Blu Tuesday is a weekly column where we review the newest Blu-ray and 4K releases, along with a brief rundown of the included bonus material, to determine whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping.
Pick of the Week: “The Project A Collection”
Jackie Chan’s “Project A” (and its sequel, “Project A: Part II”) has never had a good home video release in the U.S., so it’s great to see 88 Films finally deliver with this limited-edition box set, which includes both films beautifully remastered in 4K. Though neither movie is among Chan’s finest work, 1983’s “Project A” is easily the better film, as it contains plenty of great action featuring Chan and longtime collaborators Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung, as well as some really good comedic beats that help to counter the movie’s incoherent plot and frenetic pacing. 1987’s “Part II” isn’t quite as good, largely due to the absence of Yuen and Hung, but it contains some fantastic stunt work that even trumps the first film. That’s kind of always been the deal with Chan’s movies: They may not be the most amazing narratively or structurally, but the way in which he mixes martial arts and comedy is magical, and it’s the reason why “Project A” in particular remains so entertaining to this day.
Extras include audio commentaries by film historians Frank Djeng and FJ DeSanto on the Hong Kong cut of both films, a making-of featurette on “Project A,” a 1988 documentary focusing on three members of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, interviews with members of the cast and crew, and much more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
