Game of Death II Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Game of Death II Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 30, 2020

Ng See-Yuan's "Game of Death II: (1981) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailers for the film; Wu Shih's documentary "Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend"; alternate opening; and more. In English, without optional SDH English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Game of Death II, also known as Tower of Death, is a very strange project. It is a cash grab disguised as a sequel to Game of Death that essentially borrows footage from other Bruce Lee films and then mixes it up with some extra footage directed by Ng See-Yuan. The film was apparently created for the Japanese market, where the original film became a massive hit.

Game of Death II Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.30:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Game of Death II arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. (Please note that the 1080p transfer is sourced from a standard definition master).

The film has decent organic qualities, but the authentic footage -- not the one that Ng See-Yuan produced -- is such that there are all kinds of different inconsistencies in terms of density, delineation, and even clarity. Color stability is good, but quite predictably different segments promote different saturation levels and even temperature. The extra/new footage looks clean and healthy. Some of the vintage footage can look a bit rough at times. All in all, this is a fine presentation of a rather bizarre film that even hardcore Bruce Lee fans might have a difficult time digesting. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Game of Death II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English Dolby Digital 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

The English dub track is a riot and makes Game of Death II a much more interesting film than it actually is. Without it I probably would not have not watched the entire film. It is predictably uneven in some areas, but it is clean and healthy. There is even a surprisingly good music score that sounds very good even in lossy audio.

Game of Death II Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers - vintage Japanese trailers for Game of Death II. With optional English subtitles. (7 min, 1080p).

• Alternate Opening - alternate opening for Game of Death II sourced from a VHS. (3 min, 1080p).

• Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend (1973) - this archival documentary film chronicles the life and work of Bruce Lee. It features clips from interviews with biographer and widow Linda Lee Caldwell, Chuck Norris, James Coburn, Robert Wall, and others. With optional English subtitles. Dolby Digital 1.0. (87 min, 1080p).
  
  1. Last respects
  2. Fundamentals
  3. Film career
  4. Unique action
  5. Back to Hollywood
  6. Sorrow

• Trailer - vintage for Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend . In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080i).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Jeff Chang as well as technical credits.

Game of Death II Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Game of Death II is such a bizarre film that it really has to be seen to be believed. I actually ended up enjoying it quite a bit because it comes with a very goofy but funny English dub, but I can't guarantee that Bruce Lee fans will have a similar experience with it. This release also has the excellent documentary Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend. RECOMMENDED.