Prison on Fire II 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

Prison on Fire II 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Ringo Lam's Prison on Fire (original title: Gam yuk fung wan II: To fan, 1991) is being released as part of Shout! Studios' four-disc box set, Prison on Fire I & II.

Prison on Fire II was covered by my colleague Dr. Svet Atanasov fifteen years ago. Svet reviewed Kam & Ronson Enterprises' BD-25. To read a detailed summary, Svet's opinions of the film, and his critical assessment of this Hong Kong Blu-ray's a/v presentations plus its extras, please consult the link above.

The escapees.

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

This recent Hong Kong Cinema Classics release arrives as a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray + standard Blu-ray combo that comes with a keep case featuring the original theatrical poster art. The UHD is presented with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible). The picture appears in its native theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The image on the Kam & Ronson disc is opened slightly to 1.78:1. Svet observed a high number of speckles and scratches on the 2011 BD. There are virtually none on the Shout! transfers. I noticed only a few print-based white marks in Screenshot #25 (e.g., on the leaves in the foreground). From the way Svet describes the clarity, color reproduction, contrast levels, and detail on the HK BD, the Shout! discs represent major improvements in all areas. I was very impressed with clarity and sharpness on the 1080p transfer during the opening scene's rainstorm, for example. Colors and skin tones appear very authentic on the 4K and 2K presentations. Black levels stand out when Chung Tin Ching (Chow Yun Fat) and Pong Fai-Long (Chen Sung-Young) venture out in the wilderness together (see screen capture #s 16 and 31-32).

Like the grain-heavy scene on Shout!'s Prison on Fire transfer, there's a scene in this sequel where the grain field spikes quite a bit. In the Hong Kong barracks of the prison, Ching dreams that his deceased mother (played by Shui-Jan Fung) comes to visit him. She speaks to him on the opposite bunk about Ching's son entering an orphanage. It's here that grain accumulates. I also observed coarse grain in nighttime interior and exterior scenes with low-light levels. I feel that the D.V./HDR on the UHD and the Blu-ray handles the thicker grain a little better than Shout!'s Prison on Fire presentations. Prison on Fire II boasts a moderately better picture overall.

Shout! has placed the UHD on a BD-100 (feature size: 75.7 GB). The feature delivers a mean video bitrate of 89.2 Mbps and an overall bitrate of 95.4 Mbps for the full disc. The MPEG-4 AVC-encoded BD-50 carries an average video bitrate of 34000 kbps.

A dozen chapter breaks are available to access via remote while you watch the 113-minute feature.

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

Shout! has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono mix (1567 kbps, 16-bit) in the film's original Cantonese. This is the lone sound track on both discs. The lossless mono track is outstanding! I could hear the pitter-patter of the rain well as it descends on the prison grounds in the first scene. Dialogue is delivered with ample sufficiency. High dynamic range is superior to the DTS-HD MA mono found on Shout!'s Prison on Fire discs. The warning sirens blaring around the prison show some excellent range. Ditto for the ballad Maria Cordero sings on the non-diegetic track. The Hong Kong folk songs that the inmates sing don't sound muffled. The score by Lowell Lo features a lot of synths and high bass beats.

Shout!'s optional white English subtitles are clear and easy to read. (See Screenshot #s 28 and 29.) The subs in frame grab #30 appear in italics because they're a transcription from a TV broadcast heard in the film. There was one subtitle "error" that I thought I noticed. The name of Chow Yun Fat's character displays rather randomly on screen. I don't know if it was just translating the name tag on his prison uniform but the sub seemed to appear out of the blue sans any spoken words.

