In the Line of Duty 4: Witness – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1989
Director: Yuen Woo-ping
Writers: Anthony Wong, Cheung Chi-sing, Kim Yip
Cast: Cynthia Khan, Donnie Yen, Michael Wong, Yat Chor Yuen, Lisa Chiao, Liu Kai-chi

Release Date: March 20th, 2023
Approximate running times: 95 Minutes 19 Seconds (Original Theatrical Cut), 95 Minutes 35 Seconds (Original Export Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese (Original Theatrical Cut), LPCM Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English (Original Theatrical Cut)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK)

"Yen and Khan play a pair of no-nonsense cops on the case of a major drug trafficking operation. When an immigrant dock worker is targeted by the criminals, the officers must protect this innocent man from an international crime syndicate." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Original Theatrical Cut), 4/5 (Original Export Version)

Here’s the information provided about the original theatrical cut and the original export version transfers, "a brand new 2K restoration".

In the Line of Duty 4: Witness comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.7 GB

Feature: 26.3 GB (Original Theatrical Cut), 15.2 GB (Original Export Version)

The sources used for both versions are in great shape. The flesh tones look healthy; colors are nicely saturated; image clarity and black levels are solid; and compression is very good. That said, though both versions look great, I would give the edge to the original theatrical cut.

Audio: 3.75/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese), 4/5 (LPCM Mono English)

The original theatrical cut comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a LPCM mono mix in English. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and a second English subtitle track for the English language track for the Cantonese text.

The original export version comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English.

The quality of the two versions' English-language tracks is similar. These tracks are stronger than the Cantonese language track, which is not as robust as the two English language tracks. That said, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and fight scenes are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), UK home video trailer (1 minute 53 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Line of Duty ‘Franchise’ trailer (4 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Donnie Yen (19 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Donnie Ye: Style of Action (15 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Chinese/English with non-removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), an audio commentary with action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, an archival audio commentary with Hong Kong expert Stefan Hammond and lead actor Michael Wong, reversible cover art, O-Card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew credits, an essay written by James Oliver and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

In the Line of Duty 4: Witness was directed by Yuen Woo-ping, an acclaimed action director (Matrix, Kill Bill), and a director in his own right whose notable films include Drunken Master, The Magnificent Butcher, Iron Monkey, and Tai Chi Master. And it should not come as a surprise when it comes to In the Line of Duty 4: Witness, the action set pieces deliver and then some. These sequences are inventive; they have high-flying wire work and impact crunching blows.

The narrative revolves around an immigrant living in America named Luk Wan-Ting, who witnesses a corrupt CIA agent kill a cop. From there, he flees back to Hong Kong, where he is followed by two American cops and pursued by numerous assassins.

Though cast in a different role, Cynthia Khan (In the Line of Duty III) returns in the role of Inspector Yeung Lai-Ching. Her character has a connection to the fugitive who has returned to Hong Kong. And cast in one of his first leading roles is Donnie Yen (IP Man), who portrays an American cop who is tracking the fugitive. Though this role does not give him much to work with in terms of character development, When it comes to martial arts sequences, he often overshadows the rest of the cast. Other cast members of note include Yat Chor Yuen (The Postman Strikes Back) in the role of Luk Wan-Ting and Michael Wong (City Hunter) in the role of an American cop, who is Donnie Yen’s character's partner.

From a production standpoint, In the Line of Duty: Witness is a better film than its predecessor, In the Line of Duty III. It features a stronger narrative, which devotes more time to building up the characters. Also, there is a good mix when it comes to exposition moments and action set pieces. Ultimately, In the Line of Duty 4: Witness is a solid martial arts film that embodies all that is great about 1980s Hong Kong martial arts cinema.

In the Line of Duty 4: Witness gets a solid release from Eureka Video that comes with a strong audio and video presentation, two versions of the film, and a wealth of extras, highly recommended.

 Written by Michael Den Boer