This movie is a marvel of stunt work, but it’s so hard to separate any one stunt that the award is given to the team as a whole for the most stunt fantastic film of 1983. This is the time when Jackie started to come into his own. So many of the films he made during this period is simply mind blowing. I have no idea how he does what he does.
The stunt at the end, the “hanging from the clock tower” stunt is a homage to Safety Last!. At least three different takes were shot; two are shown during the course of the film, and a third at the end under the credits. The second take almost cost Jackie his life as he lands directly on his head. Jackie fills his films with stunts from start to finish but he always seems to try and top himself with a shattering closing stunt.
The way Jackie works on his films are very different than a lot of filmmakers. Steven Spielberg for example has everything storyboarded out for a film, every location, every camera angle, every stunt. Jackie will have a line in the script that will read as, “Jackie fights” and then when Jackie gets to the actual set that they will be filming the fight scene, he goes through several days exploring the set for props to fight with, furniture to fight around, and major stunts that he can use from the set. It’s all created there and then. The crew and stunt team then can spend weeks filming the sequence to make it just perfect.
The great thing about Jackie Chan is that his process allows for creativity on the spot. He likes to document everything and so the audience is given access to the process. He puts a lot of the accidents, stunts and background footage into the credits of his films so we can feel like we are a part of the making of the film and to see how things are done. It really adds an excitement to the whole thing. At times, my brother and I would replay these credits, more than we would the films!
Project A was directed by Jackie Chan for Golden Harvest.
Check out our new Book, 100 Years of the Best Movie Stunts!
Things to look up (go to IMDB):
- Jackie Chan
- Project A
- Golden Harvest
History of stunt terms as defined by Wikipedia: The Jackie Chan Stunt Team, also known as Jackie Chan’s Stuntmen Association is a group of stuntmen and martial artists who work alongside Jackie Chan.
The group originated from the relationships Chan formed in his early starring roles in Hong Kong action movies. Several of his co-stars and stuntmen hired by the film studios began working together regularly. This engendered a familiarity of one another’s skills and abilities and it made sense for them to become a working team. Some of the members had received training at the Peking Opera schools, similar to Chan.
By 1983, and the release of the film Project A, the stunt team had become an official organisation of 6 members. The organisation meant that the stuntmen not only received insurance coverage, but also a monthly salary and higher pay. By the time of Police Story 2 in 1988, the team had expanded to around 20 members. This incarnation of the team was disbanded in 1990 and thereafter, individual members were contracted and used on a film by film basis rather than all members remaining on the payroll. This allowed for some new faces, and the return of former members.
The formation of Chan’s team influenced others in the business to follow suit, particularly his former co-stars and “brothers” Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao (their stunt teams known as “Hung Ga Ban” and “Yuen Ga Ban” respectively). Other actors to form their own stunt teams include Lau Kar-leung, Philip Ko, Stanley Tong and Bruce Law. Chan’s stunt team has worked in collaboration with Sammo Hung’s team on films including Thunderbolt and Around the World in 80 Days. A small number of films that Chan produced but did not appear in, or was not involved in at all, have utilised his stunt team. These include The Gold Hunters (1981), Rouge (1988), The Inspector Wears Skirts 2 (1989), Stage Door Johnny (1990) and Angry Ranger (1991).
These are former and current members of Chan’s stunt team. Where possible, the films they have worked on are included:
- Michael Tse –
- Andy Kay –
- Colin Flora – Rumble in the Bronx, Rush Hour 2
- Brad Allan (Bradley James Allan) – Mr. Nice Guy, Who Am I?, Jackie Chan: My Stunts, Gorgeous, Shanghai Noon, The Accidental Spy, Rush Hour 2, The Tuxedo, Shanghai Knights, The Medallion, New Police Story, Rush Hour 3, Armour Of God 3: Chinese Zodiac. Stunt Team Leader. First ever non-Asian member of the JC Team.
