6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Set in 1938 against a backdrop of brewing conflict between Japan and China, Yeoh plays daring aviatrix and mercenary solider Fok Ming-ming who comes to the rescue of a Chinese spy sent to gather intelligence about Japanese Army plans as they infiltrate mainland China. With their sights set on future conflict with the Chinese forces, a group of ruthless Japanese generals harbor plans to manufacture poison gas in a remote mountain village. After a forced landing, Fok Ming-ming enters the township to locate the agent but soon becomes embroiled in the conflict where spectacularly choreographed fighting scene demonstrate Yeoh's martial arts mastery and culminate in a hard-hitting, action-packed battle to oust the Japanese forces.
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Richard Ng, Tung-Shing Yee, Lowell Lo, Yi Chang (I)Foreign | 100% |
Drama | 12% |
Action | 9% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Cantonese: LPCM 2.0 Mono
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Commentator Frank Djeng mentions some budget and box office return numbers in his typically boisterous analysis of the film, and if his data is correct (which I'm assuming it is), Magnificent Warriors cost a lot of money and brought in spectacularly little at the box office, which may actually come as a surprise to those who either have seen the film or who, after coming to it via this new Blu-ray presentation, will find it a breezy and exciting adventure that Djeng kind of humorously retitles Indiana Jane, as if that made sense (it does, kind of, anyway). Michelle Yeoh is on something of a career high as this review is being written, courtesy of a film that made the very tippy top of my Top 10 list for 2022, Everything Everywhere All At Once , and in that regard, and as Djeng also mentions in passing, it's kind of interesting to see her billed here as Michelle Khan (Djeng gets into a bit of Yeoh's history with regard to nomenclature). Magnificent Warriors does in fact posit Yeoh as a rather Indiana Jones-esque character, at least in terms of an old time "serial" ambience with regular cliffhangers, and also the general timeframe (early forties, according to Djeng, though an essay in the insert booklet states that it's 1938) and Yeoh's facility with a whip. Yeoh portrays Fok Ming-Ming, an adventuress who might be likened to a Chinese version of the Australian heroine at the center of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, at least with regard to her abilities as a pilot, and more generally in her adventurous spirit.
Magnificent Warriors is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. As with many 88 Films Blu- ray releases, there's not a ton of technical information imparted, and in fact the only reference I could find to any technical information was a simple passing "brand new 2K restoration" in the "fine print" on the back cover. This is a largely satisfying looking presentation that does have a few curious quality downturns at times, but which for the most part provides a really nicely saturated palette and some rather commendable detail levels. A few isolated shots, as in a nighttime sequence showing Ming-Ming landing her plane, which is shot through smoke from torches, can be pretty murky looking and without much in the way of detail, let alone fine detail (see screenshot 19). There are a few other interstitial moments where grain suddenly spikes and clarity diminishes, sometimes within the same scene (and even within the same sequence between edit points), which I don't have any real explanation for, but the good news is these moments generally pass quickly. A lot of the film offers a nicely resolved grain structure. Damage is minimal and never distracting. There are some anamorphic oddities on display, which to my eyes made things look intermittently squeezed a bit.
Magnificent Warriors features LPCM 2.0 Mono tracks in either the original Cantonese (though as Djeng gets into, there's a smattering of Mandarin as well) or an English dub. There's not a huge difference between these tracks, but I'd say the English track is arguably just a tad brighter in the upper midrange, something that's probably most noticeable in music cues, but the Cantonese track is overall more fullbodied, with a more expressive lower midrange that helps to support some of the sound effects. Both tracks offer nicely fluid listening experiences, and both tracks support score, effects and dialogue without any issues. Optional English subtitles are available.
It's kind of surprising that Magnificent Warriors evidently didn't resonate that well with Chinese audiences back in the day. It's a really fun and often quite funny adventure yarn, and it nicely weaves in a bit of pseudo-history as well as offering some good production design elements. Yeoh is remarkable in this role from a purely athletic, stunt achievement perspective. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplements very enjoyable. Recommended.
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