Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Once Upon a Time in China Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 27, 2021

Note: This version of this film is available as part of Once Upon a Time in China: The Complete Films.

The Once Upon a Time in China franchise is regularly cited as having kickstarted the weirdly dormant martial arts film genre in the Asian market, but it’s also arguable that the series helped to foster another element of “eastern” cinema that is not necessarily relegated only to China (Korean films also come to mind in this regard): a kind of “rah rah” jingoism that seeks to exploit national identity while also perhaps hinting, none too subliminally at times, that the “natives” (Chinese or otherwise) may be just a bit smarter than some of the interlopers. Once Upon a Time in China appeared in 1991, helping to catapult Jet Li to superstar status, and continuing an even by then decades long tradition of crafting entertainments around the adventures (typically “fictionalized” if not outright fiction) of real life Chinese martial arts master and folk medicine healer Wong Fei-hung. Wong lived from around 1847 to 1925, but it didn’t take long for a rather gargantuan mythos to be built up around the character, so much so that by the late forties, Wong was an immensely popular character in Hong Kong films. Kwan Tak-hing made a veritable career out of playing Wong, appearing in some 70 films about the character, and there are several rather well remembered films about Wong that came out as Kwan was winding down from playing Wong (incredibly, the actor continued the role from the 1940s to the 1980s, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records in the process). These include the Shaw Brothers’ Challenge of the Masters, Drunken Master with Jackie Chan, and the relatively recent Rise of the Legend. The Once Upon a Time in China films offer some typical martial arts frenzies, but the films are also quite notable for how they portray a nascent nation defending itself from outside influences, and creating its own identity in the process.

Once Upon a Time in China received a previous release on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment in the UK. For those wanting a plot recap and my thoughts on the film, I refer you to my Once Upon a Time in China Blu-ray review of that version. That review is also a good resource for screenshot comparisons and stacking up how supplements between the two releases differ.

Once Upon a Time in China Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Once Upon a Time in China is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of The Criterion Collection with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.38:1. As of the writing of this review, Criterion has sent only check discs and so I'm not privy to any information that may be included in the insert booklet (and unfortunately there's not a ton of information on their website). I'll point out in passing that according to our site's pixel measuring this release's aspect ratio is just a sliver narrower than Eureka's 2.39:1 offering, but even a cursory comparison of screenshots suggests that these are pretty similar if not outright identical looking transfers. Also of perhaps relevant note is the fact that Eureka!'s website mentioned 4K restorations for its release of the first three films. Look, for example, at the first screenshot in each review, and you'll note not just clear correspondences between overall color temperature, clarity and detail levels, you can even see some of the same just slightly splotchy and yellowish grain in the misty section toward the right side of the frame. These comparisons continue throughout the presentation, including with what I mentioned was my perception of the grading being just slightly on the yellow side at times, with things like reds skewing just a tad into orange territory as a result.

Once Upon a Time in China Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Once Upon a Time in China features LPCM Mono and LPCM 2.0 options in the original Cantonese. While the Eureka! release had more audio options (including a surround track and both Cantonese and Mandarin versions), there were some reported issues with missing sound effects. In that regard it's interesting to note that Criterion provides one of the few examples I can think of in the annals of their releases of "explanatory" text for the audio options, as follows:

Once Upon a Time in China is presented with its original monaural soundtrack and an alternate stereo track that utilizes the original version's sound effects.

To my ears, the stereo track sounded more generally forceful, with better dynamic range and a more secure accounting of the quite evocative score (all of the films in this set feature some rather nice music). Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Once Upon a Time in China Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A New Interpretation (HD; 15:49) is a newly done piece by Criterion featuring Tsui Hark discussing the Once Upon a Time in China series.


• Jet Li (HD; 6:07) features audio interviews conducted by producer and writer David Tadman in 2004 and 2005, and give some interesting biographical background on Li. This plays to stills, with a kind of interesting presentational conceit of Li's comments (which are in English) are presented with some whimsical fonts and movements.


• Epic Ambition (HD; 30:22) features a newly produced insightful overview of the Once Upon a Time in China series by Tony Rayns, who suggests Tsui Hark's desire to say something about "Cantonese identity" is at the heart of the films.


• Yen Shi-Kwan (HD; 7:49) features the actor giving some background information on his life and career, including his work for the Shaw Brothers. I'm not sure what dialect Yen Shi-Kwan is speaking, but this has English voiceover doing the translation.


• Behind the Scenes (HD; 2:53) is described as "likely filmed in 1990 or 1991" and show preparations for the climactic action sequence.


• Trailer (HD; 5:08)

Once Upon a Time in China Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

With a character as well known (at least to Chinese audiences, but arguably to a global audience as well) as Wong Fei-hung, it's easy to imagine that Once Upon a Time in China could have been a tired retread of previous outings. That "once upon a time" offers a perhaps salient clue to how Tsui Hark approaches the subject matter, and, while dark at times like a Grimm's Fairy Tale, Once Upon a Time in China is an engaging story told with style and even a bit of substance. This Criterion version offers a presentation with some very slight differences from the Eureka! version. Technical merits are generally solid, and the supplementary package appealing. Highly recommended.