Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Project A Part II Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 12, 2024

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of The Project A Collection from 88 Films.

Another informative and mile a minute commentary by Frank Djeng included in this set mentions how Jackie Chan wasn't quite "Jackie Chan" yet when the Project A films came along, and in fact it was those very films which helped to finally cement Chan's very unique status in the martial arts universe. Chan's completely distinctive blend of outrageous stunts combined with breezy comedy (both physical and verbal) found a near perfect outlet in Project A, and the film's overwhelming success proved that Chan's sense about how he should be presented on screen was completely correct. If there is a bit of that oft mentioned sophomore slump at play with the follow up film, the two offerings together are great examples of how Chan managed to connect with his relatively early audiences, establishing a template of sorts that would carry him through countless other productions. As of the writing of this review, only the first film has had a previous release on Blu-ray in Region A, but 88 Films is bringing out two sets simultaneously, this standalone 1080 set, and another 4K release which also includes 1080 discs and some significant non disc swag that is not included in this particular release, which may make it the default choice for some who might not even have 4K setups.

By the time Jackie Chan got around to making this sequel to Project A, his figurative star had risen considerably, partly due in fact to the reaction the first Project A had engendered. It's therefore not surprising that this film attempts to pretty much duplicate what made the first film such a success, though kind of interestingly it does so without contributions from Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao (aside from some quasi "previously. . .on Project A" highlights at the opening), which might arguably deprive the film of some comedy. Project A Part 2 attempts to slightly shift things for Dragon Ma (Jackie Chan), adding a bit of a "fish out of water" context for the character, as Ma has to matriculate into a new location where it may be difficult to differentiate between the cops and the bad guys, at least based on less than honorable activities in the constabulary.

The film, while obviously completely oriented around Chan and his abilities, is in essence a rather sprawling ensemble piece that also has not one but two featured females in the form of Yesan (Maggie Cheung) and Carina (Carina Lau), with Yesan as the intended romantic interest and Carina helping to flesh out the film's supposed "political" subtext, carried over from the first outing. This film is probably even more vignette driven than the first Project A, with Ma having to contend not just with the local crime lord Tiger Ow (Chan Wai-Man), a bunch of cops on the take, and various other "official duties" like providing security for a high ranking official who's about to celebrate a birthday.

There's a slightly more slapdash quality to this second outing, though the film still provides some incredible opportunities for Chan's pretty amazingly athletic stunts. As with the first film, there's physical comedy in abundance, to the point that some of the bits may ultimately come across as shtick.

Project A Part II Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Project A Part II is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. While this is another really pleasing looking transfer by and large, some of the color timing on this presentation struck me as being skewed a bit toward yellow tones on occasion. There are also a few passing moments that look uncharacteristically rough when stacked up against the bulk of this transfer's generally consistent clarity and grain resolution, with one very noticeable example being at slightly past the 22:30 mark, where the image degrades to the point that it looks positively out of focus with much less crisp detail levels. The good news is these variances tend to be intermittent and not overly distracting, though they certainly won't escape notice. Some of the outdoor material in particular pops extremely well, with nicely suffused blues and some appealing clarity. As with the first film, fine detail on the fun period costumes is also generally excellent. With the exception of some of the above interstitial problems, grain, while very heavy at times, resolves without any major issues.

Project A Part II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Project A Part II features another kind of gobsmacking array of audio options, though in this case they're largely limited to different versions of a Cantonese track. There is a Dolby Atmos Cantonese track, but then several Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono options, including Original Mono (Hong Kong Mix), Remixed Mono (Hong Kong Mix), and just good, old fashioned Mono (Japanese Mix). A Mandarin Remixed Mono track in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono and (for the Export Cut) an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track round out the options. There are some noticeable differences between the Cantonese Mono tracks, with, for example, the Remixed Mono having a noticeably more pronounced high end than the Original Mono (something it shares with the Japanese option, though the Japanese may arguably have a bit more tamped down high end). As with the first film, the Atmos track is not going to amaze any devoted audiophile, but it offers a much better overall rendering of the basic elements of the track in terms of a well balanced presentation without a surplus of hiss or other bothersome high frequency issues. Scoring and effects probably are the most noticeable uses of the surround channels. The dubbing in either version is almost comically at odds with lip movements at times, and so sync as they say is definitely loose. That said, dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Project A Part II Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Hong Kong Version (1:46:36) and Export Version (1:38:09) are available under the Play Film menu.


• Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng and FJ DeSanto accompanies the Hong Kong cut.


• An Interview with Anthony Carpio (HD; 25:25) is subtitled in English.


• The Big Boss (HD; 19:40) is an interview with Chan Wai Man. Subtitled in English.


• Someone Will Know Me (HD; 13:12) is an archival documentary. This has English voiceover.


• Full Screen Jackie Chan Recording Session (HD; 2:33)


• Hong Kong Trailer (HD; 3:09)


• Export Trailer (HD; 2:14)


• Tai Seng Trailer (HD; 1:41)


• Stills Gallery (HD)

Project A Part II Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As with many sequels, this follow up can't quite match the overall ebullience of the first feature, but it has some fantastic stunts and Chan as always is never less than completely engaging. Technical merits are also probably a bit less pleasing here than in the first feature, but are still generally solid. The supplemental material is also not as fulsome as with the first film, but is very enjoyable. With caveats noted, Recommended.