Full Alert Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Full Alert Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 17, 2021

Ringo Lam's "Full Alert" (1997) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio interview with composer Peter Kam; new audio commentary by Hong Kong cinema expert Frank Djeng; vintage trailer for the film; and more. In Cantonese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

During a major police operation in Hong Kong, Inspector Pao (Lau Ching-Wan) and his men are able to track down wanted gang member Mak Kwan (Francis Ng). After he is transferred to the local precinct, Mak Kwan is questioned by Inspector Pao and told to warn his accomplices not to attempt to free him. Nevertheless, a few days later Inspector Pao loses Mak Kwan while he is being transported to a maximum-security prison on the opposite side of town. One of Inspector Pao’s best men is shot dead as well.

After the internal noise from the failure to keep Mak Kwan in custody subsides, Inspector Pao discovers that the fugitive has struck a deal with another elusive Taiwanese gangster (Jack Kao) and together they plan to rob the city’s prestigious Jockey Club. At first the discovery confuses Inspector Pao because at the end of each business day the heavily guarded Jockey Club deposits the revenue from all betting operations in a nearby bank, but notes and a blueprint recovered at Mak Kwan’s apartment reveal that there are times when exceptions are made and large amounts of money can spend the night in a giant underground vault. To prevent the robbery, Inspector Pao immediately reaches out to the directors of the Jockey Club, but it quickly becomes obvious that Mak Kwan and his partners are already a few steps ahead of him. In the ensuing chaos, Inspector Pao’s wife and little girl become targets for the gangsters as well.

Ringo Lam earned his reputation for being one of Hong Kong’s best action directors while shooting films precisely like Full Alert. To be clear, they were not groundbreaking masterpieces or even innovative genre-benders, they just delivered everything action junkies expected when they wanted to be entertained the right way. Ringo Lam knew it too, so he kept utilizing the same formula until 2016. (The director unexpectedly died from cold-related complications in 2018. He was 63.)

While the action in Full Alert is once again relentless, there is a lot of layered drama in it that slowly transforms it into a surprisingly interesting character study. Indeed, after the initial encounter between Inspector Pao and Mak Kwan, the film slowly begins erasing the obvious lines that separate them and eventually reveals that both try to protect what makes their lives worth living in practically the same way. Because they are professionals on the opposite ends of the law, however, their methods differ.

The prolonged clash between the two men presents a familiar dilemma, which is the film’s Achilles’ heel. After building up their images as true professionals that would do whatever it takes to get a result, both men are seen hesitating to kill at crucial moments. There are specific reasons behind their hesitation and in the middle of the chaos they are not entirely unrealistic, but the simple truth is that in the real world real professionals would not think twice to take out an armed opponent if the fate of their mission is on the line. Needless to say, the segments where the two men are seen pondering the act of killing not only do not look convincing, but have a negative impact on the inevitable resolution of their clash as well.

Of course, the main attraction in Full Alert is the action and there is more than enough of it. Predictably, it features a great deal of top-notch stunt work on the streets of Hong Kong which reminds yet again that before CGI this place was one of the world’s most attractive stages for these types of high-octane action films.

Full Alert Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Full Alert arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

On my system the film looked very good. Density levels could have been slightly better, but the visuals hold up well and on a larger screen fluidity is decent as well. The grain can appear a tad powdery at times, which was typically a limitation on older masters, but the film does not have a dated appearance. In some areas there is definitely room for improvements, but I think that the majority of them would be considered cosmetic improvements. For example, in some darker areas shadow definition isn't optimal, but while viewing the film I did not think that there were any serious issues. Color balance can be better as well, but once again I did not see any troubling anomalies to report in our review. Highlights could have been managed with great care, but the overall balance is still pleasing. There are no traces of compromising digital work. Image stability is very good. Finally, I did not encounter any age-related imperfections. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Full Alert Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Cantonese LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is very good. As far as I am concerned, it is immediately obvious that when the current master was prepared the audio was properly transferred and the native qualities of the original soundtrack were preserved. However, I was genially surprised to see that the release does not have a 5.1 track considering the massive amount of high-octane action that is at the heart of the film. The dialog is clear and easy to follow. The English translation is very good.

Full Alert Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage original trailer for Full Alert. In Cantonese, not subtitled. (3 min).

• A Conversation with Peter Kam - in this audio interview, composer Peter Kam explains how he fell in love with music and entered the film business, and discusses the intricacies of scoring a film, the Hong Kong film business, his collaboration with Ringo Lam on Full Alert and some of the particular ways in which the music themes from his soundtrack interact with the drama, etc. In English, not subtitled. (86 min).

• Commentary One - in this archival audio commentary, director Ringo Lam explains how Full Alert was conceived after he had returned home from Hollywood, and discusses the casting process, how various key sequences were shot, etc. In Cantonese, with English subtitles.

• Commentary Two - in this new audio commentary, Hong Kong cinema expert Frank Djeng discusses in great detail Ringo Lam's career and the exact period in which he directed Full Alert, the film's style and tone as well as key locations where particular sequences were shot (including one street that apparently no longer exists), some interesting trends in Hong Kong cinema during the '90s, etc.

• Booklet - an illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by David West (NEO Magazine) as well as technical credits.

Full Alert Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While I did not find the final phase of the evolution of the rivalry between Inspector Pao and Mak Kwan particularly convincing, I think that Full Alert highlights quite well the key strengths of Ringo Lam's style. All of them have something to do with action, which of course is the gritty old-fashioned action that blossomed in Hong Kong between the late '70s and early '90s. I think that Full Alert is an excellent addition to Eureka Entertainment's catalog, so hopefully the label will have more such acquisitions in 2022. If you decide to pick up this release for your library, please keep in mind that it is Region-B "locked". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.