6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Dragon Ma is back, having rid the seas of the dreaded Pirate Lo. Back on land, he is assigned to the police force, where he is to clean up corruption and crime in a local suburb. Along the way, he is caught up in the fate of several Chinese patriots attempting to secure sympathy and support for their revolutionary cause. The Chinese Manchu government is after these revolutionaries, and anyone that stands in their way is in trouble, even if they are in the police force.
Starring: Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Rosamund Kwan, Carina Lau, Kenny HoForeign | 100% |
Action | 50% |
Martial arts | 48% |
Comedy | 6% |
Period | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Cantonese: Dolby Atmos
Cantonese: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Cantonese: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
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.
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 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.
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.
'A' gai wak 2
1987
'A' gai wak juk jaap / 'A' jì huà xù jí / A計劃續集
1987
(Still not reliable for this title)
'A' gai wak
1983
The Armour of God / Lung hing foo dai
1986
Shuang long hui
1992
Armour of God II: Operation Condor / Fei jing gai wak / Project Eagle
1991
Fai can che / Kuài cān chē / 快餐車
1984
警察故事續集 / Ging chaat goo si juk jaap
1988
Zui quan
1978
Fuk sing go jiu / Fu xing gao zhao / 福星高照
1985
Sing si lip yan / Chéng shì liè rén / 城市獵人
1993
Xià rì fú xīng | 夏日福星 | Hong Kong Cut & Extended Cut
1985
警察故事 / Ging chaat goo si
1985
The Legend of Drunken Master / 醉拳 II / Jui kuen II / Warner Archive Collection
1994
少年黃飛鴻之鐵馬騮 / Siu nin Wong Fei Hung chi Tit ma lau
1993
黃飛鴻之三獅王爭霸 / Wong fei hung III: Si wong jaang ba
1993
龍門客棧 / Long men kezhan
1967
Fei lung mang jeung
1988
龙拳 / Long quan
1979
Se ying diu sau
1978
警察故事3超級警察 / Gíng chaat gu sih sāam: Chīu kāp gíng chaat | Standard Edition
1992
大兵小將 / 大兵小将 / Dà Bīng Xiǎo Jiàng
2010