6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Two CIA agents - a kung fu master (Bruce Le) and a suave womanizer (Richard Harrison) - track the stolen formula for a super-sterility drug from Spain to Hong Kong, battling Neo-Nazi terrorists and a Vietnamese spy ring for its possession.
Starring: Bruce Le, Richard Harrison (II), Nadiuska, Ming-Wai Chan, Brad HarrisMartial arts | 100% |
Action | 28% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Severin's The Game of Clones: Bruceploitation Collection Vol. 1.
When Severin Films released Kung Fu Trailers of
Fury
and Return of Kung Fu Trailers of
Fury
several years ago, I'm sure I wasn't the only one initially thinking, "Well, that's a stupid idea for a release", only to have the sheer
lunacy of the trailers assembled in both collections "fight back" against that assessment, as if to say in response, "Yeah, well who's stupid
now?" In fact, both Kung Fu Trailers of Fury and Return of Kung Fu Trailers of Fury were kind of deliriously enjoyable in
their
own slapdash way, and those releases evidently were one of the inspirations for a full on collection of so-called "Brucesploitation" films, this time
offering the actual films in addition to their trailers. The goofily affable Michael Worth, who has contributed so many fun commentaries
through the years to various kung fu films on Blu-ray, is your "host" of sorts here, offering introductions to all the films and commentaries for many
of
them. If none of these films is ever going to be acclaimed as an unappreciated masterpiece, and if both video and audio on many of the films in
this
set might be charitably termed problematic, merely having these films in high definition will be alluring, and an absolute glut of other supplemental
material is included as well, making this a probable "must have" for a certain demographic.
Challenge of the Tiger is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Michael Worth's introduction states that this transfer was scanned from an original camera negative, and as a result this has some of the best color and most appealing detail levels of any of the films in Severin's huge set. There are still noticeable variances in temperatures and densities, but on the whole, the palette is relatively consistently suffused and outdoor material in particular pops really quite well. There is quite a bit of damage still on display, often in scratches that extend horizontally for some reason. There's also some noticeable flicker that is probably most evident toward the edges of the frame.
As with the video side of things, Challenge of the Tiger's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track is relatively secure sounding, at least when compared to some of the other tracks in Severin's set. There's still the same boxy sound I've noted in several other reviews, but there's a rather appealingly forceful midrange and low end that helps to support both scoring and sound effects. There's still some minor sibilance and similar phasing sounds that can be discerned in dialogue and some of the funkier cues. Optional English subtitles are available.
Challenge of the Tiger may benefit at least in part from the perception that its "Bruceploitation" aspect is almost secondary. There's an almost ludicrous amount of gratuitous nudity paired with mad scientist shenanigans that may seem pretty far removed from the Bruce Lee canon, or in this case (vis a vis Harrison's character), Cannon. This has some of the best video and audio of the set, and has an especially enjoyable commentary by Michael Worth and C. Courtney Joyner.
(Still not reliable for this title)
Za jia gao shou / 雜家高手
1979
The New Game of Death / Xin si wang you xi / 新死亡遊戲
1975
Bruce Lee: A Dragon Story / Yi dai meng long / 一代猛龍
1974
Dragon on Fire / Kuai quan guai zhao / 快拳怪招
1978
Shen wei san meng long / 神威三猛龍
1980
Mission for the Dragon / Ying quan / Maegwon / 鷹拳
1979
Si wang mo ta / 死亡魔塔
1978
He's a Legend, He's a Hero / Yong chun da xiong / 詠春大兄
1976
Cameroun Connection
1985
Bruce Against Iron Hand / Dai gau tau yue siu leung ji / Da jiao tou yu sao niang zi / 大教頭與騷娘子
1979
2023
Shǎo lín sì / 少林寺
1976
Countdown in Kung Fu / 少林門
1976
1997
Huáng jiā shī jiě IV: Zhí jī zhèng rén | Wong ga si je IV: Jik gik jing yan | 皇家師姐IV 直擊證人 | 2K Remastered
1989
The Executioners of Death / Hong Xi Guan
1977
Return of the 5 Deadly Venoms
1978
1978
Tang shan wu hu / 唐山五虎
1979
Five Fingers of Death / Tian xia di yi quan
1972