Disciples of Shaolin – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong/Taiwan, 1975
Director: Chang Cheh
Writers: Chang Cheh, Kuang Ni
Cast: Alexander Fu Sheng, Kuan-Chun Chi, Ming Li Chen, Ching-Ping Wang, Ti Lu, Tao Chiang, Hark-On Fung, Chiang Han, Shou-Yi Fan, Li Hsu, Stephan Yip, Hui-Huang Lin, Jamie Luk

Release Date: December 13th, 2021 (UK), December 14th, 2021 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 107 Minutes 9 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Mandarin, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $29.95 (USA)

"When shaolin disciple Kuan Fung Yi (Alexander Fu Sheng) takes a job at a textile factory he soon becomes embroiled in a bitter and violent clash with the rival Manchu clan who run a neighboring mill." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “HD master from the original 35mm negatives.” 

Disciples of Shaolin comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.6 GB

Feature: 31.3 GB

This is another solid transfer from 88 Films. The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels look strong throughout. That said, this transfer is on par with 88 Films' other Shaw Brothers transfers.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Mandarin), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Though both audio mixes sound clean, clear, and balanced, the English language track has a few minor silabance issues. Range-wise, the fight sequences sound robust. Included with this release are two subtitle options: English for the Mandarin language track and a second English subtitle track for Mandarin text and signs.

Extras:

Extras for this release include original theatrical trailer (2 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with burnt in English and Cantonese subtitles), an interview with Shaw Bros actor and acclaimed director Jamie Luk who discusses director Cheh Chang and Disciples of Shaolin (25 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic and author Samm Deighan, an audio commentary with  action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, reversible cover art, a double-sided foldout poster, a limited-edition slipcover and a limited-edition 24-four page booklet with an essay titled Disciples of Shaolin and The Visceral Martial Arts Cinema of Cheh Chang written by Mathew Edwards, an interview with actor Jamie Luk, an essay titled International Bright Young Thing A Look Back on the Shaw Brothers Classic The Disciples of Shaolin AKA Hong Quan Xiao Zi (1975) and its Gifted, Charismatic Star Alexander Fu Sheng written by Andrew Graves and an essay titled Finding Fu Sheng written by Karl Newton.

Summary:

Don’t let this film's title mislead you; there is no Shaolin temple or Shaolin monks. The Mandarin title, "Hong Quan Xio Zi," translates to "The Hung Boxing Kid." Disciples of Shaolin was originally released in the USA under the title "Invincible One."

When it came to Hong Kong cinema in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, one would be hard pressed to name a more influential director than Chang Cheh. It should not come as a surprise that he’s often referred to as "The Godfather of Hong Kong cinema". And with Disciples of Shaolin, he delivers yet another outstanding example of martial arts cinema.

The opening credits feature an all-too familiar martial arts demonstration by the protagonist. From there, the narrative spends the next thirty minutes building the characters. Then, once the action sets in, it's a relentless series of brutal action set pieces where characters have bones broken or are stabbed to death. The finale provides a cathartic conclusion to the protagonist's death fight sequence in which he fends off attackers while trying to protect a wound that could lead to his demise.

Though the action set pieces are top-notch and the narrative is solid, one must not undervalue Alexander Fu Sheng’s (Legendary Weapons of China) portrayal of Kuan Fung Yi. He delivers a charismatic performance that perfectly captures his character's confidence and fearlessness. Another strength of his performance is when it comes to his character's mischievous slide. His character leaves his footprint on other characters' asses. That said, the rest of the cast are very good in their respective roles.

An all-too common thing in the 1970’s martial arts cinema was using music from other films. And in the case of Disciples of Shaolin, it uses three music cues from Gianni Ferrio’s score for La poliziotta and two music cues from Ennio Morricone’s score for Death Rides a Horse. Ultimately, Disciples of Shaolin is a top-tier martial arts film that fans of classic martial arts cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Disciples of Shaolin gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer