Half a Loaf of Kung Fu: Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong/Taiwan, 1978
Director: Chen Chi-hwa
Writers: Jackie Chan, Tang Ming-chi
Cast: Jackie Chan, Dean Shek, James Tien, Doris Lung, Wu Ma, Kam Kong, Kim Jeong-nan, Julie Lee, Lee Man-tai

Release Date: May 16th, 2022
Approximate running time: 96 Minutes 29 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono Mandarin, LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono Cantonese (alternate mix featuring different music)
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"Accident-prone Jiang (Chan) dreams of learning Kung Fu from a master, but when he takes employment as a bodyguard at a shady mansion, he stumbles upon an evil witch and finds himself in the middle of an uncertain future." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information given about the transfer, "Remastered HD Transfer from the Original Negative."

Half a Loaf of Kung Fu comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.1 GB

Feature: 33 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape; all print debris has been cleaned up. Colors and flesh tones look correct, the image looks crisp, black levels are strong, and compression is very good.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono Mandarin, LPCM Mono Cantonese -alternate mix), 4/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with four audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, a LPCM mono mix in Mandarin, a LPCM mono mix in English, and a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese (alternate mix). All of the audio tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should. Range-wise, the differences between these four tracks are negligible. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track, a second removable English subtitle track for the Mandarin language track, a third removable English subtitle track for the alternate Cantonese language track, and a fourth removable English subtitle track for Cantonese text.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a English theatrical trailer (3 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English subtitles for Cantonese text), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Japanese theatrical trailer (2 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Japanese TV spot (14 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Kung Fu experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, reversible cover art, a double-sided foldout Poster (limited to 3,000 copies), a gloss O-ring slipcase (limited to 3,000 copies), and a 32-page booklet with an essay titled Pushing Parody: Jackie Chan’s Half a Loaf of Kung Fu written by Matthew Edwards, and rare archive stills and posters.

Summary:

Half a Loaf of Kung Fu was directed by Chen Chi-hwa, who previously worked with Jackie Chan on The Snake & Crane Arts of Shaolin. Though there are many similar elements in Half a Loaf of Kung Fu and the Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin, Half a Loaf of Kung Fu is one of the first films where comedy played a large role in a Jackie Chan film.

The narrative revolves around Jiang, a bumbling fool who aspires to be a kung fu master. From there, he gets his wish when he assumes the identity of a skilled kung fu master after witnessing his death. Despite his lack of skills, he finds himself constantly in danger due to his new identity.

Jackie Chan is given a role that allows him to play to his strengths. Throughout, he employs slapstick as his characters often find themselves outmatched. The most impressive aspect of his performance is how convincing he is when it comes to his character's limited fighting skills. Another performance of note is Dean Shek (Warriors 2) in the role of a beggar who has flatulence issues.

From its opening moments, it is clear that humor is going to play a significant role. In a lengthy opening credits sequence, Jackie Chan portrays various characters in a tongue-in-cheek way. And though the narrative is basic, it serves as a means to showcase Jackie Chan’s fighting skills. Having said that, the fight scenes are very good, with the best sequence being saved for the end. Ultimately, Half a Loaf of Kung Fu is a highly entertaining martial arts film that foreshadows the types of films that would become synonymous with Jackie Chan.

Half a Loaf of Kung Fu gets a first-rate release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an insightful audio commentary, recommended.

 Written by Michael Den Boer