Saga of the Phoenix Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Saga of the Phoenix Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 8, 2026

It can be both interesting and at times maybe a little frustrating for physical media collectors to see how various international branches of the same company choose to release films. In that regard, as of the writing of this review, this ostensible sequel's progenitor The Peacock King has only seen the light of Blu-ray day courtesy of 88 Films' UK division. Perhaps adding insult to injury (at least for fans on this side of the pond), that UK division is releasing Saga of the Phoenix along with this US version. Therefore those without access to either the first film or the manga that inspired both films may frankly find themselves a bit lost during the narrative offered here, but in a way the plot is actually more or less disposable, and the film instead relies on a completely hyperbolic style that is maybe one part Jim Henson, one part Ray Harryhausen, and one part Takashi Miike (in The Happiness of the Katakuris mode). Interestingly in that regard as some of the supplements get into, this was a relatively rare co-production between Hong Kong's Golden Harvest and Japan's Toho studios.

The lack of any contextualizing of even what might have amounted to a quick quasi-"previously. . .on The Peacock King" means uninitiated viewers are thrust into a scenario where spunky Ashura (Gloria Yip) seems both figuratively and literally hell bent on causing chaos as she winds humongous prayer bells in the wrong direction, leading to just the first of several completely gonzo sequences featuring both human actors and either puppets or people in suits portraying various outlandish beasts. The upshot of all the chaos does ultimately offer a bit more detail about Ashura and her ostensible status as a so-called "Hell Virgin" who might jokingly be compared to Charlie Morningstar in the recently reviewed Hazbin Hotel: Season One. Joining Ashura on a pretty wild ride are two monks, Peacock (Yuen Biao) and Lucky Fruit (Abe Hiroshi). In a fun development that presages a rather similar one in another recently reviewed film, Good Fortune and that film's angel portrayed by Keanu Reeves, Ashura ends up "incarnating" as a human, with calamity once again seemingly inevitable.

Saga of the Phoenix Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Saga of the Phoenix is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Despite this Limited Edition offering a rather nicely produced perfect bound collector's booklet, there's no real technical information offered on it inside, and the only information imparted is a brief mention on the back cover that at least discloses this offers a "new 2K restoration from the original negative". The results are quite commendable, though a certain amount of slack needs to be granted for a wide swath of old school composited special effects. The commentary by F.J. DeSanto and Frank Djeng actually mentions that this film has much more effective special effects than The Peacock King, but even granted that comparison, there's a definitely "quaint" quality to many of the visual effects sequences. On good old non VFX segments, detail levels are continually inviting and the palette pops extremely well, especially in the glut of outdoor material. Grain is somewhat variable, again at least intermittently dependent on the effects work, but resolves without any issues.

Saga of the Phoenix Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Saga of the Phoenix features LPCM 2.0 Mono audio in Cantonese, though as may be expected from this international co-production, it's obvious that many performers were dubbed, leading to occasional rather wide variances between lip movements and sounds emanating from them. The film has a glut of sound effects accompanying various supernatural phenomena, along with a rather evocative score by Philip Chan, and all of those elements are presented with problem free fidelity. Dialogue is delivered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Saga of the Phoenix Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by HK Cinema Experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto benefits from DeSanto taking the lead some of the time, since Djeng is almost like a data machine at times offering quickly delivered facts and figures.


• Alternate Japanese Footage (HD; 11:58) comes with the following prefatory text:

  Similar to its predecessor, The Peacock King, the Japanese theatrical release of Saga of the Phoenix features unique footage missing from the Hong Kong cut. However, whereas Peacock King had full additional scenes, the bulk of exclusive footage in the Japanese cut of Saga of the Phoenix is comprised of alternate takes of dialogue, primarily involving Shintaro Katsu and Yuko Atori.
  
  Despite this, there are a few bits of traditional deleted footage, including a more "confirmed" fate of the three abbesses. While these could only be obtained from a standard definition source at the time of this disc's production (with HD inserts from the HK cut), we hope that will not impeded the enjoyment of this rare additional footage of Saga of the Phoenix.



• Saga of Golden Harvest - The International Connection (HD; 22:16) is an interview with Albert Lee where he discusses Golden Harvest's international distribution strategies.


• Image Gallery (HD; 5:25)


• Original Trailer (HD; 3:38)

This is another really nicely packaged effort from 88 Films, an O ring type slipcover enclosing a slipbox which itself holds the keepcase (with a reversible sleeve), a really nicely produced collector's booklet with good writing and a ton of photos, and an art card.

Saga of the Phoenix Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

According to the commentary track, this film was evidently rushed into production when The Peacock King became a sizable hit in Japan, and that quickness may be revealed by a certain haphazard quality kind of running rampant here. That said, there iare inventive (if undeniably goofy) characters galore also running rampant throughout, and the film has an almost dizzying style that may not make much sense, but is generally fun. Technical merits are solid and the supplements are very enjoyable, and the packaging is very handsome, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.