The Master – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1992
Director: Tsui Hark
Writers: Lam Kei-to, Lau Tai-muk, Tsui Hark
Cast: Jet Li, Yuen Wah, Crystal Kwok, Jerry Trimble, Rueben Gonzáles, Guy Fadollone, Derek Annunciation, Anne Rickets

Release Date: September 20th, 2020
Approximate running time: 92 Minutes 54 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (original theatrical mix), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (2020 remastered mix), DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English (export version), DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"Acclaimed director / producer Tsui Hark (Once Upon a Time in China Trilogy, The Killer, A Better Tomorrow) presents the story of a young Kung Fu champion (Jet Li, star of Hero, Kiss of the Dragon, Unleashed) who becomes embroiled in a violent vendetta against his former master, and must use his amazing martial arts skills to survive on the brutal streets of downtown L.A!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information given about the transfer, "New 2K Remaster from The Original 35mm Negatives."

The Master comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.3 GB

Feature: 31.2 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese original theatrical mix, DTS-HD Mono English export version), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese 2020 remastered mix, DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with five audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese (the original theatrical mix), a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese (the 2020 remastered mix), a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD mono mix in English (the export version), and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. The original theatrical mix Cantonese track sounds more robust than the mono 2020 remastered track. All of the tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and fight scenes sound robust. It should be noted that the Cantonese language tracks have some dialog that is in English. Though there are two English subtitle tracks, neither track matches any of the English language tracks.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), a English language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with stuntman/actor John Kreng titled The Insider (17 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Yuen Wah titled The Master (15 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Chinese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actress Crystal Kwok titled Crystal Clear (12 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles for Cantonese dialog), an interview with John Kreng (14 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, and an audio commentary with R.P. “Kung Fu Bob” O’Brien.

Summary:

Though Jet Li had already appeared in five films before The Master, he still had not achieved stardom, and The Master was Golden Harvest's attempt to make him the next big martial arts star. That said, despite being made in 1989, it would be three years before The Master was released, due to the success of Once Upon a Time in China.

The Master was directed by Tsui Hark, a producer/director whose notable films include, as a director, Once Upon a Time in China, Peking Opera Blues, Twin Dragons, and, as a producer, A Better Tomorrow, A Better Tomorrow II, The Killer, and Iron Monkey.

The Master's premise is a "fish out of water" story about a former student named Jet who travels to Los Angeles in search of his former master, a place that couldn't be more different from where he came from. Along the way, Jet is befriended by three gang bangers who want him to teach them kung fu, and in return, they help him find his former master.

The performances are best described as serviceable. with the narrative being not much more than a means to showcase Jet Li’s martial arts skills. Fortunately, when it comes to the fight sequences, they are psychological, high-impact martial arts that are inventive and acrobatic. That said, the crazy stunt work is without a doubt The Masters' greatest asset.

Though the action set pieces carry The Master, one must not overlook how well it employs humor. Particularly in Jet's interactions with his three gangster disciples. Ultimately, The Master serves as a good showcase for Jet Li, who would go on to make much better films.

The Master gets a first-rate release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer