Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		2.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		2.5

Island of Fire Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 1, 2024

Kevin Chu's "Island of Fire" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critics Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto; archival programs with crew members; footage from the Taiwanese version of the film; vintage promotional materials; and more. In Cantonese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

If Kevin Chu tried really, really hard, he could probably come up with a decent case that Sylvester Stallone has modeled The Expendables after his film Island of Fire, though someone else will then surely find the courage to argue that the final sequence in the latter was inspired by the famous finale of George Roy Hill’s classic western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Let me clarify what I mean. In 1990, Island of Fire united Andy Lau, Jackie Chan, Samo Hung, and Tony Leung Ka-Fai. All it needed was Chow Yun-Fat and possibly Jet Li, and it would have had the best of the best action stars of Hong Kong cinema. Not bad. Also, Island of Fire mixes high-octane action and light comedy a lot like The Expendables does. Again, not bad. Finally, Island of Fire has the same I-need-to-be-a-very-large-summer-crowd-pleaser attitude The Expendables does, which is probably why it pays tribute to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In other words, it was not conceived to be just another flashy Hong Kong action film, but a much bigger film that would easily penetrate various international markets, too.

Unfortunately, the best thing about Island of Fire is this most impressive cast of big action stars. (Some may argue that this ‘strength’ is something that also brings it very close to The Expendables). Why? Because everything else about Island of Fire feels either underwritten or ovepolished.

More than half of Island of Fire takes place in a high-security prison where life is as cheap as a bowl of rice. Tony Leung Ka-Fai plays a detective but enters it as a convicted criminal to find out why his father-in-law, a high-ranking policeman, was murdered by a former prisoner who police records show was executed several years earlier. While being targeted by various triad members, the detective crosses paths with a loving father (Sammo Hung) who keeps finding ways to break free and visit his little boy, a reluctant gambler-turned-killer (Jackie Chan), and a shady businessman (Andy Lau) who has had enough of corrupt cops and seeks revenge. After surviving various set-ups and violent confrontations, the four are forced to participate in a scheme to take out a notorious drug dealer who has been captured by the authorities but managed to bribe the judges that will determine his fate in a highly anticipated trial.

Three of the four main characters are seriously amusing, but not in a good way. Sammo Hung plays the loving father like a comedian who constantly auditions for an invisible jury. He does it quite well, but the material where he shines is out of sync with everything else. The gambler-turned-killer is supposed to be a sympathetic character, which is strange because before and after the killing that sends him behind bars, he rarely acts as a sane person. The shady businessman is supposed to be a very influential figure, but intentionally humiliates a corrupt cop so that he is sent to prison to get a job done that his men there have repeatedly botched. Until the ultra-violent grand finale, these three characters bring in completely different types of energy, making it incredibly difficult for Island of Fire to establish a proper identity.

Island of Fire should have been edited much better, too. Indeed, it frequently feels like plenty of the oddly contrasting material could have looked far more convincing had it been cut and rearranged by a better editor. The current version of the film features many abrupt transitions, consistently leaving the impression that something important is missing, either because it was not shot or left on the cutting floor with other trimmed bits and larger pieces of footage.

In Taiwan, Island of Fire was screened in a slightly different version. Footage from this version is included on 88 Films’ Blu-ray release. Also, Island of Fire can be seen with several audio tracks, one of which is a frustratingly mediocre English dub track.

Island of Fire 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, Island of Fire arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films.

I was very surprised by the quality of the technical presentation. I expected Island of Fire to look almost as good as An Autumn's Tale, but what I saw on my system seemed a lot like upscaled material. Indeed, in many, many areas of the film there just isn't enough proper delineation, clarity, and depth. A lot of the prison footage where darker nuances should be visible looks particularly week. There is no proper grain and grain exposure. Color balance is problematic, too. Many primaries and entire ranges of supporting nuances look very weak. Saturation levels, stability, and balance should be much, much better. It is probably fair to describe image stability is good, but during the opening credits, for instance, some shakiness can be easy to spot. All in all, Island of Fire must be properly restored in 2K or 4K so that it looks as good as it should on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Island of Fire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Cantonese: LPCM 2.0 Mono, Mandarin: LPCM 2.0 Mono. Alternate Mandarin: LPCM 2.0 Mono, and English: LPCM 2.0 Mono. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I chose to view the film with the Cantonese track, but tested different areas with the English track. On the Cantonese track, clarity and sharpness are quite good. However, there is quite a bit of action material and in several areas of it dynamic intensity is not great. I would not describe it as disappointing, but it feels like more should be happening there. The upper register is healthy. The English track, which is a dub track, is quite weak. It sounds very thin and uneven. It lacks proper dynamic strength, too. Also, from what I could tell, it changes a lot of different exchanges.

Island of Fire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto

• Taiwanese Footage - presented here is footage from the Taiwanese version of Island of Fire. With printed English subtitles. (40 min).

• Interview with Kevin Chu - in this archival program, director Kevin Chu discusses his background, the film business, and the cast and production of Island of Fire. In Mandarin, with English subtitles. (7 min).

• Interview with Wang Yu - in this archival program, actor Wan Yu, who plays a prominent triad boss in Island of Fire, recalls how he entered the film business, the making of his first film, and what it was like to work with Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. In English. (9 min).

• Interview with Sammo Hung - in this archival program, Sammo Hung discusses the early stages of his acting career and acting style. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (7 min).

• Interview with Jack Kao - in this recent program, Jack Cao recalls how he became involved with Island of Fire, his initial impressions of Kevin Chu and his directing methods, the quality of the screenplay everyone had to work with, his interactions with the stars of the film, etc. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (22 min).

• Export End Credits - with music. (2 min).

• Export Trailer - presented here is a reconstructed export trailer for Island of Fire. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Taiwanese Trailer - presented here is an original Taiwanese trailer for Island of Fire. In Mandarin, with English subtitles. (5 min).

• Japanese Trailer - presented here is an original Japanese trailer for Island of Fire. In Japanese, with English subtitles. (2 min).

• Japanese TV Spot - presented here is an original Japanese TV Spot for Island of Fire. In Japanese, with English subtitles. (1 min).

• Booklet - 34-page illustrated booklet featuring essays by David West and Thorsten Boose, as well as technical credits.

• Poster - double-sided poster with vintage and original art for Island of Fire.

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art for Island of Fire.

Island of Fire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In an archival program, director Kevin Chu reveals that Jackie Chan was available for a very short period of time, so he had to rush and make the most of it. I suspect that plenty more was done similarly, and then a lot of work went into creating a coherent and visually impressive film. Unfortunately, the final product is impossible to praise. Island of Fire unites four huge action stars, plus several very good supporting actors, but it never convinces that they are a great team. Yes, there are a few memorable moments here and there, but a lot more just does not work at all. 88 Films' Blu-ray release is sourced from a surprisingly weak master, so if you wish to acquire it for your collection, it would be best if you can test it first.