Prison on Fire II 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 is partly autobiographical. Mudge spends the first section reminiscing about importing hundreds and hundreds of Hong Kong films on DVD from China in the early 2000s. He also gives a brief synopsis of Prison on Fire II's home video history and the editions he owns. Mudge argues that the film was positioned as a star vehicle for Chow Yun Fat and set up to be a box-office success for Cinema City (which it turned out to be). These are valid points. Mudge also discusses the social politics between the Mainlanders and the Hong Kongers portrayed in the prison. He compares and contrasts primary and secondary characters in the original film with this sequel. Ditto for some of the story events from each film. Mudge additionally speaks about Hong Kong's other prison films. He also compares Ringo Lam's place in the Hong Kong film industry to where John Woo was in his career when he made Once a Thief (also from '91). Like his commentary for Prison on Fire, this one is more screen specific (especially during the last act) than other tracks he's recorded for HKCC titles. 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 is partly autobiographical. Mudge spends the first section reminiscing about importing hundreds and hundreds of Hong Kong films on DVD from China in the early 2000s. He also gives a brief synopsis of Prison on Fire II's home video history and the editions he owns. Mudge argues that the film was positioned as a star vehicle for Chow Yun Fat and set up to be a box-office success for Cinema City (which it turned out to be). These are valid points. Mudge also discusses the social politics between the Mainlanders and the Hong Kongers portrayed in the prison. He compares and contrasts primary and secondary characters in the original film with this sequel. Ditto for some of the story events from each film. Mudge additionally speaks about Hong Kong's other prison films. He also compares Ringo Lam's place in the Hong Kong film industry to where John Woo was in his career when he made Once a Thief (also from '91). Like his commentary for Prison on Fire, this one is more screen specific (especially during the last act) than other tracks he's recorded for HKCC titles. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW A Fiery Follow-up – An Interview with Tony Chow (14:53, 1080p) - Tony Chow served as editor and post-production manager on Prison on Fire II. He speaks about Karl Maka's persuasiveness to Ringo Lam about making a sequel to Prison on Fire. He goes into Yin Nam's script in some detail. Chow explains why he prefers the first film over the second. He devotes only a portion of this interview to this film. Chow segues to discussing Cinema City's inception and the "Golden Age" of Hong Kong movies. He unpacks the challenges of choosing the best camera angles for actors lip-syncing songs and then putting together the best edit. Also, he discusses a recording studio that was used for voice-overs. Chow compares how today's films are different from those in yesteryear. He explains why City on Fire is his favorite Ringo Lam film that he worked on. Finally, Chow reflects wistfully on Lam's legacy. In Chinese, with optional English subtitles.

• NEW Hong Kong Confidential – Inside Prison on Fire II with Grady Hendrix (7:26, 1080p) - Hendrix summarizes Ringo Lam's career during the period Prison on Fire II was made. He lays out what Lam wanted to accomplish in the sequel. Hendrix also provides some historical context to the film. He discusses the performances of Elvis Tsui and Chen Sung-Young. In addition, he identifies Lam's autobiographical aspects from Prison on Fire II. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Stars Behind Bars – David West Analyses Prison on Fire II (16:12, 1080p) - West discusses Ringo Lam's films prior to Prison on Fire II. He talks about the impetus for casting Chow Yun Fat for this sequel. West unpacks the tension between the Hong Kongers and the Mainlanders in the film. West evaluates the performances of Chow and Chen Sung-Young in Prison on Fire II. He also compares the careers of Lam and John Woo. More, West explains how shooting in Hollywood compared to Hong Kong and how the experiences were so different for Lam. In English, not subtitled.

• Audio Interview with Director Ringo Lam (8:18) - Lam talks about how a stunt was performed underneath a truck, the cliff-jumping scene for Chow Yun Fat, residing in Aberdeen squatter areas when he was young, and his experiences of jumping in a reservoir to swim. The interview excerpts scenes from a DVD-era master. In Cantonese or Mandarin, subtitled in English.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:58, 1080p) - an official trailer for Prison on Fire II presented in about 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The trailer has not been restored. It is rife with debris and film artifacts. One of the songs performed on the movie's sound track plays over the trailer. The lyrics have not been translated into English.

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

I find Prison on Fire II a more satisfying experience than the original picture. Prison on Fire contains a lackluster subplot featuring Leung Lo Ka Yiu (Tony Leung Ka Fai) and his girlfriend Mimi (Man-Gwan Wong). Leung whines selfishly when Mimi says she's like to make an extended visit to England for reasons of cultural and educational enrichment rather than make frequent visits to the prison to see him. The subplot involving Ching and his young son is much more compelling and better developed in the sequel. I know there are some critics who find the second film to be on the sentimental and melodramatic side. It may not have the same grittiness as the original but Elvis Tsui makes a terrific and menacing villain as Officer "Killer" Zau. He's an even worse chief of security than Officer "Scarface" Hung. I also feel that Chen Sung-Young's performance is underrated.

Shout!'s 4K transfer is even better than the one the boutique label delivered for Prison on Fire. The lossless monaural mix is top notch. The supplements are rather skimpy in volume. Still, the strength of the film and excellent a/v transfers make this a VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED two-disc set.