Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Men Behind the Sun 3: Narrow Escape Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker August 9, 2024

Godfrey Ho's 'Men Behind the Sun 3: A Narrow Escape' makes its Blu-ray debut in a slipboxed release limited to 5000 units courtesy of Massacre Video. The second sequel to the notorious 'Men Behind the Sun', it has received a 2K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative. As was the case with 'Men Behind the Sun 2: Laboratory of the Devil' special features are light; just a collection of stills and trailers for other Massacre Video titles. Once again there is interior art of one of the film's scenes, though this time the case is clear so that the image isn't "hidden".

No, it's not déjà vu. Nor is watching the previous two films in the series 'Men Behind the Sun' and 'Men Behind the Sun 2: Laboratory of the Devil' causing you to lose your mind (though a strong case could be made for this point). No, if parts of Men Behind the Sun 3: A Narrow Escape seem familiar it's because they are. Seeking again to cash in on the name recognition and reputation of the first film, Godfrey Ho's second sequel recycles footage from the previous films for his purposes here. While there are many such instances on display, and I'm sure those more versed in the films will catch more than I did, the most impactful moments of re-use would certainly have to be the pair of autopsies from 'Men Behind the Sun 2: Laboratory of the Devil' which made that film difficult viewing. For all of this recycling, is the film worth watching? Strangely, and only somewhat hesitantly, I would argue that it is.

We've spent a fair amount of time with Unit 731 before. Both previous installments drove home the fact that the real group from the Japanese military did carry out inhuman experiments on people during World War II. While the first film's focus was much more historical in nature, the second was an uneasy and bizarre mix of a story of two star-crossed lovers interspersed with liberal doses of medical footage, oddities, and various gruesome tortures. For as hard as the first film, directed by Tun-Fei Mou, worked to create and maintain a serious and somewhat scholarly product, under that thin veneer was what many would consider exploitive torture porn. While the third film is much more in keeping with the first, it does feel much less exploitive and more watchable than either of the first two.

At the opening of Men Behind the Sun 3: A Narrow Escape, things are not going well for the Axis powers and Japan. Unit 731 is being scuttled, its troops, doctors, and nurses sworn to secrecy on pain of death, and records destroyed so that their enemies can learn nothing of or from their experiments. Fleeing the base, the personnel board a train so that they can make their way from their secret location back to Japan. Unfortunately for them, their experiments with weaponizing the bubonic plague had some unintended consequences and one person aboard the train is sick, adding tension and overshadowing the hope that should dominate their evacuation. Additional difficulties arise when it is revealed to the members of Unit 731 that Japan unconditionally surrendered. The moaning, wailing, and other actions that immediately follow provide the only real instance of unintentional humor in the film, as the reactions of the group rise to the ridiculous. But it is short-lived as darker responses soon become depicted.

The relationship between the nurse Yama and several of the men on the train quickly becomes and remains the focus of the film. The small group, among the many on the train, form a bond of friendship as they come to grips with what they have done, the end of the war, the various perils of their journey, and what sort of a life they may yet have. It's a very plausible storyline and one that keeps scenes of torture and medical horrors relatively in check, relying significantly less on such footage than either of the previous two films. Given the nature of the work performed by Unit 731, we know that the rules of cinema more or less forbid a happy ending for the people on the train, even if they were "merely" the ones tasked with carrying out the inhuman work. And for any viewer who has even one zombie film under their belt, it's no real spoiler to imply what effect having a sick passenger on the train is going to have. For a group that tortured and killed thousands, there can be no happy ending.

Men Behind the Sun 3: Narrow Escape Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Men Behind the Sun 3: A Narrow Escape is potentially the best-looking of the three films from the series released by Massacre Video, besting the first film by a narrow margin. A decidedly drab film, the available colors are typically nicely saturated with primaries, especially red, being allowed to pop, though such opportunities are rare. Detail levels, as best observed on close-ups can yield satisfying facial and environmental particulars. Blacks are never milky but can absorb detail, especially in outdoor nighttime scenes. As with the previous two parts in the series of films, stock footage is sometimes leveraged to provide authentic scenes of wartime activities, destruction, and the aftermath, and while those elements still look a bit rough here, they are an improvement over those used in 'Men Behind the Sun 2: Laboratory of the Devil'. The same is true for the footage of both of the autopsies. It's still haggard when compared to the bulk of what's on display here, but it's a step up from what was seen in the previous film. Not a perfect presentation, the film can exhibit some damage, debris, and white specks can be detected as well, as can moments of softness and shots where colors and skin tones appear a bit washed-out. On the whole, though, fans of the film should be very pleased.

Men Behind the Sun 3: Narrow Escape Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Men Behind the Sun 3: A Narrow Escape has two PCM 2.0 audio tracks, Mandarin and Cantonese. I watched the film with each track and found them to be very similar experiences. Dialogue is, as a rule, crisp and clean, with only the faintest of sibilance issues bubbling up from time to time. Sound effects, as with the previous release, are on par with other films from the era, however, once again, the lack of any bass presence keeps machine guns, explosions, planes, and trains sounding rather thin. Similarly, music is handled well but is also disadvantaged by the lack of bass. Subtitles are included and are removable for those fluent in either of the two language options. They are both acceptable audio tracks for the film.

Men Behind the Sun 3: Narrow Escape Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Supplemental features are found under two menu options; "Gallery" and "Trailers".

• Gallery (3.35) - Selecting this option causes a series of stills from this film and Men Behind the Sun 2: Laboratory of the Devil to start playing. The stills automatically advance every five seconds.

• trailers - Selecting this menu option will give viewers the opportunity to watch the trailers for Men Behind the Sun 2 (2.48), Men Behind the Sun 3 (2.52), Tumbling Doll of Flesh (1.37), and Ostermontag (1.40).

Men Behind the Sun 3: Narrow Escape Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Massacre Video has done commendable work in bringing the notorious 'Men Behind the Sun', 'Men Behind the Sun 2: Laboratory of the Devil', and Men Behind the Sun 3: A Narrow Escape to Blu- ray. Each is now thoroughly watchable with the third installment, in my opinion, being the best-looking film of the three. As the films go, Men Behind the Sun 3: A Narrow Escape was for me the "easiest" of the three to watch due to a decreased emphasis on gore, torture, and man's inhumanity to man, and a greater focus on the most interesting and "complete" story of the three films, as members of Unit 731 attempt to get home even as an outbreak of black death and travel through hostile territory make success seem unlikely. This is the film I'll revisit should the urge to view something from this series seize me in the future. Technical merits are solid, though supplemental features are rather slight. Men Behind the Sun 3: A Narrow Escape comes recommended to the franchise's established and committed fans, all others should proceed with caution.