Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Black Lizard Blu-ray Movie Review

Black Lizard is an enormously entertaining entry in the Shaw Brothers filmography. Produced by Mona Fong Yat-Wah (The Boxer’s Omen, The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter) and Run Run Shaw (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Come Drink with Me), Black Lizard features a story by Ying Wong. Black Lizard includes an impressive cast of actors including Derek Tung-Sing Yee, Helen Poon, Man-No Chen, Hua Yueh, Mo Yuen, and Chih-Ching Yang. Shaw Brothers fans will enjoy the martial arts classic.

The Black Lizard is a mysterious and surreal tale of the macabre. The martial arts classic features a blend of thrills, murder-mystery, and drama. The Black Lizard features a more macabre style and tone that is different from the norm for most Shaw Brothers action classics. With a surreal style, Lung Fei (Derek Tung-Sing Yee) encounters an omen about Ting Tzu-Chu (Helen Poon) that foretells her impending death. Can Ting Tzu-Chu be saved by Lung Fei?

The lead performances are noteworthy and add to the filmmaking. Black Lizard features Derek Tung-Sing Yee and Helen Poon in impressive roles. The actors have fun performing in a supernatural and mysterious Shaw Brothers feature-film. The acting is entertaining and works well within the action-adventure.

The art direction by Chan King-Sam (The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, The Mighty Peking Man) is an impressive highlight of Black Lizard. The art design is excellent and a standout component with Black Lizard. Black Lizard features a lot of superb supernatural visuals. The sometimes eerie and haunting visual style is one of the key aspects of the film. The genre elements are well-established and these aspects help to highlight the supernatural qualities in spades. There is a lot to appreciate about the art direction and the visual effects.

The Black Lizard features quality hairstyling by Peng Yen-Lien (The Boxer’s Omen, The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter). The feature also includes makeup efforts by Wu Hsu-Ching (A Touch of Zen, Dragon Inn). The costume designs by Liu Chi-Yu (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, The Five Venoms) are well-done and help enhance the storytelling, too. These aesthetic qualities add to the visual style of the filmmaking.

At the front-and-center of the production: the stunts by Tang Tak-Cheung (Shaolin Abbot, Demon of the Lute), Yuen Wah (Enter the Dragon, Opium and the Kung Fu Master), and Yuen Bun (A Moment of Romance, A Hero Never Dies). The stunt work is impressive and there is plenty to appreciate in spades. The stunt choreography is a highlight with wonderful action-packed gusto and energy. An outstanding showcase for the spectacle of the action-packed filmmaking.

The score composed by Eddie H. Wang Chi-Ren (Dirty Ho, Clan of the White Lotus) is a joy to listen to and is integral to the film. The music enhances the action and the atmosphere. Black Lizard is a spooky and surrealistic entry and the score builds on the foundation. Black Lizard is certainly a Shaw Brothers film with a top-notch score – the music being essential to the experience.

The cinematography by Huang Chieh (The Sentimental Swordsman, Buddha’s Palm) is creative and surreal. The visual splendor of Black Lizard is enormous. The cinematography brings the stunning atmosphere to life. Black Lizard oozes style in spades. There is so much to appreciate about the cinematographic style.

Edited by Yu Siu-fung (The Avenging Eagle, Haunted Tales) and Chiang Hsing-Lung (The Five Venoms, Five Element Ninjas), Black Lizard has a good pace overall. The storytelling has an eerie and surreal quality highlighted by the editors. Everything flows nicely with the well-cut editing.

Written and directed by Yuen Chor (The Spirit of the Sword, Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan), Black Lizard is a must-see Shaw Brothers classic. Chor did a fantastic job as the filmmaker behind the production. The surreal qualities of the filmmaking are top-notch and reason enough to see this Shaw Brothers gem. The artistic quality of Black Lizard is exceptional.

Black Lizard Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, Black Lizard is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The high-definition transfer is pleasing and filmic looking. The image can be a bit soft at times but it looks impressive overall and certainly pleases with nice color reproduction and fine detail. The cinematography shines beautifully with the presentation. The transfer is exceptionally clean and free from print damage, scratches, and dirt. The scan is enormously pleasing. A solid encode, too.

Black Lizard Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (with English subtitles) and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono. The lossless audio is satisfying on the release. Dialogue is clear and is easy to understand. The score is well reproduced. The soundstage effective. English subtitles are well-done and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

Black Lizard Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary with Film Critic James Mudge

Original Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:56)

Black Lizard Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Black Lizard is an entertaining and surreal experience. The filmmaking is top-notch and the mysterious qualities of the film help it to stand out as something exceptionally special. The production is so well done. A must-see Shaw Brothers classic. The Blu-ray release features a quality high-definition presentation and lossless audio. The release also comes with an audio commentary. Highly recommended.