6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A gloriously typical entry from Shaw Brothers, Martial Club starring Kara Wei (THE BRAVE ARCHER 2 and MAD MONKEY KUNG FU) and Gordon Liu (THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN) and directed by Lau Kar-Leung (LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF CHINA), affords us a fast-paced, cleverly choreographed piece of martial arts fun combining many elements that lovers of this kind of cinema will be more than appreciative of. Rival fight schools, an old master and beautifully designed set pieces tumble together in a colorfully kinesthetic unceasing parade of flying fists and action set pieces.
Starring: Chia-Hui Liu, Kara Ying Hung Wai, Ming-Wai Chan, Ho Kei-Cheong, Te-Lo MaiForeign | 100% |
Action | 20% |
Drama | 12% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.36:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Cantonese: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
If a Wikipedia page devoted to a list of Shaw Brothers productions is any indication, despite a glut of releases from both Arrow and 88 Films, we
may
only be seeing the tip of a very large iceberg. Arrow has ShawScope Volume Two coming up in a couple of months, but in the meantime, 88 Films continues apace with two
recent
releases, the film currently under discussion and Flying
Guillotine 2.
What's kind of amazing about many Shaw Brothers outings in general, and perhaps even these two latest offerings from 88 Films' 88 Asian
Collection in particular is how frequently they traverse the same territory again and again (and again), but still manage to find energy and often
unexpectedly
generous amounts of entertainment value. That may actually be more the case with regard to Martial Club, whose very title seems to hit
at a kind of generic offering, and which once again follows dueling camps of kung fu styles, though in this case in the "wait, you also get"
department, there's Gordon Liu as Wong Fei Hung, the legendary folk hero who has been the focal character in everything from The Legend of Drunken Master to Once Upon a Time in China
.
Martial Club is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Asia Collection, an imprint of 88 Films, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.36:1. The back cover of this release has the only "technical" information, stating "HD transfer from the original negative", while slightly misstating the aspect ratio as 2.35:1. This is another largely very pleasing transfer from 88 Films, where once again the palette probably deserves top mention, as it is fairly bursting with both incredibly bright primaries and some subtler jewel tones, all of which are rendered beautifully for the most part. Detail levels are generally commendable, though this is yet another Shaw Brothers effort that has some definite peculiarities that seem related to the lenses utilized. In this presentation along with typically weird looking moments that can seem either anamorphically squeezed or stretched, there are some odd, virtually out of focus, snippets where fine detail obviously suffers. Grain is visible, though it wasn't quite as noticeable as I had expected (you can see it best against brighter backgrounds, as in screenshot 4).
Martial Club features Cantonese and English audio options delivered in DTS-HD Master Audio Mono, and per my standard operating procedure, I toggled between them as I watched. On the Setup Menu, the English language track is identified as having been sourced from an English language print, which I assume is the one included on this disc as a supplement. I frankly noticed little if any difference between them in terms of general mixes and amplitude for the most part, but both sounded really bright to me in the upper registers, and each had moments of boxiness, something that perhaps interestingly tended to show up more in terms of shared elements like score and sound effects, rather than actual dialogue. The English track did have some minor peaks, valleys and distortion in passing that weren't as evident in the Cantonese track. All spoken material is rendered basically cleanly and clearly, though there is just the hint of crackle in the midrange at the loudest moments, especially in the English language track. Optional English subtitles are available. My score is 3.25.
Martial Club proves that you can tell the same story over and over (and over) again and still find at least a few new ways of presenting things. Braced by some considerably complicated fight choreography and a plot that deftly manages to combine a lot of action with some sly humor, this is a really fun film that 88 Films is offering with generally secure technical merits and outstanding supplements. Recommended.
1975
Ma Yong Zhen / Ma Wing Jing / 馬永貞
1997
The Deadly Mantis / Tang lang / 螳螂
1978
獨臂拳王 / Du bei chuan wang
1972
Stroke of Death / Chu long ma liu / 出籠馬騮
1979
Palace Carnage / Can ku da ci sha / Qing gong da ci sha / 清宮大刺殺
1978
Sì dà mén pài | 四大門派 | Limited Edition
1977
1977
Guang Dong shi hu yu hou wu hu / 廣東十虎與後五虎
1980
Lie mo zhe / 獵魔者
1982
Mai ming xiao zi / 賣命小子
1979
Jin bi tong / 金臂童
1979
Shi ba ban wu yi / 十八般武藝
1982
Lang mien jeu keun sau / Leng mian ju ji shou / 冷面狙擊手
1991
Dynamite Fighters / Zhōng huā zhàn shì / 中華戰士
1987
1984
Quan ji / Kuen gik / 拳擊
1971
Long men jin jian / Lung moon gam kim / 龍門金劍
1969
Yu luo cha / Yuk law chaat / 玉羅刹
1968
Fei dao shou / Fei do sau / 飛刀手
1969