- Paul Andreovski – Mr. Nice Guy, Who Am I?, Shanghai Noon, The Accidental Spy, Rush Hour 2, The Tuxedo, Shanghai Knights, The Medallion, Around the World in 80 Days, The Spy Next Door Chan’s personal boxing coach
- Andy Owen (Andrew Owen) – Rush Hour 3
- Andy Long (Andreas Nguyen) – Armour Of God 3: Chinese Zodiac
- Yamson Domingo – Police Story, Thunderbolt
- Anthony Carpio (Go Shut-Fung) – Armour of God, Project A Part II, Police Story 2 Miracles, Twin Dragons, Drunken Master II, Thunderbolt, Jackie Chan: My Stunts, The Accidental Spy, The Medallion, New Police Story, Rob-B-Hood
- Chris Chan (Chan Sai-Tang) – Project A Part II, Police Story 2, Miracles, Twin Dragons, City Hunter, Crime Story, The Accidental Spy
- Chan Man-ching – Dragons Forever, Police Story 3: Supercop, Drunken Master II, Rumble in the Bronx, Thunderbolt, Police Story 4: First Strike, Mr. Nice Guy, Rush Hour, Who Am I?, Jackie Chan: My Stunts, Gorgeous, The Accidental Spy, Rob-B-Hood
- Chan Tat-kwong (Chan Daat-Gong) – Project A, Police Story, Armour of God, Project A Part II, Police Story 2, Dragons Forever, Miracles, Twin Dragons, Crime Story, Drunken Master II, Thunderbolt, The Medallion, New Police Story, Rob-B-Hood
- Andy Cheng (Cheng Kai-Chung) – Mr. Nice Guy, Who Am I?, Jackie Chan: My Stunts, Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon, Rush Hour 2, The Tuxedo
- Johnny Cheung (Cheung Yiu-Wah) – Dragon Lord, Project A, The Protector, Police Story, Armour of God, Project A Part II, Dragons Forever, Police Story 2, Miracles, Twin Dragons, Crime Story, Drunken Master II, Police Story 4: First Strike, Rush Hour, Who Am I?, Jackie Chan: My Stunts, Around the World in 80 Days, Rob-B-Hood
- Danny Chow (Chow Yun-kin) – Dragon Lord, Police Story, Project A Part II, Dragons Forever, Miracles
- Joe Eigo – The Medallion, Around the World in 80 Days
- Fung Hak-on (Fung Hark-On) – Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow, The Young Master, Winners and Sinners, Heart of Dragon, The Protector, Police Story, Dragons Forever, Miracles, Twin Dragons
- Hon Chun – Project A Part II, Thunderbolt, Rob-B-Hood
- Dani Hu (Fok Chan Keung) – The Protector, Police Story
- Louis Keung (Mak Wai-Cheung) – Heart of the Dragon, Miracles, Police Story 3: Supercop, Thunderbolt, Jackie Chan: My Stunts, Gorgeous, The Medallion
- Benny Lai (Lai Keung-Kuen) – The Young Master, Dragon Lord, Project A, Wheels on Meals, Police Story, Armour of God, Project A Part II, Police Story 2, Dragons Forever, Miracles, Operation Condor, Twin Dragons, Rumble in the Bronx, Thunderbolt, The Accidental Spy, Rush Hour 2
- Rocky Lai (Lai Keung-Kun) – Project A, Police Story, Armour of God, Project A Part II, Dragons Forever, Police Story 2, Miracles, Twin Dragons, Police Story 3: Supercop, Drunken Master II, Thunderbolt, Rumble in the Bronx, Police Story 4: First Strike, Mr. Nice Guy, Who Am I?, Jackie Chan: My Stunts, Gorgeous, The Accidental Spy, The Medallion, Rob-B-Hood
- Sam Wong (Lai Sing-kwong / Wong Ming-Sing) – Project A, Police Story, Armour of God, Project A Part II, Police Story 2, Miracles, Polie Story 3: Supercop, City Hunter, Crime Story, Drunken Master II, Thunderbolt, Rumble in the Bronx, Who Am I?, Rush Hour, Jackie Chan: My Stunts, Gorgeous, The Accidental Spy. Stunt Team Leader.
