Have Sword, Will Travel Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Have Sword, Will Travel Blu-ray Movie Review

Have Sword, Will Travel is one of the greatest of the Shaw Brothers classics. Produced by Runme Shaw (The Sword Stained with Royal Blood, Five Deadly Venoms), Have Sword, Will Travel is an incredible production. The feature-film stars the legendary Ti Lung and David Chiang.

Siang (Ti Lung) is now in charge of supervising and protecting an armored van containing 200,000 taels of valuable silver – equivalent to 200 million of gold. The silver is worth more than its weight in pounds – the silver is one of the hottest commodities and the currency needs the best protection in the business. Yun Piau Piau (Ching Lee) also helps protect the currency on the armored van.

The stakes are high as the assets cannot be lost or stolen. Jiau Hong (Ku Feng) wants to steal all of the taels of silver on the vehicle and to gain the endless wealth that it promises him. As the leader of the villainous Flying Tigers, Jiau Hong is an expert thief and a mischievous bandit. Can the silver on the van be protected from the bandits seeking out its endless fortune?

The central performances by Ti Lung and David Chiang are incredible. There was just something magical about both of these actors. Lung and Chiang are two of the most legendary and iconic of the Shaw Brothers actors. The screen presence is commanding and unmistakable. The sense of cool suave provided by both actors adds so much to the filmmaking.

The cinematography by Mu-To Kung (The Boxer from Shantung, The Brave Archer) is first-rate and there is so much to appreciate about the breathtaking visuals. Kung is a gifted cinematographer with a keen sensibility. The visual language of the cinematography is astonishing. There is so much to appreciate. Wondrous, organic, and lush visuals bring out the best in the filmmaking.

The art direction by Johnson Tsao (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Five Elements Ninjas) is fantastic and impressive. Tsao is a talented art director and there is so much to appreciate about the production visually. The artistry is phenomenal and that is something to cherish. Well-done.

The score composed by Fu-Ling Wang (The Big Boss, Vengeance of a Snowgirl) is a joy and something that adds so much energy and excitement to the filmmaking. Wang is a gifted composer and this is a first-rate score with much to offer audiences. The action is highlighted so well by the music.

Edited by Hsing-Lung Chiang (The Love Eterne, Sons of the Good Earth), Have Sword, Will Travel is a well-edited. The pacing is excellent for the feature-film. The editing feels rock-solid for an ambitious film as this one.

Written by Kuang Ni (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Dirty Ho), Have Sword, Will Travel has a terrific and engaging script. Have Sword, Will Travel is one of the top-tier Shaw Brothers films. The story is well done. The dialogue is excellent. The sense of energy and excitement in the script is palpable.

Directed by Cheh Chang (Legend of the Fox, Five Shaolin Masters), Have Sword, Will Travel is a must-see classic. Have Sword, Will Travel is a gem of Shaw Brothers and a must-see for fans of director Chang. A pioneer of martial arts filmmaking, Chang is one of the most gifted directors of martial arts films and Have Sword, Will Travel is a Bonafide classic. Don’t miss it.

Have Sword, Will Travel Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, Have Sword, Will Travel is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The release is impressive with good depth and immersion overall. The transfer has some DNR and other digital tweaking, which makes it not a perfectly pristine transfer, but it still looks quite good. The color reproduction is excellent on the release. The print could have used some more fine film grain. Occasionally there are soft scenes. Yet the transfer still looks impressive in other regards. The feature-film is one of the best from Shaw Brothers so a 4K restoration would have been preferable. However, I still found the transfer engaging and serviceable. Shout did a solid job with the encode from the high-definition material the label had to work with. The print is robust, clean, and free from print damage.

Have Sword, Will Travel Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles) and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono. The lossless audio on the release is impressive and well-done. The score is a wonderful highlight of the release. The English subtitles handled well. English subtitles are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

Have Sword, Will Travel Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by David West

Original Theatrical Trailer (HD, 4:34)

Celestial Trailer (HD, 1:08)

Still Gallery (HD, 1:30)

Have Sword, Will Travel Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Have Sword, Will Travel is a must-see classic of the Shaw Brothers studio. The exciting action-packed adventure classic is one of my personal favorites. Have Sword, Will Travel has a lot to offer martial arts fans. The performances by Ti Lung and David Chiang are impressive and well-rounded. Have Sword, Will Travel is a gem. The Blu-ray release includes an audio commentary, photo gallery, and a selection of trailers. Highly recommended.