Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Deadly Duo Blu-ray Movie Review

The Deadly Duo is an exciting action-packed classic. Produced by Run Run Shaw (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Disciples of the 36th Chamber), The Deadly Duo is a wonderful showcase for stars Ti Lung and David Chiang. The Deadly Duo is another excellent “trio” outing with the two leading actors working in collaboration with director Cheh Chang.

The stage is set for an epic showdown between two dueling sides: the Chin invaders and the Sung Dynasty. As the two warring sides go up against one another, the intensity of the battle stage is established. The Sung Dynasty is determined to rescue a Prince kidnapped by the opposition.

Pao Kung Tien (Ti Lung) helps to recruit a fighter with exceptional strength and skills: Hsiao Pin-fu (David Chiang). Hsiao Pin-fu was brought on board to help with the exciting rescue mission. The duo must find themselves entering a secured fortress in order to rescue the kidnapped Prince.

The supporting cast of characters includes Man Tien-kuei (Ku Feng), Hsu Luo (Lei Cheng), Chin Prince (Sing Chen), and Kang Prince (Lung Yu). The Deadly Duo is a strong showcase for the supporting cast members. The supporting roles add to the charm of the action-adventure classic. The leading cast members play well with the supporting cast.

The cinematography Mu-To Kung (The Boxer from Shantung, Profile in Anger) is a highlight of the filmmaking. The Deadly Duo is a visually superb production and there is much to appreciate about the cinematographic language of the filmmaking. Kung is a talented cinematographer with a keen visual eye for stylistic flourishes.

The production features solid art direction by Johnson Tsao (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, The Battle for the Republic of China). Tsao is a solid art director and the efforts are a lot of fun, too. The art direction highlights the production strengths. The sets and design elements are fantastic.

The costume designs by Chi Li (Five Shaolin Masters, Heroes Two) add to the style of the filmmaking. The costumes are well-suited for both the lead cast members and the supporting cast members, too. Great costumes enhance the overall production.

The stunts coordinated by Tang Chia (Shaolin Intruders, Lightning Fists of Shaolin) and Chia-Liang Liu (Drunken Master II, Legendary Weapons of China) add to the exciting energy of the production. An incredible effort. The stunts emphasize the huge action set-pieces and the spectacle - including the journey across the bridge. The stunt work is fantastic with escalation at the fortress. These elements enhance the journey. The action-adventure features a lot of epic fight scenes including swords, spears, and more combat weapons. The choreographers brought their unique stamp to the action-arena and it works well for the Shaw Brothers classic.

Edited by Ting-Hung Kuo (Triple Irons, The Singing Killer), The Deadly Duo is a well-paced production. An excellent effort. The editing handles the action-packed energy of the filmmaking – there is so-much to appreciate.

The score composed by Yung-Yu Chen (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Five Fingers of Death) is one of the greatest strengths of the film. The Deadly Duo features a solid score by Chen. The music provides much whimsy and wonderment to the production.

Written by Kuang Ni (Dirty Ho, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin), The Deadly Duo features a well-written script. The script has great characterizations and dialogue. The script handles the action set pieces well. The writing is fun and ambitious.

Directed by Cheh Chang (Shaolin Hellgate, Vengeance!), The Deadly Duo is an entertaining Shaw Brothers classic. The Deadly Duo has some impressive action sequences and is a lot of fun. Shaw Brothers fans looking for another fun experience won’t want to miss this worthwhile film, another excellent showcase for the collaborations between Chang, Lung, and Chiang.

The Deadly Duo Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, The Deadly Duo is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The release has a flat and lackluster looking presentation. The scan looks out and outdated. The transfer some imperfections. Visually, the cinematography doesn't shine as well as it could. Colors are somewhat muted looking. Definition isn't quite as crisp as it could be. There is some decent detail but the outdated scan isn't looking up to par. The encode by Shout is solid but the end result feels underwhelming and a newer restoration or scan could have helped ease out some of these print issues.

The Deadly Duo Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (with English subtitles) and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono. The release has solid lossless encoding. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The score is well reproduced and is nicely integrated into the soundstage. The sound effects sound reasonably well reproduced. The English subtitles are free from problematic issues with spelling or grammar.

The Deadly Duo Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by James Mudge

Original Theatrical Trailer (SD, 4:21)

German Theatrical Trailer (SD, 3:00)

Celestial Trailer (SD, 1:08)

Still Gallery (HD, 1:56)

The Deadly Duo Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Deadly Duo is an action-packed spectacle. The production values and spectacle are impressive. The filmmaking soars. Ti Lung and David Chiang are both fantastic in the feature-film. The Blu-ray release provides an audio commentary, photo gallery, and a selection of trailers. Highly recommended.