Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

An impressive 3D restoration by 3-D Film Archive.

Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D is an action-packed adventure produced by Mei-Lun Shih (Dynasty, The Forest of Forever) and Frank Wong (Magnificent Bodyguards, The Serpent Warriors). Revenge of the Shogun Women has been newly restored in 3D by the 3-D Film Archive. The film stars Ying Bai, Shisuen Leong, and Shirley Han.

A gang of ruthless bandits violently rapes thirteen women. Considered unfit for society and unable to be married following their rapes, the women are forced to leave behind their previous roles and learn the ways of nuns. As the thirteen women learn to become nuns, the women also decide that after the training is complete, revenge will be sought. Determined to get vengeance against the bandits who raped them, the shogun women use kung-fu to fight for justice.

The filmmaking showcases some effective production elements throughout. The release has decent production merits – such as the well- crafted kung-fu set designs. Under the art direction of Chih-Liang Chou (Love in Chilly Spring, Heroic Pioneers), the visual style of the filmmaking finds the right note to sing. The costumes were also effectively done for the production and manage to do a decent job of showcasing the characters highlighted in the story. The design efforts showcase the production landscape nicely.

The cinematography by Jung-Shu Chen (Angel Heart, China Dragon) and co-cinematographer Lorenzo Somma makes a decent enough impression but it can never muster up the enthusiasm one finds with a newer production (produced on higher-quality film stock). The colors and lighting aren't really that impressive due to the limited scope of the budget.

...and everyone was kung-fu fighting! They were as fast as lightning.

The music composed by Robert J. Walsh (House on the Hill, Mondo Americana) and Ching Hsi Weng (The Story of a Small Town, An Unforgettable Day) is somewhat mundane and doesn't add much to the film. The score simply manages to add some average- at-best background music to the production. This is certainly a disappointing effort that doesn't hit home.

Written by Terry Chambers (The Dark Dancer, White Cargo) and Huang-Kun Lin (Love in Chilly Spring, Golden Fists of a Duo), Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D is a below-average effort. A mediocre screenplay with no good dialogue or character-development. The script offends with its introductory sequence – a gratuitous rape scene. The plot never improves and just turns in to a film featuring non-stop fight scenes.

Directed by Mei-Chun Chang (The Great Justice, Dynasty), Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D is a mediocre film in the end. The direction is uninspired. The editing by Niels Rasmussen and Chin-Chen Wang doesn't excel much, either. Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D is never as much fun as it aspires to be.

Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D is presented in MPEG-4 MVC encoded high definition in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The release has a impressive 3D presentation. The 3-D Film Archive did an outstanding job of preserving the 3D elements. The effects have outstanding "pop" and seem to practically leap out of the screen.

The video presentation itself is mediocre. The picture quality is underwhelming. Colors are mediocre. There is plenty of print damage. Wear, tear, and debris. The scan looks soft and out of focus during many sequences of the film. The end result is an average-at-best scan but the outstanding 3D effects help make up for these shortfalls somewhat. 3D enthusiasts with an affection for great depth will be blown away by the level of detail in the 3-D Film Archive restoration.

Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono soundtrack is decent-at-best. The soundtrack sounds soft and brittle. The sound design is relatively weak and lacks "depth" and fine-detail. The soundstage never makes much of an impression, either. This audio encode is nothing special.

Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Film Playable in 3D/2D

In addition to the 3D Blu-ray presentation, the release also includes an optional anaglyph 3D presentation (with red/cyan blue glasses provided in the case).

College Capers (HD, 15:15)

Persian Slave Market (HD, 11:05)

Two Guys from Tick Ridge (HD, 16:28)

Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D is a mostly forgettable kung-fu feature-film production. The filmmaking is mediocre and the storytelling is uninspired. The only good thing about the release is the exceptional 3D restoration (with first-rate pop-out effects) and the small but appreciable selection of bonus features.