Knockabout – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1979
Director: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung
Writers: Tin-Chi Lau, Chik-Chin Huang
Cast: Ka-Yan Leung, Chia-Yung Liu, Yuen Biao, Kuang Yu Wang, Hoi-Sang Lee, Karl Maka, Tin-Chi Lau, Mars, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung

Release Date: April 25th, 2022
Approximate running times: 104 Minutes 44 Seconds (Hong Kong Version), 93 Minutes 4 Seconds (Export Version)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English/Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 English (Hong Kong Version), LPCM Mono English original theatrical mix, LPCM Mono English alternate home video mix (Export Version)
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK)

"Brothers Yipao (Yuen Biao) and Taipao (Leung Kar-yan) are a couple of down on their luck conmen. After getting soundly defeated by the kung fu master, Silver Fox (Lau Kar-wing), the brothers realize it would be in their own self-interest if they learn how to fight, and they ask him to train them. Unfortunately, their new master is actually a ruthless killer, and when the brothers realize this, one of them is murdered. To get revenge, the surviving brother must learn a unique form of kung fu from an unlikely source, a beggar who just happens to be a master fighter!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Hong Kong Version), 4/5 (Export Version)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Two versions of the film presented in 1080p on Blu-ray from 2K restorations."

Knockabout comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.8 GB

Feature: 26.9 GB (Hong Kong Version), 15.6 GB (Export Version)

This is another solid transfer from Eureka Video that‘s on par with their other Hong Kong releases. Colors look correct, the image looks crisp and, though black levels generally look good, black levels in some of the darker scenes are not as strong.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English/Cantonese, LPCM Mono English original theatrical mix, LPCM Mono English alternate home video mix), 4/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English)

The Hong Kong version comes with three audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, a LPCM mono mix in English and Cantonese, and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. It should be noted that the English mono mix has some dialog in Cantonese since these moments were not dubbed into English.

The Export version comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in English (the original theatrical mix) and a LPCM mono mix in English (an alternate home video mix).

All of the audio mixes sound clean, clear, and balanced, and the action sequences sound robust. The DTS-HD 5.1 mix sounds slightly fuller than its mono counterparts. The Export version’s two mono mixes are comparable quality-wise. Included with this release are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and a second removable English subtitle tack for Cantonese titles and text.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 2 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), a deleted scene used as teaser footage for the Japanese release (3 minutes 50 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Grandmaster Chan Sau Chang (aka The Monkey King), a master of Monkey Style kung fu titled Monkey Magic (25 minutes 32 seconds, LPCM stereo Chinese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor/director Sammo Kam-Bo Hung titled Heavy Hitter (7 minutes 17 seconds, LPCM stereo Chinese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Bryan “Beardy” Leung Kar-yan (7 minutes 37 seconds, LPCM stereo Chinese with non-removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and Michael Worth for the Hong Kong version, an audio commentary with action cinema experts Mike Leeder & Arne Venema for the export version, reversible cover art, a O-Card slipcase (First 2000 copies only) and a booklet (First 2000 copies only) with cast & crew credits, an essay written by James Oliver and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

After years of working as a stuntman and playing minor secondary roles, actor Yuen Biao landed his breakthrough role as Yipao in Sammo Hung Kam-Bo's martial arts comedy Knockabout. The story of Knockabout is your standard martial arts tale, which features con-artists, revenge, and several martial arts training sequences. The action sequences in Knockabout are just about as good as you will see in any martial arts film. The mixing of comedy and martial arts is done extremely well, with the comedy never overshadowing the martial arts like it does in so many martial arts films from the 1980’s.

Sammo Hung Kam-Bo's direction in Knockabout is sublime. The pacing is outstanding, with each new scene being more exciting than the next. Sammo Hung Kam-Bo also has a prominent role in Knockabout as a fatty. The pairing of Sammo Hung Kam-Bo and Yuen Biao is what really sells Knockabout. They perfectly play off of each other, and the scenes they are in together are without a doubt the most memorable. Two other notable collaborations between Sammo Hung Kam-Bo and Yuen Biao are The Magnificent Butcher and The Prodigal Son.

In the lead role of Yipao, it is Yuen Biao who shines in his first starring role. Yuen Biao’s ability to glide through the air and contort his body is unmatched. In the role of Yipao’s brother, Taipao, is Ka-Yan Leung, whose other memorable films include Lightning Kung Fu, Dreadnaught, and The Postman Fights Back. Performance Yuen Biao's more cunningly resourceful Yipao makes a wonderful fall guy for Ka-Yan Leung. Ka-Yan Leung also handles himself really well during his fighting sequences. In the role of the ominous Silver Fox is an actor named Chia Yung Liu, whose more memorable films include The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Master of the Flying Guillotine, Dracula and the Seven Golden Vampires, Shaolin Mantis, and He Has Nothing But Kung Fu. Chia Yung Liu is suave and sinister throughout. His fighting skills are on par with Sammo Hung Kam-Bo and Yuen Biao’s.

Besides the main players, Knockabout also does an admirable job of filling the minor roles with memorable characters that have some weight to them. There is a banker and his son who both have a large mole which has a lengthy strand of hair dangling from it. The chief of the police is also an unusual character in the way he solves disputes and handles criminals. Silver Foxes, two former partners that are now his enemies. They are first-rate fighters who can really take a beating despite their strong feminine qualities. The score, like many martial arts films from this era, features musical cues from other films The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and Cross of Iron. Ultimately, Knockabout is one of the best martial arts comedies ever made.

Knockabout gets an excellent release from Eureka Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer