Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Big Boss Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 23, 2020

Wei Lo's "The Big Boss" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; new program with biographer Matthew Polly; vintage audio commentaries by Hong Kong-film expert Mike Leeder and critic Brandon Bentley; and more. In Mandarin or English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Bruce Lee’s first feature length martial arts film, The Big Boss (also distributed in the U.S. as Fists of Fury), tells a fairly straightforward story about a young man, Cheng Chao-an (Lee), who confronts a powerful drug lord, Hsiao Mi (Han Ying-Chieh, A Man Called Tiger), and his goons after they kill one of his relatives. Chao-an encounters Mi after he gets a job in his ice factory.

The story is awkwardly paced. The build up to the dramatic finale is done through a number of cliches that would surely annoy those who might be hoping to see in The Big Boss more than just a collection of good fights (ironically, the first fight featuring Lee comes well after the 40-minute mark). There really aren’t any attractive secondary plots to speak of either.

Lee himself looks notably stiff in front of the camera. Before he confronts his opponents, he suffers through a number of scenes that are extremely easy to forget. For the most part, his lines are just as frustrating.

There are a few scenes in The Big Boss, however that are worth mentioning. The first one occurs halfway through the film when Lee's character breaks the promise he has given his mother (apparently, she has requested from him not to fight and he has agreed). He literally explodes in front of the camera – this is the first time we see that marquee wild face twitching.

The second scene occurs a bit later on. It is slightly longer than the first one and better filmed. There are a few kicks Lee does (one of them preceded by a wild spin) that are absolutely terrific. I am no expert in martial arts, but even I can tell that these are brilliantly done.

The third and final scene is at the very end of The Big Boss. After the fight is over, the camera shows Lee standing still next to his victims. This is the one and only scene in the film where Lee exudes that familiar sense of superiority that would be prevalent in his later films.

Technically, The Big Boss has its fair share of problems. Cinematographer Chen Ching-Chu’s (Jackie Chan's Bloodpact) lensing is notably rough – some of the fights are captured from very unusual angles while others are marred by truly awkward cuts. I must also mention that nowadays the “gruesome killings” look quite amateurish.

The supporting cast is rather disappointing. Many of the actors do their best to look authoritative in front of the camera, but most of the time they are simply not succeeding. In fact, the ones who try too hard (Han Ying-Chieh quickly comes to mind) actually come off as very bad comedians.

Truth be told, however, The Big Boss is not a film that would attract viewers looking for an innovative plot and sophisticated acting. This is a film that, I assume, would appeal primarily to those who wish to familiarize themselves with the short cinematic legacy of a martial arts legend. Of course, there will probably be a few who would want to see it for purely nostalgic reasons as well.

The Big Boss Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Big Boss arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

I still have the Kam & Ronson Enterprises release in my library and was able to do some direct comparisons with this release, which is sourced from a brand new 4K master. So, the film now looks a lot healthier. Density and fluidity are also dramatically improved and this makes such a big difference that a lot of the outdoor visuals actually have a completely new filmic appearance. Generally speaking, the color grading job is convincing. I compared a number of indoor and outdoor sequences on both release and I can assure you that the overall balance is better on the 4K master. There are some sporadic nuances that perhaps could have been managed better, but I like how this film looks a lot more than Game of Death. Some light black crush is again visible. Image stability is outstanding, but I don't think that it ever becomes distracting. All in all, while again some minor adjustments could have been made in the color scheme, I think that this is a strong technical presentation of The Big Boss. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its cont5ent).

The Big Boss Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Mandarin: LPCM 1.0, English: LPCM 1.0, Cantonese: Dolby Digital 1.0, and Mandarin: Dolby Digital 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The original Mandarin track is the best one. Some of the other restored films in the box set come with pretty good English tracks, but the English track is offered here is quite awful. So, the Mandarin track is clean and stable, plus dynamic intensity and balance are very good. Yes, some unevenness remains, but overall it is a solid lossless track. The Cantonese and second Mandarin tracks are definitely worth checking out. There is different music there that impacts the tone of the film in a pretty dramatic fashion. Do not ignore them.

The Big Boss Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers and TV Spot - vintage trailers and TV spot for The Big Boss.

• On The Big Boss - n this new program, biographer Matthew Polly (Bruce Lee: A Life) discusses the production of The Big Boss. The program was created for Criterion. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).

• Alternate Footage -
  
  1. Alternate Opening Credits
  2. Alternate Ending
  3. Extended Scenes

• Bruce Lee: The Early Years - in this archival program, martial arts instructor Gene LeBell discusses the evolution of Bruce Lee's career. In English, not subtitled. (14 min, 1080i).

• Bruce Lee vs. Peter Thomas - in this video essay, critic Brandon Bentley discusses the creation of a soundtrack for The Big Boss by composer Peter Thomas, which is offered as bonus option on this release. (See audio track number four). In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Audio Commentary One - this audio commentary was recorded by critic and Bruce Lee aficionado Brandon Bentley in 2016.

• Audio Commentary Two - this audio commentary was recorded by Hong Kong-film expert Mike Leeder in 2013.

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Jeff Chang as well as technical credits.

The Big Boss Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While it has a few entertaining moments, I think that The Big Boss is the weakest Bruce Lee film. He looks very, very stiff in it and the story is quite average. To be honest, I think that it is only for completists. The new 4K master that was created is very good, though again there are a few areas of it that I find slightly unconvincing. This release is included in Criterion's Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits box set, which will be available for purchase on July 14.