Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Fate of Lee Khan Blu-ray Movie Review

A perfect symmetry between action and drama from master filmmaker King Hu

The Fate of Lee Khan (Ying chun ge zhi Fenbgbo) is an action-adventure martial arts film from acclaimed filmmaker King Hu (A Touch of Zen). As an example of prime Hong Kong action filmmaking, audiences can come for the action spectacle on display and stay for the excellent cast: featuring a strong ensemble of actresses including Hai Mu-tan (Angela Mao) as a beautiful waitress working at Spring Inn and the strong-willed Wan Jen-mi (Li Hua Li), The Fate of Lee Khan has kick-ass female heroes who steal the show as they work together to regain ownership of a map containing battle plans for the opposition.

One of the best elements of the film is the showstopping action sequences at the end of the film: after an enormous build up the film becomes a non-stop action picture with stunts orchestrated by fighting instructor Sammo Kam-Bo Hung. The action is the perfect payoff for the film's story building blocks: martial arts fans have a lot of fun to look forward to as the characters duke things out with swords and fists flying high. There is beautiful cinematography by Chao Yung Chen (Small Tiger, King of Kung Fu) and an involving music score composed by Joseph Koo (The Way of the Dragon, A Better Tomorrow) which brings some added emotional heft to the filmmaking.

"Did you pack a lightsaber?"

The screenplay was written by director King Hu and co-screenwriter Chung Wang (A Girl Fighter, The Ninja Pirates). From a storytelling perspective, the film is extremely similar to a stage-play during the bulk of the film. This is due to the majority of the storytelling revolving around the interactions between characters as they come and go from the Spring Inn location. This makes the film feel somewhat less cinematic and more like a filmed stage-play at first. The film has several “little moments” at the Inn which simply build on the story foundation. Even so, the characters are given moments to breathe and come alive in the story. The film feels more compelling than a typical action picture because of it's pace and rhythm.

For patient audiences, the careful construction of the beginning of the film is not a drawback but rather an interesting and unexpected aspect for audiences to consider in comparison to a typical martial arts production (where the action takes the forefront: in this film it is the spectacle which takes a back-seat). Hu does a great job at balancing out the small character moments between the ensemble cast members and even making even quieter moments in the story feel compelling. Once the film approaches the last act, The Fate of Lee Khan turns into an all-out action picture with non-stop spectacle and fight scenes that easily pull one in and will leave action fans feeling satisfied by the experience.

The Fate of Lee Khan Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented with a brand new 2K restoration, The Fate of Lee Khan arrives on Blu-ray from distributor Film Movement in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation is an impressive transfer of the film. The image quality on this release is superb with excellent clarity and overall detail.

The 2K scan is extremely pleasing with excellent color reproduction throughout the scan and a healthy (if never obtrusive) level of fine film grain. During the intense fight scenes at the film's conclusion, the transfer also capably handles the fast-action with relative ease. Throughout the entire transfer, the image remains crisp, clear, and free of dirt, debris, or other detrimental print damage. It's a superb presentation which fans will be pleased with as the encode capably presents the film.

The Fate of Lee Khan Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Arriving with a lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound presentation, the Mandarin audio track has striking clarity and detail. The presentation sounds crisp, clear, and impressive from start to finish. Dialogue reproduction is excellent and the music score sounds terrific. Surround sound usage also surprises with more fluidity to the sound effects and music than expected: during the fight scenes towards the end of the film the level of detail given to the surround implementation impresses.

There is one downside to the track: some of the scenes feature fake-sounding effects for certain aspects of the presentation (such as the sound of breaking glass and the clashing of swords), these sound details do not match the sound fidelity or effects from the original audio source and its clear those are newly produced effects used for the restoration and that do not properly match the original sound design. These moments (though fleeting) are disappointing and highly distracting from the experience.

The release also includes an optional English audio dub track. This alternative audio option is also provided in DTS-HD Master Audio. Subtitles for the Mandarin audio are provided in English. The included subtitles are excellent and are free from any glaring spelling or grammatical errors.

The Fate of Lee Khan Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes packaged in a beautiful clear case with inner artwork and a booklet.

On disc extras include the following:

The Fate of King Hu (HD, 15 min. 54 sec.) features a sit-down interview and discussion with NYAFF (New York Asian Film Festival) with the festival programmer David Wilentz and the festival director Samuel Jamier about the filmmaking and production history of King Hu's Fate of Lee Khan.

The Fate of Lee Khan: Film Movement US Release Trailer (HD, 1 min. 39 sec.) is a newly produced trailer promoting the restoration and re-release of the film.

The Fate of Lee Khan: Original Trailer (HD, 3 min. 34 sec.) presents the first trailer for the film's original theatrical release. One interesting thing about this trailer is that it has been left un-restored and comparing the source video to the remastered version helps to further impress upon the great level of care which went into the restoration effort.

The release also includes the following trailers for other Film Movement releases: Heroes Shed No Tears (HD, 4 min. 8 sec.), The Great Silence (HD, 1 min. 44 sec.), and Violent Cop (HD, 1 min. 21 sec.)

There is also a sub-section to learn more information about Film Movement and the important work that the label does for releasing foreign language, art house, and independent gems.

The Fate of Lee Khan Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Fate of Lee Khan is a fun film which largely works as an almost stage-play like production with good performances before it revels in non-stop action for the grand finale. The Blu-ray release from Film Movement is excellent with a great new restoration of the film and some insightful extras. For fans of serious martial arts films which have more edge to them than simply showcasing a series of fight sequences, the film provides a much more involving and intelligent experience than a typical action film. Worth a watch.