In the Line of Duty III – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1988
Directors: Arthur Wong, Brandy Yuen
Writer: Kiu-Ying Chan
Cast: Cynthia Khan, Hiroshi Fujioka, Stuart Ong, Michiko Nishiwaki, Yueh Hua, Paul Chun, Dick Wei, Melvin Wong

Release Date: March 20th, 2023
Approximate running time: 84 Minutes 23 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK)

"After staging an outrageous jewellery heist in Tokyo, two thieves (Stuart Ong and Michiko Nishiwaki) travel to Hong Kong to trade their stolen goods. When things don’t go to plan, they go on a violent rampage through Hong Kong, and the only ones standing in their way is a newly promoted police cadet and a Japanese cop with a personal vendetta." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "a brand new 2K restoration".

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

Disc Size: 26.4 GB

Feature: 24.8 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape; it is on par with most of the Fortune Star films that have been released by Eureka Video. The flesh tones look healthy; color saturation, image clarity, and black levels are strong; and compression is very good.

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

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a LPCM mono mix in English. The Cantonese language track is the stronger of the two tracks. The English language track has some background hiss that varies in degree of severity. That said, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences sound robust. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 12 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), UK theatrical trailer (3 minutes 30 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Asian film expert Frank Djeng, an audio commentary with action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, 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 III is one of nine loosely connected films that make up the In the Line of Duty film series. The first two films in the series, Yes, Madam!, and Royal Warriors, starred Michelle Yeoh (Police Story 3: Supercop) in the role of the protagonist. In In the Line of Duty III, there would be a change in the role of the protagonist, with Cynthia Khan taking over for Michelle Yeoh this time around. Also, Cynthia Khan, whose real name is Li-Tsing Yang, takes her stage name from Cynthia Rothrock and Khan from Michelle Yeoh, whose real last name is Khan. Cynthia Rothrock and Michelle Yeoh both appeared in Yes, Madam!

Trying to replace Michelle Yeoh is an impossible task. Fortunately, in the case of Cynthia Khan, the filmmakers let her bring her own unique qualities to the character instead of trying to make her a Michelle Yeoh clone. That said, Cynthia Khan proves that she can more than hold her own, especially when it comes to the martial arts sequences.

The narrative revolves around a police officer named Rachel Yeung, whose initiative during a robbery while working as a traffic cop leads to her moving up quickly in the police force. From there, her path crossed with a terrorist organization that was double-crossed during a diamond heist.

The performances are very good, especially the two main villains, Stuart Ong (Die Another Day) in the role of Nakamura Genji and Michiko Nishiwaki (Magic Cop) in the role of Michiko Nishiwaki, a pair of psychopath lovers who are part of the Red Army terrorist group. Hiroshi Fujioka (Ghost Warrior) in the role of Hiroshi Fujioka, a Japanese detective determined to avenge the death of his partner, who was murdered by Genji and Nishiwaki, is another performance of note.

At eight and a half minutes in length, In the Line of Duty III’s briskly paced narrative never overstays its welcome. What In the Line of Duty III lacks when it comes to character development, it more than makes up for with solid action set pieces. Notably, an elaborate diamond heist sequence Also, when it comes to the action set pieces, there is an ample amount of violent carnage. Ultimately, In the Line of Duty III is another solid entry in the In the Line of Duty film series.

In the Line of Duty III gets a first-rate release from Eureka Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a trio of informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer