The Crimson Charm Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Crimson Charm Blu-ray Movie Review

The Crimson Charm is a must-see action-adventure. The epic is from a story by Ching-Yun Chu-Ko. Produced by Runme Shaw (Shaolin Temple, Five Deadly Venoms), The Crimson Charm has plenty to offer action fans. The Shaw Brothers gem is essential viewing for fans of martial arts films. Starring Ivy Ling Po and Yi Chang. Co-starring Szu Shih as Chiang Shang-Ching and Seok-hoon Nam as Blood Master Ling Wu-Lei.

Yu Fang-Fang (Ivy Ling Po) and Han Chueh (Yi Chang) team up for an epic battle against the evil thugs who are in their way. The villains are causing mischief that Yu Fang-Fang and Han Chueh hope to annihilate. The duo of sword masters comprises a one-armed swordswoman and an esteemed swordsman.

The swords master team duel their way forward against the dangerous Crimson Charm gang of villainous thugs. The Crimson Charm gang is comprised of conniving thieves and killers. Can Han Chueh and Yu Fang-Fang defeat the Crimson Charm gang before more bodies pile up in blood-soaked baths?

The lead performances are excellent and are a perfect fit for The Crimson Charm. Ivy Ling Po is excellent as Yu Fang-Fang. Yi Chang is superb as Han Chueh. The lead performances work great in the film and certainly add a lot to the excitement of the filmmaking.

The production has a great sense of scope and design. The art direction by Ching-Shen Chen (The Tiger and the Widow, Lightning Fists of Shaolin) is excellent and has plenty to offer audiences. The epic production design adds to the filmmaking with a sense of ambitious scale.

The action stunts coordinated by Ying-Chieh Han (The Big Boss, Fist of Fury) are first-rate. The action spectacle is enormous. The stunts are incredible and will have audiences glued to their seat. The fun adventure and spectacle pushes the envelope. An incredible accomplishment by Han.

The score composed by Fu-Ling Wang (Bandits from Shantung, The Long Chase) is a ton of fun and brings plenty of energy to the production. Wang is a talented composer and one of the best film composers to score within the world of Shaw Brothers films. Wang delivers another exceptional score here and the music adds an abundance of spectacle to the table.

The cinematography by Yu-Tang Li (The Dead and the Deadly, The Postman Strikes Back) is a sight to behold. The lush cinematography adds to the production and its sense of wonder. The style of the cinematography is something to marvel at and appreciate.

Written and directed by Feng Huang (The Shaolin Plot, Deadly China Doll), The Crimson Charm is a must- see for Shaw Brothers fans. Huang is a talented director with a knack for creating energetic action scenes. The Crimson Charm is a great deal of fun and audiences will certainly revel in the action. Enormous spectacle.

The Crimson Charm Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, The Crimson Charm is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release features a solid high-definition presentation. The presentation offers a generally robust scan of the film with impressive color reproduction. The presentation is somewhat soft during some scenes but looks noteworthy and pleasing overall. The transfer does have some elements that appear a bit processed looking overall. Nonetheless, the transfer is generally pleasing.

The Crimson Charm Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding on the release is crisp and engaging. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The score is well reproduced and integrated into the sound design. The sound effects for the action scenes are also clear and engaging. The English subtitles are excellent and are free of egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

The Crimson Charm Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary with Film Historian Brian Bankston

Original Theatrical Trailer (HD, 3:46)

Celestial Trailer (HD, 1:15)

The Crimson Charm Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Crimson Charm is an entertaining Shaw Brothers classic. The action gem features incredible stunts and great performances by Ivy Ling Po and Yi Chang. Fans of martial arts films will find plenty to enjoy with this excellent production. The Crimson Charm is exciting and adventurous.

The Blu-ray offers a solid high-definition presentation and lossless audio. The release also includes an audio commentary by film historian Brian Bankston. Another noteworthy Shaw Brothers classic for martial arts fans. Recommended.