Brothers Five Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Brothers Five Blu-ray Movie Review

Brothers Five is an entertaining Shaw Brothers gem with plenty of spectacle for fans of the martial arts genre. Produced by Runme Shaw (The Lady Professional, The Kid with the Golden Arm), Brothers Five features outstanding action and spectacle. Pei-Pei Cheng impresses with a great lead performance. Featuring co-performances by Han Chin, Yi Chang, Yuen Kao, Hua Yueh, Lieh Lo, Feng Tien, and Feng Ku.

Heroine Yen Hsing-kung (Pei-Pei Cheng) is the only warrior capable of bringing back unity back for the five Kao brothers: Blacksmith Kao Hao (Han Chin), Scholar Kao Chih (Yi Chang), Security chief Kao Yung (Yuen Kao), Valet Kao Wei (Hua Yueh), and Kao Hsia (Lieh Lo). Bringing all five back together might not be so easy for Yen Hsing-kung. Can Yen Hsing-kung accomplish the impossible task?

The goal of bringing back together the Kao brothers is to take on a new mission to defeat the killers residing inside the Teng Lung Manor. The vicious killers were responsible for the brothers’ fathers murder and are ruthless. Can Yen Hsing-kung defeat the bandit enemies with the Kao brothers? Obstacles await but resilience can yield results.

Pei-Pei Cheng is such a remarkable action hero. It is so easy to see why Pei-Pei Cheng became a mega star for Hong Kong action cinema. There is something that is undeniably powerful about her presence and ability to command the screen. Pei-Pei Cheng provides plenty of charisma and grace in her leading role. Alongside her co-stars, Pei-Pei Cheng steals the show but there are still great moments for the brothers.

The cinematography by Cho-Hua Wu (Sacred Knives of Vengeance, Vengeance of a Snowgirl) is lush and visually warm. The cinematography provides a great sense of splendor to the production. The serene sense of visual majesty is a big element of the production. The visuals enhance the storytelling.

The stunts are incredible. Featuring action stunts coordinated by Simon Hsu (The Dragon Missile, Vengeance of a Snowgirl), the stunt-work is top-notch. It is such a vital part of the film. The fun experience of the action spectacle is brought to life by the stunt coordinator. The stunts are often over-the-top in the best way possible – the stunts often remind me of dance. It’s like watching a ballet of martial arts.

The score composed by Fu-Ling Wang (One-Armed Boxer, King Eagle) is engaging and fun. The music is a big part of the spectacle. The score provides an exciting backdrop for the martial arts sequences. The music is ambitious and engaging. A great score by Wang.

Written by Wei Lo and Kuang Ni (Dirty Ho, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin), Brothers Five is a fun script and it is highly entertaining to see it play out. The script has a great concept and it works perfectly within the Shaw Brothers martial arts universe. A solid story and fun characters.

Directed by Wei Lo (The Big Boss, New Fist of Fury), Brothers Five is a great watch for Shaw Brothers fans. More exceptional entertainment for martial arts enthusiasts. What’s not to love? The film has outstanding action and spectacle. It is easy to be swept away by the filmmaking.

Brothers Five Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, Brothers Five is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The release provides a solid high-definition presentation of the feature-film. The presentation showcases excellent color reproduction and solid detail. Though the transfer can be somewhat soft at times and has some processing, this is nonetheless an engaging transfer of the film. A solid encode by Shout Factory.

Brothers Five Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (with English subtitles). The lossless audio quality sounds crisp and engaging on the release. Dialogue is well reproduced. The soundtrack score sounds remarkable and is a highlight of the audio presentation. The subtitles are excellent and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

Brothers Five Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary with Film Critic James Mudge

Audio Commentary with Film Historian Brian Bankston

Celestial Trailer (HD, 1:21)

Brothers Five Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Brothers Five is an exciting and action-packed gem. The spectacle is enormous. Brothers Five features an outstanding lead performance by Pei-Pei Cheng. An enormous amount of fun with great action scenes. The Blu-ray release features a solid high-definition presentation and lossless audio. The release also includes two audio commentary tracks – these extras are sure to please commentary fans. Another great Shaw Brothers film fans won't want to miss. Recommended.