Heart of Dragon: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1985
Director: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung
Writer: Barry Wong
Cast: Jackie Chan, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Emily Chu, Mang Hoi, Lam Ching-ying, James Tien, Yuen Wah

Release Date: April 11th, 2023
Approximate running times: 91 Minutes 25 Seconds (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), 99 Minutes 11 Seconds (Extended Japanese Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono Mandarin, DTS-HD Mono English (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese with Hong Kong music, DTS-HD Mono English/Cantonese (Extended Japanese Cut)
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

"Tat (Chan) is a hotshot cop with more stresses than he can bear: if he's not on the verge of getting beaten up on his day job, he's looking out for his mentally handicapped brother Dodo (Hung), who needs constant supervision in case his naïve, kind nature gets taken advantage of. Tat wants nothing more than to escape his obligations and see the world; but when Dodo accidentally winds up in the line of fire, Tat must run into danger and make the ultimate sacrifice to save his brother." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut, Extended Japanese Cut)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Both the original Hong Kong theatrical cut and the extended cut released in Japan were restored in 2K resolution from original film elements by Fortune Star, who supplied these masters to Arrow Video for this Blu-ray release. Additional elements appear on this release with thanks to Shochiku Co, LTD."

Heart of Dragon comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.3 GB

Feature: 28.6 GB

The source used for this transfer looks excellent; it is one of the stronger Jackie Chan Fortune Star transfers. Color saturation, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono Mandarin, DTS-HD Mono English - Hong Kong Theatrical Cut, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese with Hong Kong music, DTS-HD Mono English/Cantonese - Extended Japanese Cut)

The Hong Kong theatrical cut comes with three audio options: a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin, and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and removable English subtitles for the Mandarin language track.

The Extended Japanese Cut comes with three audio options: a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese with Hong Kong music, and a DTS-HD mono mix in English and Cantonese. Included are removable English subtitles, one for each Cantonese language track, and non-removable English for Cantonese dialog when watching the English/Cantonese hybrid track.

Fidelity-wise, the differences between these six audio tracks are minimal. Dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and fight scenes sound robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (27 images - stills/posters/home video art), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (5 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English export theatrical trailer (1 minute 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Japanese theatrical trailer (2 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), two Japanese teasers (2 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Fortune Star re-release trailer (2 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with English text), alternate English credits under the title The First Mission (2 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with cinematographer Arthur Wong (15 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor/director Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (7 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (11 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles subtitles), an archival interview with actor Rocky Lai (10 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles subtitles), an archival interview with actor Jackie Chan (9 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled The Making of The First Mission (48 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival featurette titled The First Mission: Pre-Release Event (15 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Frank Djeng & FJ DeSanto for the extended Japanese cut, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to first pressing), a double sided poster (limited to first pressing), and a 28-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled To the Beat of a Dragon’s Heart written by Dylan Cheung, an essay titled Heart of the Matter: Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and the Golden Years of Hong Kong written by David West, and information about the transfers.

Summary:

Jackie Chan (Police Story) had firmly established himself as the premier actor working in martial arts cinema by the mid-1980s. At this point in his career, humor and incredible fight sequences were two things you could always count on when watching a Jackie Chan film. This leads me to Heart of the Dragon, a film that ultimately provided Jackie Chan with the chance to venture beyond his traditional boundaries.

That said, when you watch a Jackie Chan film, there are certain expectations. Although Heart of the Dragon meets the expected elements of a Jackie Chan film, it effectively retains Jackie Chan's core elements while balancing them with a softer side that demonstrates his ability to excel in dramatic moments.

Besides Jackie Chan, one must not overlook the role that Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (The Magnificent Butcher) plays in Heart of the Dragon. Not only did he direct Heart of the Dragon, but he also portrays Jackie Chan’s mentally disabled brother. Over the years, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung have appeared in numerous films. They have a tremendous amount of chemistry, and with Heart of the Dragon, their performances are perfectly in sync. That said, the rest of the cast are all excellent in their roles.

Although there is an ample amount of melodrama, the opening twelve minutes are non-stop action, which is in line with what one expects from a Jackie Chan film. Tone-wise, things change once Sammo Kam-Bo Hung’s character appears on screen. The narrative does a superb job balancing Jackie Chan’s and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung's characters, and in the case of the latter, he delivers an exemplary performance that never feels like a caricature. 

Anyone who wants their martial arts films to be wall-to-wall action set pieces Don’t let Heart of the Dragon’s melodrama turn you off. It is a well-expected story that is engaging, and when there are action sequences, there are exceptionally executed moments of jaw-dropping action that one has come to expect from Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. Ultimately, Heart of the Dragon is a very satisfying blend of melodrama and action.

Heart of the Dragon gets an exceptional release. Arrow Video, which comes with a solid audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer