7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Drunken Boxing, a deadly kung fu technique that, as the name implies, requires its practitioner to be drunk. His relatively peaceful life is interrupted when he catches two boys stealing grapes from his vineyards and puts them to work for him. Over time, he teaches them the art of Drunken Boxing. When the two boys get into a fight with some local toughs, they provoke the wrath of Yeh Hu, Chang's enemy.
Starring: Yi-Min Li, Jack Long (II), Kuan-Wu Lung, Jeanie ChangForeign | 100% |
Action | 19% |
Drama | 17% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Mandarin: LPCM Mono
Cantonese: LPCM Mono
English: LPCM Mono
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (A, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Cinematic Vengeance: 8 Kung Fu Classics from Director Joseph Kuo.
The hits (and/or kicks, smacks and whacks) keep on comin', with this set from Eureka! Entertainment following releases like Shawscope Volume One from Arrow and a number
of offerings from 88 Films like The Chinese Boxer and
Disciples of Shaolin in my review queue. The big
difference between those films and the ones featured in this huge collection is that these were the handiwork of one Joseph Kuo, a name
which may frankly not be all that familiar even to lovers of the "kung fu" genre. Kuo was, as they say, a "multi-hyphenate" who frequently wrote,
produced and directed his films, which tended to be independently financed far, far away from the riches and "studio system" of facilities like the Shaw
Brothers. As commentator Frank Djenge mentions on more than one disc, that meant Kuo often tried to film outside, where he didn't have to pay for
things like sets, which can give these films a kind of distinctive ambience at times. According to the press sheet Eureka! sent with the (check) discs,
seven of the eight films in this set are making their worldwide debuts on
Blu-ray.
The World of Drunken Master is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. As with the first two films in this set, The World of Drunken Master features a presentation that is frequently kicking on all cylinders in terms of palette reproduction, and once again this transfer is really beautifully saturated, something that's aided and abetted by Kuo's preference to shoot things outside. The bright lighting of so many scenes also tends to support nice fine detail levels. There can be a just very slight bluish undertone to a few darker scenes, something that can make blacks tilt slightly toward purple territory. Grain resolves naturally almost all of the time, with just a few moments looking a bit gritty (see screenshot 10). This is another presentation where some of the lenses utilized introduce some kind of odd anamorphic effects which can make things look squeezed in various parts of the frame (not necessarily only toward the edges).
The World of Drunken Master features LPCM Mono in Mandarin, Cantonese or English. My standard operating procedure is to toggle between tracks as I listen/watch, and in this case there really aren't any huge differences between the three, perhaps surprisingly. All three come close to distorting in highest amplitudes, as in the opening fanfare and music, and later a few isolated sound effects, and all three have the same boxy, overly reverberant ambience that can make dialogue, music and effects all sound kind of "hollow". All of this said, dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
If you've never seen the Jackie Chan classic that obviously sparked this film, you'll probably find The World of Drunken Master more enjoyable. If you have seen the well remembered Chan film, this will probably strike you as an amiable enough Xerox approximation. Technical merits are generally solid for those who may considering making a purchase.
(Still not reliable for this title)
Jue quan / Hu bao long she ying / 絕拳 / 虎豹龍蛇鷹
1977
Shi fu chu ma / 師父出馬
1979
迷拳三十六招 / Mi quan san shi liu zhao
1979
少林小子 / Shao Lin xiao zi
1975
少林寺十八銅人 / Shao Lin Si shi ba tong ren
1975
少林功夫 / Shao Lin gong fu
1974
Hong quan xiao zi / 洪拳小子 / 88 Asia Collection #28
1975
18 Bronzemen II / Yong zheng da po shi ba tong ren / 雍正大破十八銅人
1976
Wǔ guǎn / 武館 / 88 Asia Collection #34
1981
四大門派 / Sì dà mén pài | Eureka Classics
1977
Ma Yong Zhen / Ma Wing Jing / 馬永貞 / 88 Asia Collection #35
1997
Jin bi tong / 金臂童
1979
Lie mo zhe / 獵魔者
1982
Mai ming xiao zi / 賣命小子
1979
搏命單刀奪命搶 / Bo ming dan dao duo ming qiang / Eureka Classics
1979
Guang Dong shi hu yu hou wu hu / 廣東十虎與後五虎
1980
獨臂拳王 / Du bei chuan wang | Eureka Classics
1972
Tang ren jie xiao zi / 唐人街小子
1977
Dou san / Dǔ shén / 賭神
1989
中華戰士 / Zhōng huá zhàn shì / Dynamite Fighters / Eureka Classics
1987