INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT A:

Jackie Chan is a genius, the historical importance of his legacy transcends his best known image as a comedian and daredevil acrobat: There's a talented Director and visionary, a man who changed the Action film industry in Honk Kong forever with his personal touch and style in the early 80's, by creating the perfect fusion of goofy physical comedy and incredible restless action with some of the most impressive and dangerous stunts ever displayed on film. This 1982 film was the consolidation of Chan as a star in Asia after his major breakthrough with Yuen Woo Ping's kung fu classic "Drunken Master", and a movie that started an influence to follow from there on.

A true Milestone and considered by critics not only as the first important Honk Kong action comedy , but one of the best productions of the genre next to Chan's second best directed film, the timeless classic "Police Story". Besides being one of his most entertaining and funny movies, the film contains some of Jackie's best stunts ever. We've all seen the reckless and almost imprudent Asian stuntmen falling on their heads and backs from the roof to the solid floor in many occasions in 80's HK action movies, but no one can get used to watch Jackie climbing handcuffed to a flag pole, jumping to the top of a clock tower, and then falling to the ground with no protection but a couple of cloth roof tops. And he did it at least three times, two of them registered in this film. Even the MTV idiots getting their nipples bitten by baby alligators, think that is totally insane. Outstanding comedy and action, great period scenarios, enjoyable classic soundtrack: This movie defines an era.

So Jackie became a huge international star and Americans embraced this delightful character and action hero that he is, and the came the re-release of his early and most important work to satisfy the needs of us fans. Among those DVD releases, unfortunately we can find editions like this one. Check this out:

THE PROBLEMS:

- Incomplete, cut version with English dubbing, and the worst of all, the original amusing and perfectly synchronized music score was replaced by a new, awful synthesized random score, killing the comedy and sucking the joy out of the movie by trying to turn it into the current action flick.

- The Classic Golden Harvest presentation and original opening sequence with credits, was replaced by a computer generated pirate flag : Jackie Chan's Project A, the new title, makes clear that this release is a mere vehicle to show Jackie to new audiences, with no respect for anything else.

- The bar fight sequence is incomplete: The whole "spaghetti" incident was excluded. Nice.

- The scene in the gambling house in which the Sammo Hung character is introduced to the movie, was completely excluded. Now, he just happens to know everyone. Awesome.

- From the Police training sequence, the "shower" scene is missing.

- The intro of Sammo, Jackie and Yuen Biao in the arrest sequence at the club house is missing. The fight sequences are chopped off too.

- The intro of the rifle robbery on a boat at night perpetrated by Sammo and Jackie, conceived as a Peking Opera satire, is chopped off and ruined by the lack of score, wasting the rhymes and the joke intended.

- The pirate assault to the English ship sequence, chopped off.

- From then, everything is in place, till the new ending credits. By this time, only sadness for the lost original music score and impotence for the wasted money remains.

Honestly, the picture and sound are decent. But that's it. The intention of this DVD edition is to introduce new audiences to Jackie's glorious past, and in that part only, it delivers. But this is not the final choice for any collector or faithful fan, not for a moment.

THE SOLUTION:

A couple years ago, FORTUNE STAR released a flawless remastered ALL-REGION DVD Edition, including the complete version in Cantonese DTS, 5.1, and original 2.0 mono soundtrack (Hurrah!) with original character voices and music score, all the deleted scenes and outtakes, original HK trailer, and photo galleries. More than any fan could ask for, I tell you.

One of the best most awarded films and one of the most deep explorations of loneliness and sorrow, justly ranking among the best produced Hong Kong films of the 90's, this mysterious and sensual portrayal of sadness and melancholy is often mistaken for the typical swordplay action film, disappointing and even boring the fans of the genre. But make no mistake: This is an Art film in capital letters, a profound and oblique vision within the human soul, based on a non-linear development, flashbacks and voiceovers, with total character emphasis, expressionist camera and enveloping soundtrack, about the pain and intense regrets of the past and memories. The Wuxia film people expects, happens to be only the scenario for this striking epic tale about the meditation of love and the scars of the soul. Never the less, the mysticism provided by the ancient period and the arid landscapes, added to the skilled but tormented master swordsmen stereotype, is the essence and main appealing of the film. The action sequences by Sammo Hung are few and registered in a very particular and hard to digest fashion, like slow motion or kinetic blurry sequences, serving only the purpose of proving dramatic consequences or graphic portrayals of some characters.

