Prison on Fire 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Prison on Fire 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Ringo Lam's Prison on Fire (original title: Gam yuk fung wan, 1987) is being released as part of Shout! Studios' four-disc box set, Prison on Fire I & II.

Prison on Fire was reviewed by my colleague Dr. Svet Atanasov fifteen years ago. Svet wrote about Kam & Ronson Enterprises' BD-25. To read a detailed synopsis, Svet's views of the film, and his critical evaluation of this Hong Kong Blu-ray's a/v presentations plus its supplements, please refer to the link above.

Prison buddies.

Prison on Fire 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This Hong Kong Cinema Classics edition of Prison on Fire comprises a two-disc 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/standard Blu-ray set that comes in a keep case with vintage theatrical poster art on the front. The transfers are taken from a 4K scan from the original camera negative. The UHD is encoded with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible). The picture appears in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The Kam & Ronson BD was opened up to 1.78:1. Svet noted that transfer was struck from a very old master that wasn't even scanned in HD. It suffers from macroblocking, fluctuating hues as part of an inconsistent color palette, significant edge enhancement, markings, and scratches. The Shout! transfers fortunately share none of those image anomalies.

That said, there are some scenes that don't translate well with HDR. For instance, in the scene where Leung Lo Ka Yiu (Tony Leung Ka Fai) first enters his prison cell, there's not only a really good smattering of grain, but a grain field that really spikes compared to both prior and subsequent scenes. Screenshot #s 32 and 34 derive from the 4K but are in SDR as they have been downscaled to 1080p. You can see some of the heavy grain if you zoom in but only when output to full resolution (and in motion) can you truly notice all of it. The 1080p presentation (e.g., frame grab #s 31 and 33) boasts a grain structure that isn't as quite as thick or coarse. The 4K handles the grain better in a close shot of Leung (#16) and in a later scene (#40). An example where the 4K and regular HD transfers have difficulty adopting to the film's lighting conditions is during an extended scene where Chung Tin Ching (Chow Yun Fat) enters the hospital wing of the prison. There is excessively bright light that cascades through a transom window: e.g. see screen capture #s 19 and 35-38. I directly compared this scene in both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. It's so bright in general that it's difficult to see Ching's face well, especially when filmed in a long shot. But I could see his face a little bit better when projecting that scene in D.V.

But outside of these two scenes, the grain and lighting schemes don't have a negative impact on the picture when presented in 4K and 2K. Outdoor scenes featuring greenery look rather lush (see #s 5, 8, and 20). Black levels are solid and crisp (#17). Check out the navy/black on the prison guard uniforms in #6. Please note that the flashback scene (#s 2, 11, and 18) feature neon colors and accent lighting.

Shout! has placed the UHD on a BD-100 (feature size: 68.3 GB). The feature sports an average video bitrate of 89.4 Mbps and an overall bitrate of 95.6 Mbps for the whole disc. The standard Blu-ray employs an MPEG-4 AVC codec and carries a mean video bitrate of 34000 kbps. My video score for the 1080p disc is 4.25/5.00.

Screenshot #s 1-30, 32, 34, 36, 38, & 40 = Shout! Studios 2026 4K Ultra HD (downscaled to 1080p)
Screenshot #s 31, 33, 35, 37, & 39 = Shout! Studios 2026 Blu-ray BD-50 (from a 4K restoration)

Shout! has given the 102-minute film eleven chapter stops, which can only be accessed via remote.

Prison on Fire 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout! has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono (1563 kbps, 16-bit) mix in the film's native Cantonese. This is the sole sound track on both discs. Unlike several HKCC titles, this monaural track isn't mixed too high. The volume feels just right. The mix boasts excellent balance. Spoken words are audible and intelligible. The track nicely accents the squeaks on prison grate doors when they're opened and closed. I could also hear the bottom soles and heels of the prison officials' shoes as they stepped on the grounds or walked through hallways. The audio's only flaw is a weak dynamic range. I didn't feel that the pitch rose high enough during brawl scenes, for example.

Shout!'s optional white English subtitles are clear and legible. See Screenshot #s 26-28 for some examples. One of Ching's scrolls is translated from Cantonese into English (see #29). There's also the title to a book that's translated into English with all block letters (see #30).

