Miracles: Deluxe Limited Edition – 88 Films (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)
Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1989
Director: Jackie Chan
Writers: Jackie Chan, Edward Tang
Cast: Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Gua Ah-leh, Ko Chun-hsiung, Wu Ma, Bill Tung, Richard Ng, Gloria Yip
Release Date: April 14th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 127 Minutes 41 Seconds (Hong Kong Cut), 106 Minutes 33 Seconds (International Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Both Versions)
Rating: PG (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Hong Kong Cut), Alternate DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Hong Kong Cut), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese Home Video Mix (Hong Kong Cut), DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese (Hong Kong Cut), DTS-HD 5.1 English (Hong Kong Cut), DTS-HD Mono English (International Cut)
Subtitles: English (Both Versions), English SDH (International Cut)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK)
"An optimistic Gwok Zan-Waa (Jackie Chan) arrives in Hong Kong, quickly finding himself impoverished. That is, until a serendipitous encounter with a rose seller (Gua Ah-Leh) leads to his inadvertent appointment as boss of a local gang. Amidst the reluctant leader’s efforts to reform their fraternity and businesses, is an endeavor to share his new-found fortune with the bestower, all whilst trying to stave off rivals and the authorities." - synopsis provided by the distributor
Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)
Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand-new 4K restoration from the Original Camera Negative presented in Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR10 Compatible)."
Miracles comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.
Disc Size: 88.2 GB
Feature: 67.5 GB
This release uses seamless branching for the two versions. The source looks phenomenal; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.
Miracles comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 46.2 GB
Feature: 36 GB
This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc. This release uses seamless branching for the two versions.
Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Hong Kong Cut, Alternate DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Hong Kong Cut, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese Home Video Mix - Hong Kong Cut), 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - International Cut), 4.25/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese - Hong Kong Cut, DTS-HD 5.1 English - Hong Kong Cut)
The Hong Kong cut comes with film audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, an alternate DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese labeled Home Video Mix, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Cantonese, and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. There are removable English subtitles for each Cantonese language track and a removable English subtitle track for text and a song in Cantonese when watching with the English language track. The International cut comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English subtitles. All of the audio tracks sound clean and free of any distortion or background hiss. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences sound appropriately robust. Though the 5.1 audio tracks open up with sound spectrum, all of the mono tracks, especially the Cantonese language tracks, are the way to go.
Extras:
Extras on the 4K UHD disc include Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto for the Hong Kong cut.
Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a stills gallery (23 images), Japanese TV spot (18 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Japanese theatrical trailer (1 minute 32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with Japanese text and removable English subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical teaser (4 minutes 18 seconds, LPCM mono, no dialog or text), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), scenes from the Taiwan version (10 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an interview with Steve Lawson titled Jackie Chan: Film Director (10 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto for the Hong Kong cut.
Other extras include reversible cover art, a rigid slipcase, a double-sided poster, six art cards, and a 80-page perfect bound book with cast & crew information, Jackie Chan Stunt Team Miracles On Set written by William Blaik, an essay titled Mr. Chan and a Fork in the Road a Look at Miracles’ Decisive Role in Jackie Chan’s Career written by Paul Bramhall, an essay titled Something to Prove Frank Capra, Lion Rock Spirit and Jackie Chan’s Miracles written by David West, and archival images.
Summary:
A down-on-his-luck country boy who just arrived in Hong Kong sees a reversal of fortune after a chance encounter with a flower lady. When he is named the new leader of a gang, he repays her by transforming her into a lady of influence so her visiting daughter will not know how impoverished she really is.
Although Jackie Chan has ventured away from his signature action/comedy hybrids, he has become a victim of his success. While his comedic timing and impressive acrobatic stunts receive the majority of the acclaim, his talent for carrying a scene with dramatic weight remains largely underappreciated. Another area where he does not get enough praise is his direction, and with each new film, you could see his growth as a filmmaker.
A clear example of Jackie Chan’s prowess as a director is Miracles, a 1930s period-set action/comedy that is his most well-rounded and accomplished film. Though it is not credited, Miracles is an adaptation of Frank Capra's Lady for a Day and Pocketful of Miracles. Another influence is Hollywood musicals; a centerpiece of Miracles is a musical montage. Visually, Miracles really shines; its use of steadicam and crane shots is more elaborate than other Hong Kong films.
Though Jackie Chan is the main attraction of his films, he always surrounds himself with a solid supporting cast who are given room to take center stage. That said, all of the cast are excellent in their roles. Frequent collaborators of Jackie Chan, Bill Tung (from Police Story) and Richard Ng (from My Lucky Stars), deliver much of the film's comic relief. They portray a conman and a bumbling police inspector, respectively. Not to be overlooked when discussing the performance is Anita Mui (The Heroic Trio), who portrays a nightclub performer who is Jackie Chan’s character's love interest.
There is a lot of time devoted to exposition and building up the characters. That said, humor once again plays a significant role in a Jackie Chan film. A lot of the humor comes from a running gag where characters pretending to be someone they are not take extreme measures to conceal their charade. The fight sequences are exemplary; characters take advantage of their surroundings. When it comes to action sequences, Miracles saves its biggest and best for its finale. Ultimately, it's unfortunate that Jackie Chan did not direct more films like Miracles. This film stands out as remarkable and is one of the high points of his career.
Miracles gets an exceptional release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and informative extras—highly recommended.
Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.
Written by Michael Den Boer