Wong Kar Wai's sole intrusion in the popular Wuxia genre and recasting to the martial arts conventions, transcends the usual plot about honor, revenge, or the interminability of the spirit as a mere vehicle for showdowns and violent climax and vindication. Instead, he uses his incredible talent in creating a beautiful, dreamlike and stylized composition about memory, the irretrievability of the past and the consequent impossibility of love and happiness. The affecting enigmatic performances, the atmospheric stirring music, and the mesmerizing imagery of sterile alienating landscapes, are beyond known emotional levels for the genre, and the names of Kurosawa and Leone come out as a possible influences, mostly because of Christopher Doyle's gorgeous and lyrical cinematography providing lavish visual poetry, as composer Frankie Chan (known as the Manchu prince in "The Prodigal Song") creates the definitive Wuxia soundtrack, painting the atmosphere with delicate and sad sound layers accompanying the moments of deep revelations, or the loud rhythmic war fanfares of the epic battles.

The flaw of this otherwise perfect masterpiece, is that it requires more than one view to integrate the amount of apparently diffuse elements of the non-linear and flashback style of the movie, as it is intellectually demanding and highly stimulating. After the second or third viewing or a previous study of the plot, the experience can finally be rewarding, and once you're there, there's no turning back, as this movie steals your heart. Because this movie lacks of a single storyline, but it's based instead on different but connected characters and their memories, I would like to provide a short profile on each one for better understanding of the plot and the degrees of profundity:

- Ouyang Feng (Leslie Cheung): Once known as Evil West, Feng ekes out a lonely existence as a hired sword and agent for other assassins in a remote desert abode. Getting on years and tormented by memories of lost love, he's the main narrator of the story and the connection between other characters. Cinic and Haunted by the past.

- Huang Yaoshi (Tony Leung): Evil East, Ouyang's old friend and fellow swordsman, the emotionally crippled hero appears one day in Ouyang's home with a bottle of magic memory-erasing wine, as he drowns his lovelorn misery in it. Lonely and northless.

- Murong Yan / Yin (Brigitte Lin): A woman with a split personality (Yan, the brother and Yin, the sister) and a wounded soul, Yan hires Ouyang Feng to kill Huang Yaoshi as he betrayed his sister. Later, Yin also tries to hire Feng to kill her brother Yan, in a fair display of insanity and despair. Hungry for affection.

- The Girl (Charlie Yeung): One day, the shy but determined Girl visits Ouyang Feng to ask him for revenge against the soldiers who killed his brother, with nothing to offer but a basket of eggs and an old mule. Feng declines, so she stays outside for days waiting for someone who can help her. Sad and vulnerable.

- Blind Swordsman (Tony Leung): A colleague of Feng and Yaoshi, this enigmatic and sad character is looking for work as an assassin to raise money to return to his hometown and see the peach blossoms before he goes completely blind. Nostalgic and abandoned.

- Hong Qi (Jackie Cheung): A barefoot beggar with incredible fighting skills, he is often used by Feng in some dirty works. He is in searching of his old self before he got involved with Feng's business and cynicism, and he found in The Girl outside Feng's house, the opportunity for redemption. The only optimistic character despite the circumstances.

Those are the basic characters, and their stories and relationships are developed as the movie moves forward in several climaxes for each one, as well as other secondary but also important appearances of Maggie Cheung and Carina Liu as abandoned lovers, bring some sense and connection to the drama.

Finally, please don't get me started on any DVD, VCD, or even VHS edition of this outstanding classic. The only decent edition of "Ashes of Time" is the MEI AH Hong Kong DVD, actually the Laser Disc translation with imbedded English/Chinese subtitles , 1.0 mono, and not even a scene selection. Now wait, you think that's bad, the US edition is a total mess.

GOOD NEWS!!!!!! On October 10 2008, Sony Pictures will release "Ashes of Time REDUX", a new remastered version with extra footage and new soundtrack. I've heard it's quite amazing, as it was already released in other countries.

Despite the production problems during shooting, including the sudden death of young star Alexander Fu-Sheng causing the film to be re-written for Gordon Liu, this movie remains one of the best Shaw Brothers releases of the 80's.

The drama is heartwarming, the action sequences are breathtaking, long and complex just like Lau Kar Leung likes them: realistic approaches to real martial arts imagery, great speed and perfect synchronization.

When the prestigious Yang family is betrayed by general Pai Mei and only two of the seven spear-wielding warriors survive the ferocious assault of the Manchu troops in the early highlight of the incredible opening scene, the fifth son (Gordon Liu) seeks refuge in the Shaolin Temple to become a monk, learn the secrets of pole fighting, and plan his revenge against the traitor who is now chasing him and his remaining family.

This milestone in kung fu cinema is a must-see for any fan who takes pride in this genre. This is artistic filmmaking all the way, incredible absorbing drama combined with restless action in a classic revenge story in the line of "36th Chamber Of Shaolin".

Highly recommended, especially the Celestial edition, with good picture and sound quality and the original cut.