The Bodyguard from Beijing 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

The Bodyguard from Beijing 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 7, 2024

Corey Yuen's "The Bodyguard From Beijing" (1994) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with co-screenwriter Gordon Chan; new audio commentary by critic Frank Djeng; and vintage trailer. In Cantonese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Before I comment on Corey Yuen’s The Bodyguard From Beijing, I have to state that I enjoy Mick Jackson’s The Bodyguard quite a lot. Contrary to what has been claimed in the past, Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston look wonderful together, and the entire film is like a masterclass on how to shoot overwhelmingly stylish sequences. I concede that the over-the-top glitz and carefully done but overused close-ups frequently push many of these sequences into MTV territory. However, with the presence of a megastar like Houston, perhaps this was an unavoidable development. After all, MTV did a lot to promote the film by playing many of the songs Houston recorded for its classic soundtrack.

The Bodyguard From Beijing is a Chinese remake of The Bodyguard that fails for all the reasons the latter is worth seeing, plus a few more. For example, its two leads have extremely problematic chemistry and their interactions often look like rough bits from an early casting session. Unlike the original film, it is not a visual stunner. It has a few nicely choreographed action sequences, but they are the type of material that could be seen in countless Hong Kong and Chinese action films. Its music is average, too. It does what it is supposed to, but you will not remember any of it a day after you view the film.

The story it tells is disappointingly simplistic, too. Jet Li plays Allan Hui, a Chinese military professional-turned-bodyguard hired by a Hong Kong-based business magnate to protect his mistress (Christy Chung) after she witnesses the murder of a high-profile target. Before crossing the border, the bodyguard is told that his services will be needed only until the mistress testifies in court and the killer and his employer face the consequences of their actions, which initially appears to be a period of a few weeks. But the job proves far more complicated than described because the bodyguard faces huge resistance from the mistress and another Chinese mercenary (Collin Chou) emerges to ensure she never sets foot in the court.

As in The Bodyguard, there is a crucial reset, after which the story is flooded with soapy romance. However, this time there is a serious problem with the reset. It requires Jet Li to undergo a dramatic character transformation, initiated by Christy Chung’s realization that he sees and understands her better than her wealthy lover does. Unfortunately, the chemistry between the two is so problematic that what they do after the reset routinely begins to look appropriate for a parody. Oddly, or perhaps not at all, Kent Cheng, who plays a hilarious character named Fat Po, spends all of his time contributing to a conventional parody, and several quite long sequences very much look like they were extracted from one as well. (The most bizarre of these sequences is shot in a busy mall where a few kids steal Fat Po’s gun, and while playing with it, Jet Li is forced to defend the uncooperative mistress from several hitmen). In other words, plenty of acting and just as much contrasting material are oddly incompatible.

Ultimately, as a remake, The Bodyguard of Beijing quite simply does not work, and as a Jet Li action film, it undoubtedly underwhelms. Only a very small, very loyal group of Jet Li fans will disagree, citing the energy and intensity of the action sequences, which while not bad are certainly not enough to exonerate the film.

Corey Yuen’s director of photography was Tom Lau, whose credits include several vastly superior films Jet Li films, such as Meltdown a.k.a. High Risk and Tai Chi Master.

88 Films’ combo pack release introduces an exclusive new 4K restoration of The Bodyguard From Beijing sourced from the film’s original camera negative.

The Bodyguard from Beijing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

88 Films' release of The Bodyguard From Beijing is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray disc is Region-B "locked".

Please note that some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-25 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #31-34 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

The release introduces a new 4K makeover of The Bodyguard From Beijing sourced from the original camera negative. In native 4K, the 4K makeover can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with Dolby Vision. I also spent time with the 1080p presentation of it on the Blu-ray.

On my system, the entire film looked incredibly healthy and often rather remarkably vibrant. Delineation, clarity, and depth were almost always excellent. In the few areas where I observed inconsistencies, finer details were usually obstructed by thicker than usual shadows. There are also a few areas where brighter sunlight introduces similar fluctuations. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Colors are stable. I think that the overall balance is very good. However, I also feel that in a few spots some visuals become just a tiny bit too warm, promoting slightly stronger variations of brown. Why? Because the primary red begins to shift toward light brown. However, in the second half, and especially after the final clash, the shift becomes almost unrecognizable. Reds look as they should, and so do all other primaries and supporting nuances. The Dolby Vision grade is gentle, usually helping darker areas look even better, strengthening the fluidity of the visuals, too. It helps the native 4K presentation look marginally stronger, though on my system the 1080p presentation was equally satisfying.

The Bodyguard from Beijing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: Cantonese LPCM 2.0 (with small portions of Mandarin and English). Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The dual Mono track is very healthy. However, considering what a recent film The Bodyguard From Beijing is, I was a bit surprised to see that the release does not have a 5.1 track. All action footage sounds very good, but during the big shootouts it definitely feels like dynamic intensity could be better. The dialog is very clear, sharp, and stable. I did not notice any anomalies to report in our review.

The Bodyguard from Beijing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Frank Djeng. The bulk of the comments address the production history of The Bodyguard From Beijing and its relationship to its famous American relative, Jet Li's involvement with it and performance, casting choices that were made, the film's reception, etc.

• Interview with Gordon Chan - in this exclusive new program, co-screenwriter Gordon Chan discusses the early stages of his career, how The Bodyguard From Beijing came to exist and its unmissable relationship to The Bodyguard, Hong Kong's relationship with China and how it is reflected in the film, his professional relationship with Jet Li, etc. In English, not subtitled. (39 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered vintage trailer for The Bodyguard From Beijing. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (5 min).

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Frank Djeng. The bulk of the comments address the production history of The Bodyguard From Beijing and its relationship to its famous American relative, Jet Li's involvement with it and performance, casting choices that were made, the film's reception, etc.

• Interview with Gordon Chan - in this exclusive new program, co-screenwriter Gordon Chan discusses the early stages of his career, how The Bodyguard From Beijing came to exist and its unmissable relationship to The Bodyguard, Hong Kong's relationship with China and how it is reflected in the film, his professional relationship with Jet Li, etc. In English, not subtitled. (39 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered vintage trailer for The Bodyguard From Beijing. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (5 min).

• Booklet - 20-page illustrated booklet featuring essays by Tom Cunliffe and David West.

• Poster - a double-sided poster with vintage art.

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art.

The Bodyguard from Beijing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Either The Bodyguard From Beijing should not have attempted to mimic its famous American relative, or Jet Li should have been replaced by an actor with a history of strong romantic performances, like Andy Lau. As scripted and shot, The Bodyguard From Beijing relies heavily on the chemistry between its two leads, which is very problematic, and, while mixing some quite awkward material, fails to establish a proper identity. Loyal Jet Li fans will probably find something to like in it, but everyone else will be underwhelmed. 88 Films' combo pack introduces a new 4K makeover of the film that looks good on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. A separate Blu-ray release is available as well.