow the government, vengeful pirates, and of course the vicious crime element in the city. The script is witty and Jackie Chan is at the top of his game, whether it be with the endless magic stunt work, the genuinely funny comedy (the chilli-eating moment is something to be seen) or the exciting chases, which invariably see Jackie perform some superhuman manoeuvre - shinnying up a wall, running across a suspended horizontal pole - as if it were the norm for him.

PROJECT A PART II has plenty of memorable moments, not least being the raid on the hotel which mixes in suspense, drama, comedy, and plenty of action, as well as real danger. Then there's the finale at the building site, which lasts for ages but remains exciting and watchable for every single second, and the hilarious comedy set piece in which a succession of people attempt to hide inside Maggie Cheung's apartment and interact in various ways. Other great moments are too numerous to mention, but the handcuff chase is a real crowd pleaser anyway you look at it. Underneath the non-stop on screen action, the plot is rather thin and lurches from one set-piece to the next, but the formula is so stable and successful that I couldn't care one bit.

Supporting the ever-excellent Chan are a number of quality actors giving fine performances, namely Wai Lam as the corrupt and sinister 'Chun' and Wai-Man Chan as the genuinely threatening 'Tiger'. Plus there are the welcome returning bit players, including Mars and Jaws, and also Maggie Cheung and Bill Tung, two friends returning from POLICE STORY, along with a little-seen Rosamund Kwan. Tung in particular gets some fine comic interplay as he finds himself mending a leaky tap and getting handcuffed to a sofa! The martial arts come thick and fast and never lets up, and you'll need your eyes glued to the screen to keep track of all the super-quick kicks and lightning punches which roll across the screen in nicely choreographed punch-ups with plenty of prop destruction and choreographed chaos to keep them watchable and funny. A definitive and outstanding film. And okay, it hurts that Sammo and Yuen don't come back, but to be honest you won't miss them when the film's this good.

Dragon Ma (Jackie Chan) is back as a H.K. Water Police. He is assigned to clean up corruption and lawlessness. They catch a couple of thieves stealing a money box from Yesan (Maggie Cheung) collecting for the Nationalist cause. Yesan runs away fearing the corrupt cops. The cops promptly release their client thieves and try to beat up on Dragon. Dragon takes over the precinct to take on crime lord Wolf. Dragon faces off against many-headed corruption while the Empress's men are after the rebels.

This is not as comedic as the original. Jackie handcuffed to the inspector is fun. The various people hiding in Yesan's room isn't as funny as it should be. There are lots of fight action stunts. There are a ton of jaw dropping stunts. Jackie doesn't do anything too risky in this one but he does do a Buster Keaton bit with a facade falling on top of him. The story is pretty messy that has multiply interconnected villains and some that go both ways. I love the fighting stunts but the story is too twisty. This one does have the final extra clips with the closing credits.

Many films claim to be like riding a roller coaster, but this more or less typical adventure from Asian sensation Jackie Chan is the genuine article: a fast, furious, and totally physical wide-screen action comedy. The convoluted screenplay, picking up right where Part I presumably ended, follows an incorruptible turn-of-the-century Hong Kong cop forced to contend with powerful mobsters, dangerous revolutionaries, crooked policemen, and a scruffy crew of pirates, separately and often all at once. But what passes for a plot is only an excuse for several hair-raising (and nicely choreographed) combat and chase scenes set (almost literally) at a breakneck pace, and performed without the benefit of doubles or trick photography. The writer/director/actor (and title song singer) single-handedly legitimizes the concept of mindless entertainment, at the risk of bruises and more than one broken bone, but never mind: the film is exhilarating, exhausting, and just plain fun.

(postscript: fifteen-plus years after seeing 'Project A II' I finally caught up to the first chapter, which is even more energetic than its sequel...)