Project A (aka. Pirate Patrol, aka. Jackie Chan's Project A; Chinese: A 計劃) is a 1983 Hong Kong film starring Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao.
This film marked Jackie 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 unsuccessful Battle Creek Brawl. In contrast, Project A was huge success at the Hong Kong box office, earning $40 million. It was also very well received abroad, and particularly throughout East Asia. Reportedly, in Japan, Emperor Showa's fondness of the movie and eagerness to see a sequel, led Chan to make one, Project A Part II.
Project A is famous for containing some of Chan's finest comedy moments and most spectacular stunts, including set-pieces reminiscent of the best of Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, particularly a stunt where Chan hung and fell from the hand of a clock tower some 60 feet high, tearing through awning canopies before hitting the ground head-first. The stunt was inspired by Lloyd's famous clock-tower stunt from the 1923 film Safety Last!.
Project A was released in a dubbed version by Disney in the USA.
In late 19th Century Hong Kong the British may rule the land, but the pirates rule the waters. Reluctantly, the Coast Guard is given money to fight these pirates, but the pirates themselves have many contacts (that is, bribed officials) in the government, and seek to thwart the Coast Guard's efforts to eliminate them. One Coast Guard officer is Dragon Ma, who is determined that his beloved Coast Guard will not be made fools of. Written by Murray Chapman
