Jet Li Double Feature: The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk & The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2: Limited Edition – Ronin Flix (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1993 (The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk, The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2)
Director: Corey Yuen (Both Films)
Cast: Jet Li, Josephine Siao, Michelle Reis, Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo, Paul Chu, Sibelle Hu, Adam Cheng, Kong Chu, Amy Kwok, Corey Yuen, Ji Chunhua, Peter Chan

Release Date: March 14th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 95 Minutes 27 Seconds (The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk), 91 Minutes 53 Seconds (The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Stereo English (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk), English SDH (Both Films), Spanish (The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk),
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk (aka The Legend): Jet Li stars as a carefree young martial arts expert who gets involved with a government official's daughter just as he discovers his family is part of a rebel resistance movement. While his fighting ability and charm made him a local champion, his epic battle for freedom would make him a legendary hero.

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 (aka The Legend 2): Martial arts sensation Jet Li kicks back into action as the heroic Fong Sai Yuk in this explosive follow-up to the powerfully entertaining original, The Legend! Having fought to save his father from the wrath of the Chinese government, Fong Sai Yuk joins his father's underground revolutionary organization, the Red Flower Society! But in the camp of rebels, a traitor lurks! Now, at a time when few can be trusted, Fong Sai Yuk must utilize his every skill in the fight to overthrow his nation's brutally powerful empire!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5 (The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk, The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2)

Here’s the information given about the transfers, "Both films feature new digitally retouched versions of the best available high-definition masters."

The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk and The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2 come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.1 GB

Feature: 19.8 GB (The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk), 19.2 GB (The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2)

Though these transfers come from existing masters, Ronin Flix has done a good job enhancing the sources they were provided with. Color saturation is very good; flesh tones look healthy; black levels and image clarity are strong; and compression is very good. That said, there are moments where the image does not retain an organic look.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Stereo English)

Both films come with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD stereo mix in English. All of these tracks are a marked improvement over previous home video releases for these two films. Where both films only came with lossy audio, all the audio tracks for this new release are lossless. That said, dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and fight scenes sound robust. Range-wise, the differences between the Cantonese and English tracks are minimal. Subtitles for this release include removable English SDH subtitles for both films, removable Spanish subtitles, and removable English subtitles for The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk's Cantonese language track. It should be noted that the English subtitles for The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 1 appear to be a direct translation of the English language track and not the Cantonese language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer for The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk (1 minute 46 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with Cantonese text, no subtitles), a trailer for The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 (56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a slipcover, an archival interview with screenwriter Jeff Lau titled The Pen is Mightier than the Sword (13 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Corey Yuen titled Hit Hard & Fly High (20 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Chinese with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Chris Poggiali, author of These Fists Break Bricks for The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk.

Summary:

The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk and The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2 were both directed by Corey Yuen, whose other notable films include Yes, Madam, Righting Wrongs, and The Transporter. Besides Corey Yuen, the bulk of the cast is in both films.

In The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk films, like the Once Upon a Time in China films, Jet Li portrays a larger-than-life folk hero. The narratives revolve around a protagonist named Fong Sai-Yuk, a gifted martial artist whose fighting skills and mischievous behavior often get him into trouble. Besides Fong Sai-Yuk, the other main ingredient is a subplot revolving around the Red Flower Society, which is trying to overthrow the Qing dynasty.

Both films have strong narratives that remain engaging throughout. And yet the heart and soul of both films are the exceptional fight sequences, which contain high-flying wire work and moments of brutal force. Some of the more memorable fight sequences include a scene where fighters compete for the chance to marry an influential man's daughter. In this sequence, you lose when your feet touch the ground. Fighters use structures and people's heads and shoulders to remain off the ground. Both films feature a spectacular fight scene where Fong Sai-Yuk’s parents (his father in the first film and his mother in the second film) will die if he does not free them. And while he tries to free them with one hand, he uses the rest of the limbs to fight off the person who put them into these death traps.

The most surprising aspect of these two films is the chemistry between Jet Li (Once Upon a Time in China) and Josephine Siao in the role of Fong Sai-Yuk’s mother. Throughout both films, they're inseparable, and you can see where Fong Sai-Yuk gets his character traits, especially his sense of humor. Also, though Jet Li always shines when it comes to martial arts sequences, Josephine Siao more than holds her own.

Other notable cast members include Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo in the role of Governor of the Nine Gates. His character is determined to eliminate every member of the Red Flower Society, and he often does it with the utmost brutality. Also, Michelle Reis (the Fallen Angels) in the role of Lui Ting-ting and Amy Kwok (the Victim) in the role of Suen On-yee, their characters both vie for Fong Sai-Yuk’s affection, and there are no slouches when it comes to martial arts.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where either film comes up short. And though The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2 is not much more than a rehash of The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk, the result is a highly entertaining film that still stands well on its own. Ultimately, The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk films are a satisfying mix of action, humor and melodrama.

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk and The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 get a good release from Ronin Flix that comes with strong audio and video presentation for both films and a trio of informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer