The Savage 5 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Savage 5 Blu-ray Movie Review

The Savage 5 is a fantastic and must-see action classic. Produced by Runme Shaw (The Imperial Swordsman, One-Armed Swordsman), the Shaw Brothers gem is tense and energetic. The film showcases leading performances by the great Ti Lung and David Chiang.

A town is tormented by five young and violent men who torture and kill citizens in the community. The gang wanted for a stolen safe-box to be opened by a local locksmith in order to retrieve its riches. The operation was supposed to be simple.

Yet the simple operation turned deadly with the savages being violent and cruel to the townspeople. An examination of the horrors of gang-life, the story turns a page when a group of other young men with expert martial arts skills decide to step forward to fight the thugs and protect the rest of the town. A showdown.

The cast of characters includes Chen Teng (David Chiang), Fang Yi-fei (Lung Ti), Ma Tao (Chen Kuan-Tai), Wei Ming-hui (Danny Lee), Yao Kuang (Chung Wang), San Niang-tzu (Ping-Ping Wang), and Li Kang (Hung Wei). The actors are fantastic and the entire ensemble adds something special to the feature. The cast is sprawling and the epic action showcases the actors at their best.

The art direction by Johnson Tsao (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Portrait in Crystal) is a fantastic part of the film. Tsao is a talent and the artistry of the production aesthetic is something of note. The artistic sensibilities of the designs helps bring out the best in the filmmaking.

The costume designs by Chi Li (The Angry Guest, Return of the One-Armed Swordsman) are well-done throughout the film. The costume designs work well for the lead and supporting cast of characters. These designs are especially important for lead actors Ti Lung and David Chiang.

The action is spellbinding. The action stunts coordinated by Tang Chia (Shaolin Prince, Shaolin Intruders) and Chia- Liang Liu (Drunken Master II, The Boxer from Shantung) are wonderful and a big part of the fun. The epic action sequences are well-choreographed with each stunt carefully showcased – this one is an action epic of particular note.

The score composed by Yung-Yu Chen (The Deadly Breaking Sword, Avenging Warriors of Shaolin) is entertaining and energetic. Chen did a fantastic job with the original score. The music builds on the production and highlights the majesty of the action set- pieces.

The cinematography by Mu-To Kung (The Brave Archer, The Flying Dagger) is a beautiful highlight of the film. Kung is a wonderful cinematographer. There is so much to commend about the aesthetics of the film. The visual sensibility perfectly highlights the action and the sense of scale is all-the-better as a result.

Written by Cheh Chang (Two Champions of Death, The Kid with the Golden Arm) and Kuang Ni (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Dirty Ho), The Savage 5 features an excellent script. The screenplay has impressive characterizations and dialogue. The script manages to find a balance between edge-of-your seat action scripting and comedic sequences. The comedy might be the most surprising part and much of it is due to the well-written script.

Directed by Cheh Chang (Vengeance!, Shaolin Hellgate), The Savage 5 is an outstanding martial arts classic. Shaw Brothers fans owe it to themselves to see this remarkable gem. Chang is a genius and energetic filmmaker with a perfect understanding of action-storytelling. The clear understanding of action and the way it is used as a storytelling device is one of the key reasons Chang is such a legendary Shaw Brothers director.

The Savage 5 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, The Savage 5 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation pleases. The transfer is excellent and there are a lot of noteworthy strengths to the scan. The crisp and pleasing scan has superb fidelity and good detail overall. The colors look excellent on the release. These elements add up to an even better presentation. The encoding by Shout is well-done, too.

The Savage 5 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. The lossless audio is a wonderful part of the presentation. Dialogue is clear and well reproduced. The soundstage capably handles the score and action-packed sound effects. The English subtitles are impressive and free of problematic spelling or grammatical errors.

The Savage 5 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by James Mudge

Celestial Trailer (HD, 1:12)

Still Gallery (HD, 1:34)

The Savage 5 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Savage 5 is a wonderful action-classic and one that should be essential viewing. The filmmaking is top-notch. Leads Ti Lung and David Chiang are remarkable. Director Chang delivers a wonderful Shaw Brothers martial arts classic. The script is excellent and the action unmissable. The Blu-ray has an audio commentary, a photo gallery, and a trailer. Highly recommended.