Prison on Fire 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

DISC ONE: 4K Ultra HD

• NEW Audio Commentary with James Mudge - Mudge is a film producer, festival programmer, and the Hong Kong film critic at easternKicks. This feature-length track finds Mudge as his usual chatty self. This is a very solid commentary primarily because he remains focused and on-topic without getting bogged down in each cast and crew member's filmography. It is more scene specific than Mudge's other commentaries. He speaks a lot about Ringo Lam's sociopolitical statements, which often drew the ire of the Chinese populace. Mudge also explains whether or not Lam's off-screen messages made their way into his movies as cinematic commentary. Mudge also discusses Lam's personality as a filmmaker and the controversy that he was difficult to work with. In addition, Mudge also delves into several other films Lam directed in Hong Kong and Hollywood. He compares his oeuvre to that of John Woo and Johnnie To. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Audio Commentary with James Mudge - Mudge is a film producer, festival programmer, and the Hong Kong film critic at easternKicks. This feature-length track finds Mudge as his usual chatty self. This is a very solid commentary primarily because he remains focused and on-topic without getting bogged down in each cast and crew member's filmography. It is more scene specific than Mudge's other commentaries. He speaks a lot about Ringo Lam's sociopolitical statements, which often drew the ire of the Chinese populace. Mudge also explains whether or not Lam's off-screen messages made their way into his movies as cinematic commentary. Mudge also discusses Lam's personality as a filmmaker and the controversy that he was difficult to work with. In addition, Mudge also delves into several other films Lam directed in Hong Kong and Hollywood. He compares his oeuvre to that of John Woo and Johnnie To. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Bravery Behind Bars – An Interview with Tony Chow (13:16, 1080p) - Chow was the editor and post-production manager on Prison on Fire. He describes Ringo Lam's approach to filmmaking as well as his cinematic style. Chow looks back to when he started at Cinema City as an editor. He states that he first began working with Lam on The Other Side of Gentleman (1984). Additionally, he talks about his friendship with Lam and also having him as a neighbor. More, Chow discusses the filmmaking company he co-founded with Lam and Chow Yun Fat. In Cantonese or Mandarin, subtitled in English.

• NEW Burning Ambitions – An Interview with Production Manager Chan Lam (16:46, 1080p) - Chan Lam says he first began collaborating with Ringo Lam on Cupid One (1985). Chan covers his pre-production work for Prison on Fire, the locales, and offers an illustrative example of why a crew should always film with permits. He explains how Chow Yun Fat helped him while working on the film. Also, he compares Chow with Keanu Reeves explains how the two actors are similar. Chan Lam's English is very good. Entirely in English, not subtitled.

• NEW Hong Kong Confidential – Inside Prison on Fire with Grady Hendrix (10:09, 1080p) - Hendrix summarizes the discussions Ringo Lam had with Karl Maka and how they couldn't come up with a new film project until Prison on Fire. He provides details on the prison experiences by Ringo Lam's brother, Yin Nam. Hendrix critiques the performances of Tony Leung Ka Fai (a clip from Burning of the Imperial Palace [1983]), Ka-Kui Ho, Kwong-Leung Wong, Shing Fui-On, and Frankie Chi-Hung Ng. He also touches on the popularity of the song "The Light of Friendship" by Maria Cordero, which was recorded expressly for Prison on Fire. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Convicts and Convictions – David West Reflects on Prison on Fire (16:11, 1080p) - West orients the viewer about where Ringo Lam was in his career prior to making Prison on Fire. West discusses a Human Rights Watch report about Hong Kong prisons and how aspects of it are reflected in the film. He also examines Chow Yun Fat's acting career in the 80's and early '90s. West charts Tony Leung Ka Fai's career path and also discusses Lam's Fire movies. In English, not subtitled.

• Audio Interview with Director Ringo Lam (7:25) - this archival interview was perhaps first featured on the Kam & Ronson Enterprises BD. Lam supplies details on his visits to a real prison, the challenge for his art department while arranging the decor for Prison on Fire, and Yin Nam's long screenplay. Lam also talks about his background. He says that Danny Lee was originally going to be cast as Lo Ka Yiu. While Lam speaks, scenes from a DVD-era master are shown. In Cantonese, subtitled in English.

• Theatrical Trailer (5:16, 1080p) - an extended trailer for Prison on Fire. It appears Cinema City combined two trailers into one. It is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The trailer is quite watchable but hasn't been fully restored. It is littered with film artifacts. In Cantonese, subtitled in English.

Prison on Fire 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It took me a second viewing to warm to Prison on Fire, which is a quality prison picture. It deviates from a few tropes of the American WWII POW films (much unlike Prison on Fire II). Chow Yun Fat delivers a well-rounded performance that exhibits the goofiness, charm, and anger he imbues his character. I feel that given screenwriter Yin Nam shows what led to Leung Lo Ka Yiu getting into prison, he needed to show or explain more of the aftermath. Namely, interrogations of Leung by law enforcement, interviews with witnesses to the altercation, and a possible trial that the defendant received. Based on the flashback shown, Leung could have received a lighter sentence or even appealed his conviction. (Based on the film, it's unclear if he tried.) Prison on Fire's best strength is that it demonstrates how the prison system seems to turn him into a hardened criminal that he originally was not.

Shout!'s 4K restoration is very good overall. There are a couple scenes that the D.V./HDR have difficulty handling but this can be attributed to the original filming conditions. The lossless monaural mix is free of hiss, scratches, or dropouts. The recently recorded audio commentary and interviews are all fine additions. A VERY SOLID RECOMMENDATION.