Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 14, 2023

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Ronin Flix's release of Jet Li Double Feature: The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 1 & 2.

Chinese history and lore are filled with tales of the exploits of any number of noble warriors, of both the actual and fictional variety. Wong Fei-hung is one of the more notable characters of this type, and as any fan of martial arts movies probably knows, he has been the focal point of a glut of both film and television versions of his life, including the memorable Once Upon a Time in China franchise, which helped to make Jet Li into an international superstar. A year after Once Upon a Time in China lit up cineplexes, Li returned to portraying at least a quasi-historical figure in the form of Fong Sai- Yuk, a character who himself has been featured in a rather large number of entertainment properties over the years. Fong Sai-Yuk's tether to an actual historical figure may be at least a bit more questionable than the inarguably real Wong Fei-hung (no matter how improbable some of the films and television properties about Wong may have been), but that perhaps gives an implicit permission to stray from any perceived historical record to simply deliver a lot of action interspersed with at times pretty broad comedy.

The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2 followed so closely in its progenitor's hyperkinetic footsteps that it actually was released in the same calendar year as the first film. This sequel continues the rather broad comedic strokes of the first film while probably upping the perceived "political" angle with Fong Sai-Yuk and his cohort as (at least initially) underground revolutionaries. Anyone expecting any historical accuracy in the proceedings had best move on to some other, more sober, effort, but the film at least dances around issues of loyalty and power, at least when it's not attempting to provide the required set pieces.

What's passingly interesting in terms of character and plot mechanics is this film's continued emphasis on the relationship between Fong Sai-Yuk (Jet Li) and his mother Miu Tsui-fa (Josephine Siao). Some armchair Freudians may feel that this particular focus may be slightly odd in terms of the ostensible "love interest" offered by Fong's (now) wife Liu Ting Ting (Michelle Reis), but the two characters often offer some fun bantering and interplay.

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Ronin Flix with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. I didn't recall having had this title pass through my review queue back during the Dragon Dynasty era, and indeed our database which is usually pretty reliable in cases like this doesn't show any Blu-ray releases in any other regions, so this is apparently this film's high definition debut. Things are arguably a notch better than the results seen in The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk, with a more consistently tight grain field and some really very nicely suffused sequences, especially in some outdoor material where the palette tends to pop quite well. There are still a few issues with varying levels of clarity, and a few isolated interior scenes can see a noticeable spike in grain chunkiness as well as a diminution in fine detail. My score is 3.75.

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2 features Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options. There's a clear upgrade in both overall amplitude as well as improvement in midrange and low end on the English track, which may be most immediately noticeable during some of the underscore. That said, the Cantonese track certainly provides more than ample support for dialogue and effects, even if toggling between the tracks can make the Cantonese track seem just slightly anemic by comparison. Dialogue, score and effects are also rendered cleanly and clearly on the English language track. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Ronin Flix has packaged The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 1 and The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2 together on one disc. After an individual film has been selected, the following supplements for this film are accessible:

• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 00:56)

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's frankly a bit of a so-called "sophomore slump" at play with regard to this follow up, which is not to suggest that fans of the first film and/or Jet Li in general won't find something to enjoy here. This offers generally solid technical merits for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.