Magnificent Warriors – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1987
Director: David Chung
Writer: Kan-cheung Tsang
Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Derek Yee, Richard Ng, Lowell Lo, Cindy Lau, Tetsuya Matsui, Hwang Jang Lee, Fung Hak-on

Release Date: February 9th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 92 Minutes 28 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $34.95

"Michelle Yeoh portrays a wisecracking mercenary pilot with a leather jacket, gun, and bullwhip who sets aside personal greed to defend a small town and free its leader from the clutches of the invading Japanese army!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “Brand New 2K Restoration From the Original Camera Negatives.” 

Magnificent Warriors comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.7 GB

Feature: 27.1 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Colors are nicely saturated, flesh tones look healthy, image clarity and compression are solid, and outside of a few moments, black levels are strong.

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

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, ambient sounds and the score are well-represented. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and a second removable English subtitle track for Cantonese text when watching the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, English language trailer (3 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer 1 (3 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer 2 (4 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language opening credits (1 minute 49 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), an archival interview with stunt coordinator Tung Wai (12 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Chinese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actress Michelle Yeoh (6 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng, reversible cover art, a double-sided foldout poster, a limited edition slipcover (first pressing only), and a thirty-six page booklet (first pressing only) with an essay written by Matthew Edwards, and rare archive stills and posters.

Summary:

Michelle Yeoh only made six films before she briefly retired in 1987. Three of the four films she made as the star are considered bonafide classics of 1980s martial arts cinema. In two of these films, Yes, Madam, and Royal Warriors, Michelle Yeoh played a police inspector. The other film, Magnificent Warriors, gave her the chance to play a character who had previously only been played by men.

Magnificent Warriors is an action/adventure martial arts film set during World War II during the Japanese occupation of China. The narrative revolves around a trio of characters led by Michelle Yeoh’s character, Fok Ming-ming, a Chinese secret agent. The other two characters are another secret agent, portrayed by Derek Yee and Richard Ng (Wheels on Meals), in the role of a drifting conman. There is a playful romantic subplot between Michelle Yeoh and Derek Yee’s characters, while Richard Ng’s character is often the source of the comic relief. though the rest of the cast are all very good in their roles. It is the three leads that carry the Magnificent Warriors.

Magnificent Warriors reunites Michelle Yeoh with director David Chung, who she had previously worked with on Royal Warriors. His direction does a good job of letting characters take center stage. And when it comes to the action set pieces, they’re explosive moments filled with high-flying stunts.

Content-wise, there are many elements in Magnificent Warriors that are reminiscent of the Indiana Jones films. The David vs. Goliath premise of outnumbered and overpowered Macau citizens vs. Japanese occupiers who have superior modern weapons is superbly realized. A briskly paced narrative that finds a good balance between melodrama and action ensures there is never a dull moment. Ultimately, fans of 1980s martial arts cinema should thoroughly enjoy Magnificent Warriors' wall-to-wall action.

Magnificent Warriors gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer