Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Water Margin Blu-ray Movie Review

The Water Margin is a martial arts epic. Based on the novel by Guanzhong Luo, the original source novel is considered a classic epic with historical significance. Based on select chapters of the sprawling and renowned epic novel, The Water Margin explores the epic tale of 108 heroes who fought tirelessly against the Sung army.

Produced by Run Run Shaw (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, The Flag of Iron), The Water Margin is an action classic featuring one of the largest casts in any Shaw Brothers production. Almost everyone who had worked with Shaw Brothers and had a significant role in previous feature-films produced by the legendary studio makes an appearance in The Water Margin – there are so many different actors who appear throughout that notations appear on screen indicating the actor and role.

As the tale unfolds, the stage is set for an epic brawl to happen. 108 rebel fighters fight the good fight in order to take on the dangerous Sung armies and to win the war. The heroes are determined to put up a good fight. Can the heroes emerge as victorious as a stand is taken against a crumbling government full of corruption and evil? The battle is intense and the stakes are high – action around every corner. Who can survive the bloodshed? These rebel fighters will stop at nothing to be the heroes everyone needs.

The sprawling cast includes The Prodigy Yen Ching / Yen XiaoYi (David Chiang), Magic Sword Wu Sung (Lung Ti), Tattooed Dragon Shi Jin (Kuan Tai Chen), Fearless One Shih Hsiu (Chung Wang), Jade Unicorn Lu Chun I (Tetsurô Tanba), Welcome Rain Sung Chiang (Feng Ku), Tigress Lady Hu San Niang (Lily Ho), Shih Wen Kung (Toshio Kurosawa), Clever Star Wu Yung (Feng Chin), and Master Tseng Chang Kuan (Miao Ching). Given The Water Margin has one of the largest ensemble casts in a Shaw Brothers production, the cast often only appears briefly in the film given the expansive nature. The cast nonetheless impresses despite smaller roles given to the actors. Audiences might look at the cast represented in the film and consider it a showcase for the works of Shaw Brothers with so many appearances of familiar actors.

The production has impressive design elements. The art direction by Johnson Tsao (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, The Delightful Forest) is noteworthy and the style of the filmmaking is highly creative with the design elements aiding the epic nature of the production. The costumes by Johnson Tsao (Chinatown Kid) are also well-done and showcase the wide range of actors to appear in the feature.

The choreography by Chuan Chen (The Delightful Forest, Five Fingers of Death), Chia-Liang Liu (Drunken Master II, The Boxer from Shantung), Chia-Yung Liu (Once Upon a Time in China, Master of the Flying Guillotine), and Chia Tang (Heroes Shed No Tears, The Heroic Ones) is superb. The action stunts and action choreography add to the big draw of having such a huge ensemble cast together for one Shaw Brothers feature. The choreography is intense and artistic – one of the clear highlights of the entire film.

The score composed by Yung-Yu Chen (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Five Fingers of Death) is terrific and elevates the action. The action music composed by Chen helps the filmmaking unfold. Chen is a talented composer and the score showcases both the epic style of filmmaking and the drama.

The cinematography by Mu-To Kung (The Boxer from Shantung, Five Shaolin Masters) is a wonderful part of the filmmaking, too. Kung understands how to craft a compelling scene visually. The visuals certainly add a lot to the production.

Written by Kuang Ni (The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter, Five Deadly Venoms), The Water Margin is a bit convoluted as far as Shaw Brothers scripts go. This is one of the weakest elements of the film. Why? Select segments of the original epic novel were used for the adaptation. Only selection chapters included. As a result, the story feels fragmented and is mostly a showcase for the martial arts.

Directed by Cheh Chang (Ninja in Ancient China, Shaolin Hellgate), Hsueh-Li Pao (The Boxer from Shantung, The Delightful Forest), and Wu Ma (The Dead and the Deadly, Deaf Mute Heroine), The Water Margin isn’t a perfect adaptation of the source but as an action epic with a huge ensemble cast with an abundance of guest appearances by legions of Shaw Brothers actors, The Water Margin is worth seeing. Shaw Brothers fans won’t want to miss the film for that reason alone – seeing so many actors from the Shaw Brothers classics collaborating together on one epic.

The Water Margin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, The Water Margin is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The release is somewhat mixed as far as the presentation-quality is concerned. Unlike many of the Shaw Brothers features highlighted in the set, The Water Margin has a notable amount of scratches on the film print alongside some slight print damage and minor imperfections. The transfer is not perfect and even some occasional specks of dust can be seen on the print. Despite some slight issues with the scan, The Water Margin looks good overall with reasonable clarity and detail. Color reproduction can look a bit uneven as sometimes the image appears a bit boosted and other scenes look more naturalistic. Not a great presentation but still a mostly enjoyable one.

The Water Margin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (with English subtitles). The lossless audio quality is similarly a bit uneven. The Water Margin audio track is harsher than I had anticipated. The track has some occasional elements that sound scratchy and sound thin. Audio is certainly not as crisp as on many Shaw Brothers films. The dialogue is sometimes a bit harsh on the release. The score sounds not as tight and engaging as on many other films included in the same box set. Even so, the subtitles are well-done and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical issues.

The Water Margin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary with Film Historian Brian Bankston

The Master – Chang Cheh (SD, 17:31)

Elegant Trails – Ti Lung (SD, 9:06)

Elegant Trails – David Chiang (SD, 7:44)

Extended Love Scene (SD, 1:37)

Original Theatrical Trailer (SD, 5:08)

Celestial Trailer (HD, 1:08)

TV Spot (SD, 00:32)

The Water Margin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Water Margin is an entertaining epic with one of the most ambitious and sprawling casts in the Shaw Brothers canon. The Water Margin features so many appearances from actors from previous Shaw Brothers films that it is like a cameo-roster at times – one appearance after another. The storytelling isn't the focal point here (despite being adapted by a classic epic penned by Guanzhong Luo). The huge sprawling cast, epic production values, and action scenes are the main draw. The Blu-ray release features a flawed but pleasing transfer and uneven lossless audio. The release also comes with a large supplemental package – rounding out the release with plenty of bonus materials. Recommended.