The Protector Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Protector Blu-ray Movie Review

The Protector is a hybrid co-production with production work from Hollywood and Hong Kong. The action film was the second attempt made in Hollywood to break-out Jackie Chan as a household name. There were two different versions produced, the director’s cut/theatrical release by James Glickenhaus and an alternate cut supervised by Jackie Chan as distributed in Hong Kong. The North America release was a box-office flop and Chan was not able to become a breakout actor with this feature-film (his big breakout roles in North America would follow later on in his career).

Executive produced by Raymond Chow (Enter the Dragon, Fist of Fury), the Jackie Chan cut was a moderate success when it was released in Hong Kong. Jackie Chan and director James Glickenhaus reportedly did not see eye-to-eye about many of the action set pieces and the tone of the film. This disagreement caused the two separate versions to be released. Even so, The Protector should be considered a must-see for Jackie Chan fans.

Billy Wong (Jackie Chan) and Danny Garoni (Danny Aiello) are two down-on-their-luck New York City cops trying to have a nice evening. A quiet night at a bar turns into something deadly. The NYC cops find themselves setting out on a mission to save a kidnapped woman. The pair find themselves going to Hong Kong for a rescue mission after Laura Shapiro (Saun Ellis), the daughter of a wealthy businessperson, is kidnapped by drug lord Mr. Ko (Roy Chiao).

As Billy and Danny enter a massage parlor looking for clues to Laura’s kidnapping, an underground world of gangsters and crime lords causes an abundance of chaos along the way. Can Billy and Danny rescue Laura and find themselves finding new success back home in NYC? The mission has been stage – the stage is clear – and the stakes are higher than ever before.

Jackie Chan is fantastic in this superb role. The actor might have had some on-set disagreements with the director of the film but the star does superb work in the role. Chan is enormously impressive in the film and the exciting and energetic action scenes are all the more rewarding because of the dedication of Chan. Chan is consistently impressive in the role and he adds so much energy to the filmmaking.

The film has some outstanding merits with the behind-the-scenes production team. The production design by William De Seta (The Exterminator, The Soldier) is great and the Hong Kong scenes look outstanding in particular. The quality art direction by Dean Taucher (Heatwave, Adam’s Apple) and Oliver Wong (New Police Story, The Accidental Spy) enhanced the filmmaking with a more engaging style. The costumes by Sheng-Hsi Chu (Enter the Dragon, Fist of Fury) and Peggy Farrell (Radioland Murders, Shakedown) also look perfect for the cast of characters in the story.

The cinematography by Mark Irwin (Scream, Scanners) is one of the best aspects of the film and its production. The cinematography style is evocative and compelling. Irwin has an eclectic filmography as cinematographer (frequently dabbling in horror and comedy) but for this action film, the horror-genre style seems to cross-over in to the visual language of The Protector. The film has a dark aesthetic and that tone helps to make the film feel edgier than many action movies.

The score composed by Ken Thorne (Superman II, Juggernaut) adds to the sense of intrigue in the film with the score providing a nice backdrop to the action sequences. The spectacle of the film is clearly enhanced by the music. Composer Thorne did a good job with the film and the score helps make a strong impression.

The stunts by Jackie Chan are outstanding. Chan even wrote in his memoir I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action that during the production of the film one of the stunts caused him to break his hand during filming. No surprise! The stunts in The Protector are remarkable and some of the best from Chan. Adrenaline-packed action is offered in spades and there are a lot of great Chan moments.

Written and directed by James Glickenhaus (The Exterminator, Shakedown), The Protector is a fun film with a lot to offer audiences. Even though Jackie Chan had disagreements over the vision for the film, making an alternate cut for Hong Kong, The Protector was a good production with a lot of wonderful elements. The filmmaking is fast-paced, exciting, and entertaining. The Protector is an essential for Jackie Chan fans.

The Protector Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray from Shout Factory, The Protector is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The Blu-ray provides an excellent presentation of the feature-film. The cinematography is well-reproduced on the release. The filmic presentation looks excellent and the transfer looks naturally filmic. The encode quality is equally impressive and capably handles the video. The release is a solid one by Shout Factory.

The Protector Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio is provided in English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English Dolby Digital 5.1. The lossless audio encode sounds impressive on the release. Dialogue is crisp and clear during the presentation. Dialogue is easy to understand. The score is well reproduced on the release. The sound effects are highlighted well with the lossless 2.0 audio presentation.

The Protector Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary from author and critic Kim Newman, moderated by filmmaker Sean Hogan

Alternate "Hong Kong Cut" by Jackie Chan (HD, 1:32:09) presented with a selection of audio options: Cantonese theatrical mono, Cantonese home release stereo, and a English/Cantonese hybrid audio presentation. This is one of the most significant "supplements" on the entire box-set as it is another alternate cut of the film as supervised by Jackie Chan himself.

Chan reworked many sequences in the film and even shot additional footage for the Hong Kong cut. There are many differences between the two cuts of the film and it is a wonderful addition by Shout Factory to include a high-definition option for the alternate Jackie Chan cut released in Hong Kong. This should be considered essential for the release and fans can watch both cuts/versions and compare the myriad of differences between the domestic and international release versions.

From New York to Hong Kong – An Interview with Director James Glickenhaus (HD, 9:32)

Locations – Then and Now (HD, 4:20)

Behind the Scenes Trailer (SD, 4:59)

Original Trailer (HD, 4:35)

Hong Kong Trailer (SD, 3:53)

Japanese Teaser and Trailer (HD, 1:46)

Still Gallery (HD, 1:57)

The Protector Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Protector is an entertaining and action-packed gem. Jackie Chan is impressive here with some of his best stunt work. The stunts are reason alone to see the film. The film has a darker tone and pace than some Jackie Chan films and this translates to a gritty and hard-hitting film in some respects but it is enormous fun as well. The Blu-ray release provides an excellent video-audio presentation and an assortment of bonus features – including the alternate "Hong Kong" cut of The Protector as supervised by Jackie Chan himself. Highly recommended.