Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Blue Jean Monster Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 29, 2023

One of the cooler things about many Asian cultures in my personal estimation is their recognition of forces in everyday life that might be termed "supernatural", aspects that Westerners in particular may frankly tend to "pooh pooh" at times. Though of course broad generalizations like this never suffice to completely capture the zeitgeist (or whatever the Cantonese equivalent of that term might be in this particular instance) of any given culture, it's probably inarguable that, for example, we literal minded Westerners tend not to look for "hidden" signs and meanings in quite the same way as Easterners do. One evidence of that is the glut of supernaturally themed films that have emanated from both China and Japan for decades, where ghosts or spirits regularly inhabit the same spaces as humans or where divine powers are either aiding in or preventing some character from achieving some goal. The Blue Jean Monster is a fun if occasionally squirm inducing kinda sorta comedy where a Hong Kong policeman named Tsu Hsiang (Fui-On Shing) apparently is killed in an accident while on a case, only to have a series of, well, supernatural events intercede, whereby he is "reanimated" in a kind of "friendly Frankenstein's monster" way. The fact that Hsiang is first seen at a shrine where an elderly woman is freaked out that she has angered the gods and will be reaping the karmic (or whatever the Cantonese equivalent of that term might be in this particular instance) consequences already indicates a kind of "metaphysical" aspect to the story.

The back cover of this release mentions that The Blue Jean Monster is a "Hong Kong version of Dead Heat", but that less than blockbuster American film is of course just one of any number of outings that feature some kind of law force in "unusual" contexts, including the at least somewhat related R.I.P.D. and perhaps even entries like RoboCop. What arguably gives The Blue Jean Monster a bit more heft in the human emotion department is the fact that Hsiang is a family man with a pregnant wife.

The Blue Jean Monster tends to ping pong between genre tropes, with some goofy comedy culled from Hsiang's need to "recharge", some quasi-horror moments revolving around things like a rather gruesome wound Hsiang suffers when he's "killed", and more of a traditional Hong Kong action element as Hsiang continues to fight for justice even after he's "dead". The result is perhaps unavoidably widely variant from a tonal perspective, but for those willing to go with the flow (and/or current, as the case may be), The Blue Jean Monster has moments of effectiveness in all the genres it tries to exploit, and it actually builds to a climax that is both viscerally exciting as well as more than a little bittersweet.

The Blue Jean Monster Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Blue Jean Monster is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Kind of interestingly, 88 Films doesn't include any technical information on the packaging (that I could find, anyway), but does offer a "Brand New 2K Restoration in 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio from the original negatives" comment on its website. The presentation is generally very nice looking, though this has some "old school" composited effects where there are noticeable downturns in clarity and upticks in grain. The non-optical moments offer typically excellent clarity, with some commendable fine detail levels, and a palette that is nicely suffused and natural looking (some night or day for night material can be skewed a bit toward the blue side of things). I noticed no major signs of age related wear and tear.

The Blue Jean Monster Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blue Jean Monster features LPCM 2.0 Mono in the original Cantonese. The film has some fun sound effects and a kind of sparkly synth laden score from Alan Tsui, all of which are presented with good fidelity and no problems. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout, even in some of the increasingly hyperbolic action sequences. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Blue Jean Monster Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Man Made Monster (HD; 20:27) is an interview with Assistant Director Sam Leong. Subtitled in English.


• Original Hong Kong Trailer (HD; 2:57)


• Stills Gallery (HD; 4:25)

While this release may not have the glut of on disc supplements that a bunch of other 88 Films releases have offered, there's also a fold out double sided poster in the keepcase, and packaging features a rather nice double walled glossy finish slipcover.

The Blue Jean Monster Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Blue Jean Monster is unabashedly silly a lot of the time, but it delivers more often than not in the comedy and action departments in particular. Technical merits are generally solid and the few on disc supplements enjoyable. Recommended.