Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

In the Line of Duty III Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 27, 2023

Note: This version of this film is available on Blu-ray as part of 88 Films' In the Line of Duty: I - IV set.

In some of his typically information packed mile a minute commentaries included as supplements in 88 Films' set of In the Line of Duty films, Frank Djeng kind of hilariously gets into how this supposed "series" really isn't by any objective standard, and that in fact due to the vagaries of production and release dates and almost comically variable titles, the "order" of the films in the franchise is even up for debate. That somewhat chaotic situation leads to an almost farcical state of affairs where the ostensible first film in the series may in fact not be, and where any number of alternate titles can either link or uncouple various entries in the "series" in a virtually random fashion (it's perhaps salient to note that In the Line of Duty didn't even crop up in any original title until the third film). Whether or not Royal Warriors or Yes Madam is defined as the "first" film, and whether or not all four are indeed a traditional "series", the first two outings star Michelle Yeoh in what was arguably her first big leap toward international superstardom, while the subsequent two films feature Cynthia Khan. If there's a "through line" tethering the films together, it may be nothing other than the fact that these are so-called "girls with guns" outings, where the focal character is kinda sorta a Hong Kong equivalent of Police Woman, albeit with a facility for martial arts that Pepper Anderson never had.

If the tonal differences between Yes, Madam! and Royal Warriors, In the Line of Duty III only ups the ante, pretty much dispensing with any lasting hints of comedy and going for the gusto in terms of some frankly shocking at times killings, including policemen getting shot point blank in the head and one horrifying scene at a fashion runway event where hordes of people are slaughtered by automatic rifle gunfire. That prevalence of gut wrenching action may at least momentarily distract from the realization that this supposed third entry in a supposed series no longer features its supposed star, Michelle Yeoh, and instead an arguably differently capable Cynthia Khan assumes the central policewoman role, this time named Rachel Yeung. Rachel is shown to be kind of young (as opposed to Yeung) in an opening vignette which sees her dealing with a kind of unrepentant bully before she takes down not just the bully but another thief with her amazing martial arts skills.

The main story here involves a jewel theft (which is where the fashion show massacre enters the story) which then becomes fodder for a revenge scenario when the thieves feel like they've been double crossed. Rachel of course wants in on the police action, but her superior officer who is also her Uncle wants her proscribed to safer territory, and you can guess how that one turns out. The film may not have the narrative drive of either of the first two films, and Khan is probably not quite as charismatic as Yeoh, but considering its lower scale ambitions, In the Line of Duty III delivers some reasonably exciting action at regular intervals.

In the Line of Duty III has received a Region B Blu-ray release courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment, and those interested can read Svet Atanasov's review of that release, which also features more screenshots.

In the Line of Duty III Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

In the Line of Duty III is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. There's no real technical information imparted in the insert booklet included with this set, and only a passing generic "new 2K restoration" on the back cover. Judging solely by screenshots, this is another release which looks mightily similar and I'd say darn near identical to the Eureka release reviewed by Svet. I echo Svet's comments about the color timing, which reflect some of what I found odd and lacking in my Royal Warriors Blu-ray review, but to my eyes Royal Warriors is even more pronounced in this regard, hence my higher score for this outing. When the color timing of this release looks at least relatively "on", it's rather appealing, with decent flesh tones and accountings of primaries. Detail levels are typically quite good throughout, though there are some rather noticeable variances in clarity, some due to on the fly location shooting. Grain resolves naturally throughout.

In the Line of Duty III Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

In the Line of Duty III features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono in either Cantonese or English. There's not a huge difference between these, though toggling can reveal slight variations in brightness and fullness of midrange, both of which struck my ears as more pleasing in the Cantonese iteration. Both tracks deliver dialogue, score and effects without any real issues. Optional English subtitles are available.

In the Line of Duty III Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng and Michael Worth


• Interview with John Sham by Frederic Ambroisine (HD; 25:41) is in English.


• Hong Kong Trailer (HD; 3:12)


• English Trailer One (HD; 3:10)


• English Trailer Two (HD; 3:37)


• English Credits (HD; 2:20)

In the Line of Duty III Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In the Line of Duty III delivers some visceral action elements, but it's pretty provocatively violent at times and may not have the same star power that the Yeoh films did. Technical merits are generally okay, though the video here like Royal Warriors has some odd color timing. The enjoyable supplements may help sweeten the pot for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.