7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Set in late 19th-century Canton, legendary martial arts hero Wong Fei-hung fights against foreign forces (English, French and U.S.) who are plundering China.
Starring: Jet Li, Biao Yuen, Jacky Cheung, Rosamund Kwan, Kent ChengForeign | 100% |
Martial arts | 41% |
Drama | 16% |
Action | 15% |
History | 8% |
Biography | 2% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Cantonese: LPCM Mono
Cantonese: LPCM 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
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 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 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.
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.
(Still not reliable for this title)
黃飛鴻之二男兒當自強 / Wong fei hung II: Nam yee tung chi keung
1992
黃飛鴻之三獅王爭霸 / Wong fei hung III: Si wong jaang ba
1993
黃飛鴻之西域雄獅 / Wong fei hung VI: Sai wik hung see
1997
黃飛鴻之四王者之風 / Wong fei hung IV: Wong je ji fung
1993
黃飛鴻之五龍城殲霸 / Wong Fei Hung chi neung: Lung shing chim pa
1994
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2010
1984
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2019
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2014
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1978
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2010
2008
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2010
Tai Ji 2: Ying Xiong Jue Qi
2012
Jing mo fung wan: Chen Zhen
2010
一代宗師 / Yi dai zong shi
2013
大醉俠 / Da zui xia
1966
The Legend / Fang Shi Yu / 方世玉
1993
武俠 / Wu xia
2011
十月围城
2009