Drunken Master II 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Drunken Master II 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 25, 2026

Note: This film is available in 4K UHD as part of Arrow Videos's Jackie Chan's Breakout Hits! 4K collection.

Arrow's set of Jackie Chan movies spans the years 1994 to 1998, when Chan seemed to burst (in more than one way) out of virtually nowhere, at least to non-Asian audiences, to become a global superstar, an achievement that perhaps was officially accomplished per some verbiage on the slipcover of this release when Rush Hour (not included in this collection) became such an international sensation. Most of the films in this set have had prior 1080 releases (links to reviews will be provided in the appropriate reviews of the 4K editions), evidence in and of itself of how enduringly popular this particular era of Chan outings has been. Arrow's set includes a number of alternate cuts (some of the films in this set have so many alternate cuts the different versions are spread across two discs) and new 4K restorations culled from original negatives, along with their typically bountiful supply of on disc supplements. The set comes with Arrow's also typically handsome packaging which in this case includes a much heftier than average collector's booklet and a veritable host of non disc swag.

Variant cuts of this film have been released on 1080 through the years, and both Ken Brown's The Legend of Drunken Master Blu-ray review and Randy Miller III's Drunken Master II Blu-ray review provide plot information, lists of supplements, and reactions to the technical presentations.

Drunken Master II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: This release does not include a 1080 Blu-ray, so these screenshots are taken directly from the 4K UHD disc and downscaled to 1080 and SDR. Color space in particular is therefore not accurate, and I recommend those interested to look at some of the screenshots in the above linked 1080 reviews for a probably better representation of the palette. Since this release does not include a 1080 disc, the 2K video score above has been intentionally left blank.

Drunken Master II is presented in 4K UHD with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. Arrow's War and Peace size insert booklet (that's a joke, but maybe not by much) lumps all of the films in this set together on two pages offering the following information about the presentations:

Drunken Master II, Rumble in the Bronx, Thunderbolt, Police Story 4: First Strike, Mr. Nice Guy and Who Am I? have been exclusively restored for this collection by Arrow Films. The original feature film camera negative elements have been used as the primary source materials for this work, but extensive research was also undertaken to locate and identify additional materials to restore original logos, credits, cut scenes and reconstruct alternate release versions. The films are presented in 4K resolution in HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

The Hong Kong Cut of Drunken Master II is presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Cantonese mono (both the original theatrical mix and an alternate home video mix), Mandarin mono and English (export dub) mono audio. The International Cut is presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with English (export dub) mono audio. The US Cut, re-titled The Legend of Drunken Master is presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with English 5.1 audio.

The Hong Kong Cut of Rumble in the Bronx is presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Cantonese stereo and English mono audio. The International Cut version is presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with stereo and 5.1 English audio, and the burnt-in subtitles are presented as per the original theatrical release.

Thunderbolt is presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Cantonese stereo, English (export dub) stereo and English (New Line dub) 5.1 audio. The Japanese Cut is presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Cantonese stereo audio.

Police Story 4: First Strike is presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Cantonese stereo and Mandarin stereo audio. The International Cut, re-titled Jackie Chan's First Strike, is presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with stereo and 5.1 English audio.

All three versions of Mr. Nice Guy (Japanese, Hong Kong and International) are presented in their original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with stereo and 5.1 English audio.

Both versions of Who Am I? (Hong Kong and International) are presented in their original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with English stereo and 5.1 audio. For the Hong Kong Cut, alternate English 5.1 audio with Cantonese-dubbed sections is also included.

The original 35mm camera negatives and additional film elements were scanned at 4K/16 bit resolution at Warner Bros / Motion Picture Imaging.

The films were restored in 4K resolution and color-graded at Duplitech.

Audio restoration was completed by Þorsteinn Gíslason.

All materials sourced for this new master were made available by Warner Bros.

Michael was pretty underwhelmed by Disney's 1080 release of The Legend of Drunken Master, but Randy was considerably more enthusiastic about Warner Archive's Drunken Master II (with a couple of caveats), and those interested are encouraged to peruse those reviews both for analyses but also opportunities to compare screenshots. All of the versions offered here show undeniable improvement with regard to some of the issues from the original releases, and all of the versions offer generally very appealing clarity and detail levels. There are some slight differences along the way, typically pretty minor, as in some wobble during the credits of the International cut that aren't in the Hong Kong cut. All three versions can show very minor density fluctuations which tend to be most noticeable in the last third or so of each presentation. While the palette is definitely a bit muted and indeed even a bit "muddy" per a previous review at times (flesh tones in particular can be on the brown side), the HDR / Dolby Vision grades definitely add some energy to some of the primaries in particular. The reds of the early train scene are just one of many examples where things pop very vividly. More nuanced hues are present especially in some of the female apparel where jewel tones are often emphasized. Grain is nicely resolved throughout the presentation.

Drunken Master II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is a glut of audio options depending on the version chosen. The Hong Kong cut features two Cantonese LPCM Mono options (the original theatrical mix and an alternate video mix), as well as LPCM Mono tracks in Mandarin and English. The International cut features LPCM Mono in English, while the US Cut has a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix in English. Of all of the mono tracks in Chinese, I personally liked the original Cantonese the best, as it's rather vibrant and well balanced with an appealing midrange. Both the alternate Cantonese track as well as the Mandarin track are a bit softer and less vibrant. The English mono track, though, may ultimately be the best balanced and fullest sounding, with the least brash high end. The DTS- HD Master Audio 5.1 does open things up noticeably, starting with scoring but certainly during the action sequences, where various effects can pummel the listener from every direction. Fans will want to at least sample all three versions as there are manifest differences in everything from effects to music at times. Dialogue is rendered without any issues in all languages. Optional English subtitles are available.

Drunken Master II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Hong Kong Version (UHD; 1:42:07)


• International Version (UHD; 1:43:03)


• U.S. Version (UHD; 1:42:33)


• Commentary by Frank Djeng & FJ DeSanto


• Before the Breakout (HD; 8:50) is a 2026 featurette with Wang Yao, Dr. Wayne Wong, David West and James Mudge offering an overview of the early years Chan's career. Subtitled in English as needed.


• Breakout! Part 1: Drunken Master II (HD; 9:28) is another 2026 piece which replaces Wang Yao with the mononymic Mars and retains the other three in comments about this film. Subtitled in English as needed.


• Deadly When Drunken (HD; 12:17) is a 2025 interview with Yuen Kai-Chi. Subtitled in English.


• Tipsy Tribulations (HD; 10:47) is a 2025 interview with Mars. Subtitled in English.


• Period Postures (HD; 12:17) is a 2025 interview with historian Dr. Lars Laamann.


• Drunken Defiance (HD; 10:22) is a 2025 appreciation by Ricky Baker.


• Behind the Master (HD; 6:40) is an archival 2000 interview with Jackie Chan.


• Mandarin Version Excerpts

Mandarin Opening Credits (HD; 1:18)




Alternate Mandarin Drinking Scene (HD; 2:09)

• Textless Outtakes (HD; 2:27)


• Chinese New Year Messages (HD; 00:42) are two brief introductions by Chan for Asian markets culled from old VHS copies.


• Theatrical Trailers

Cantonese (HD; 4:04)




English (HD; 2:28)




USA (HD; 1:50)

• Image Gallery (UHD)

Drunken Master II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Drunken Master II by any other name would still be a great example of Chan's comedic and action chops (in more than one way). Finally fans have a chance to see all three cuts of the film on one disc, and Arrow is providing solid technical merits and some very appealing supplements. Highly recommended.