Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Kung Fu Jungle Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 22, 2015

Teddy Chen's "Kung Fu Jungle" (2014) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Vicol Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers for the film; standard making of featurettes; promo pieces; and more. In Cantonese and Mandarin, with optional English, Traditional Mandarin, and Simplified Mandarin subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The kung fu expert

Donnie Yen plays Hahou Mo, a martial arts teacher who has been imprisoned because he has accidentally killed a competitor from another school. Other prisoners frequently challenge him, but he stays out of trouble and the majority of the guards like him.

When a mysterious kung fu expert (Wang Bao-Qiang, Fire of Conscience, Little Big Soldier) begins killing other martial arts teachers, Mo volunteers to help the police in exchange for his freedom. Initially, Inspector Luk (Charlie Yeung, Wind Blast, New Police Story) refuses to take Mo seriously, but after he correctly predicts the kung fu expert’s next victim she agrees to use him as a consultant. Shortly after, Mo points Inspector Luk and her team in the right direction.

Meanwhile, the kung fu expert continues terrorizing the city, and when he discovers that Mo has joined the police warns him that he is also on his death list. A few times Mo comes close to catching the kung fu expert, but somehow he always manages to escape.

The plot is straightforward and it is very easy to tell how Kung Fu Jungle would end, but director Teddy Chan and Yen make sure that the film looks about as good as a modern action thriller produced in Hong Kong should. Indeed, knowing that it is essentially another promo piece for Yen, it is difficult not to agree that it delivers all the proper thrills.

There is a minor subplot involving a beautiful girl that reveals who the kung fu expert is and why he is killing the martial arts teachers, but even without the clarifications the film would have been just as enjoyable. To be perfectly clear, the rivalry Mo mentions in the beginning could have been a good enough foundation for the conflicts that emerge later on.

The fight scenes are outstanding, but this is hardly surprising considering the fact that Yen was in charge with the choreography. (The star’s team also included Yan Hua, who most recently worked with him on the period action films Wu Xia and The Lost Bladesman, and veteran action director Yuen Bun, who is known for his contributions to a number of classic action films with Chow Yun Fat, Jet Li, and Ti Lung). The action is fast but stylish and timed very well. It is also worth mentioning that the camera movement is unlikely to make anyone feel sick.

The film’s one and only weakness is the use of some unnecessary CGI work. It simply isn’t needed. Yen and Bao-Qiang’s movement is excellent throughout the entire film so when the CGI enhancements pop up they actually disrupt their rhythm.

Kung Fu Jungle was lensed by veteran cinematographer Horace Wong, whose credits also include such cult action films as John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled, and Bullet in the Head.

Last year, the film was nominated for Best Action Cinematography Award at the prestigious Golden Horse Film Festival in Taipei, Taiwan.

Kung Fu Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Teddy Chen's King Fu Jungle arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Vicol Entertainment.

Shot digitally, the film consistently looks remarkably crisp, clear and vibrant. Where light is in abundance depth can be very impressive, with the outdoor footage looking particularly good (see screencapture #4). Contrast levels remain stable, but there are a couple of sequences where sharpness levels appear slightly elevated (screencapture #3 is from one such sequence). Colors are lush and stable. Image stability is excellent. Lastly, excluding some very light aliasing that I spotted early into the film, there are no encoding or compression anomalies to report in this review. All in all, this is a good presentation of King Fu Jungle that should please fans of Donnie Yen. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Kung Fu Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 and Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. For the record, Vicol Entertainment have provided optional English, Traditional Mandarin, and Simplified Mandarin subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I viewed the film with the Cantonese lossless track and was very impressed. Indeed, dynamic intensity is outstanding and some of the surround movement is enormously impressive. Frankly, there are a couple of sequences that could very easily test your audio system, so make sure that you have your remote control close to you. The dialog (a mix of Cantonese and Mandarin) is stable and easy to follow. The English translation is good, but I did notice a few grammatical errors.

Kung Fu Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Teaser Trailer - original teaser trailer for Kung Fu Jungle. In Cantonese, with optional English subtitles. (1 min, 1080p).

• Theatrical Trailer - original theatrical trailer for Kung Fu Jungle. In Cantonese, with optional English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).

• Film Analysis - standard featurette with raw footage from the shooting of the film and clips from cast and crew interviews, in four parts. In Cantonese and Mandarin, not subtitled.
  
  1. Background (3 min, 1080i).
  2. Side Stories (3 min, 1080i).
  3. Duel of the Masters (3 min, 1080i).
  4. Heroes of Kung Fu Films (3 min, 1080i).

• The Making of "Kung Fu Jungle - standard featurette with raw footage from the shooting of the film. In Cantonese and Mandarin, without optional English subtitles. (9 min, 1080i).

• Focus on Location - a closer look at the shooting of key sequences from the film. In Cantonese, not subtitled in English. (1080i).
  
  1. Martial Arts School
  2. #1 Fung's Home in China
  3. Prison
  4. Fighting in Prison
  5. Food Stall
  6. Tai O
  7. #2 Fung's Home in Hong Kong
  8. Police Station
  9. Highway
  10. Rooftop
  11. Tatoo Shop
  12. Film Studio
  13. Exhibition Hall
  14. Tunnel

• In Honor of Kung Fu Film Makers - a tribute piece with some of Hong Kong cinema's biggest stars. Music only. (3 min, 1080p).

• Slideshow - music only. (1080p).

Kung Fu Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Director Teddy Chen's latest film, Kung Fu Jungle, does not break any genre boundaries, but it delivers everything fans of action superstar Donnie Yen would want to see. It is true that the film is fairly predictable, but the action is outstanding. Vicol Entertainment's technical presentation of Kung Fu Jungle is very good. RECOMMENDED.