- Ben Lam (Lam Kwok-Bun) – Heart of Dragon, Police Story, Project A Part II, Police Story 2
- Chris Li (Lee Kin Sang) – Project A, Police Story, Project A Part II, Police Story 2, Miracles, Twin Dragons, Drunken Master II
- Lee Chun-kit – Project A Part II, Police Story 2, Miracles
- Nicky Li (Li Chung-Chi) – Project A, Armour of God, Project A Part II, Dragons Forever, Miracles, Twin Dragons, Crime Story, Drunken Master II, Thunderbolt, Rumble in the Bronx, Mr. Nice Guy, Rush Hour, Who Am I?, Shanghai Noon, Rush Hour 2, The Tuxedo, Shanghai Knights, The Medallion, Around the World in 80 Days, New Police Story, Rob-B-Hood. Stunt Team Leader.
- Ken Lo (Lo Wai-Kwong) – Project A Part II, Police Story 2, Miracles, Operation Condor, City Hunter, Police Story 3: Supercop, Crime Story, Drunken Master II, Thunderbolt, Police Story 4: First Strike, Who Am I?, Rush Hour, Jackie Chan: My Stunts, Gorgeous, Rush Hour 2, Shanghai Knights, Around the World in 80 Days, New Police Story, The Myth, Rob-B-Hood, Armour Of God 3: Chinese Zodiac Also known for working as Chan’s personal bodyguard.
- Mars (Chiang Wing-fat / Feng Sing) – The Young Master, Dragon Lord, Winners and Sinners, Project A, Wheels on Meals, The Protector, Police Story, Armour of God, Project A Part II, Dragons Forever, Police Story 2, Miracles, Operation Condor, Police Story 3: Supercop, Twin Dragons, Crime Story, Drunken Master II, Thunderbolt, Police Story 4: First Strike, Rumble in the Bronx, Mr. Nice Guy, Rush Hour, Gorgeous, Jackie Chan: My Stunts, Rush Hour 2, Shanghai Knights, Around the World in 80 Days, New Police Story. Chan’s best stunt double.
- Max Huang (Huang You Liang) – Armour Of God 3: Chinese Zodiac
- Jack Wong (Wong Wai-Leung) – Jackie Chan: My Stunts, The Accidental Spy, Around the World in 80 Days, New Police Story, Rob-B-Hood
- Pang Hiu-sang – Police Story
- Frankie Poon (Poon Bin-chung) – Project A, Project A Part II
- William Tuen (Tuan Wai-Lun) – City Hunter, Police Story 3: Supercop, Crime Story, Drunken Master II, Thunderbolt, Rush Hour, Gorgeous, Rush Hour 2
- Wan Faat – Snake in the Monkey’s Shadow, Project A, The Protector, Police Story, Project A Part II, Dragons Forever, Police Story 2, Miracles, Operation Condor, Twin Dragons, Crime Story, Drunken Master II
- Paul Wong (Wong Kwan) – The Young Master, Dragon Lord, Winners and Sinners, The Protector, Police Story
- Jon Foo (Jonathan Patrick Foo) – The Myth
- Peng Zhang – Rush Hour 3
- He Jun (Hoh Gwan) – Shanghai Knights, The Medallion, Around The World In 80 Days, New Police Story, The Myth, Rob-B-Hood, The Spy Next Door, Armour Of God 3: Chinese Zodiac
- Gang Wu (Ng Kong) – Shanghai Noon, Rush Hour 2, The Tuxedo, Shanghai Knights, The Medallion, Around the World in 80 Days, New Police Story, The Myth, Rob-B-Hood, Rush Hour 3, The Spy Next Door, Armour Of God 3: Chinese Zodiac
- Park Hyun Jin – Rush Hour 2, The Tuxedo, Shanghai Knights, The Medallion, Around the World in 80 Days, New Police Story, The Myth, Rob-B-Hood, Rush Hour 3, The Spy Next Door
- Lee In Seob – The Tuxedo, Shanghai Knights, The Medallion, Around the World in 80 Days, New Police Story, The Myth, Rob-B-Hood, Rush Hour 3, Armour Of God 3: Chinese Zodiac
- Han Kwan Hua (Han Guan Hua) – Shanghai Knights, The Medallion, New Police Story, Around the World in 80 Days, The Myth, Rob-B-Hood, Rush Hour 3, The Spy Next Door, Armour Of God 3: Chinese Zodiac
