God of Gamblers: Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1989
Director: Wong Jing
Writer: Wong Jing
Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Andy Lau, Joey Wong, Sharla Cheung

Release Date: April 10th, 2023
Approximate running time: 126 Minutes 36 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £19.99 (UK)

"Ko Chun is the greatest high-roller in the world, king of the casino and as cool as only an in-his-prime Chow Yun-fat (Hard Boiled; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) can be. But that's before a nasty head injury renders him mentally disabled. After being befriended by unscrupulous hustler 'Knife' (golden-throated Canto-Pop king Andy Lau), it is discovered that, despite his other impairments, Ko's unerring instincts for gambling remain intact. Knife thinks he's on to a sure thing but Ko still has enemies and they haven't forgotten him..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray™ presentation".

God of Gamblers comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.2 GB

Feature: 38.9 GB

Though the information about the source makes it clear that this is not a recent transfer, the result is a transfer that looks surprisingly good for a transfer that does not come from a 2K source. Some credit for why this disc also looks as good as it does should go to Fidelity in Motion, who did the encode. That said, colors and flesh tones look correct, the image looks crisp, black levels are strong, and compression is solid.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English), 4/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese)

This release comes with three audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Cantonese, and a LPCM mono mix in English. It should be noted that the two Cantonese language tracks also have some dialog in English and Japanese. Though all three tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, The DTS-HD 5.1 track sounds more spread out than its mono counterparts. That said, the two mono tracks always sound robust when they should. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks, removable English SDH subtitles for the Cantonese language track that let you know if a character is speaking Cantonese, English, or Japanese, and removable English subtitles for Cantonese text when watching the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery (30 images images), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (2 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), English language titles (5 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director Wong Jing (4 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a second archival interview with Wong Jing (6 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Andy Lau (11 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Chow Yun-Fat (18 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Hong Kong cinema expert David West, an audio commentary with Hong Kong cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto, reversible cover art, a double-sided foldout poster (limited to first pressing), a double walled slipcase (limited to first pressing), and a thirty-two page booklet (limited to first pressing) with an essay titled The God of Gamblers Universe: Wong Jing’s Magnum Opus An Exploration of the God of Gamblers Series written by Paul Bramhall, and God of Gamblers filmography.

Summary:

Directed by Wong Jing, a prolific producer and director who is now into his fifth decade of making cinema in Hong Kong. Anyone who's familiar with Hong Kong's heyday of the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s is sure to have seen one of his films. And though he often takes on the role of producer, most films he is associated with have his distinctive bombastic style.

God of Gamblers is the first in a series of thirteen (to date) films that are part of a series of films. God of Gamblers also inspired spinoffs and spoofs like All for the Winner. The cinematographer on God of Gamblers was Peter Pau, whose impressive credits include The Killer, The Bride with White Hair, Naked Killer, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

God of Gamblers’ narrative revolves around a world-renowned gambler named Ko Chun. He is a private man who keeps his identity secret. The only things known about him are his love for Feodora brand chocolate, a pinky ring, and his hair style. One day, while in the middle of a job that he has taken as a favor, he takes a nasty fall, giving him amnesia. He is discovered unconscious by a trio of friends who exploit his gambling skills.

The main attraction of God of Gamblers is its leading man, Chow Yun-Fat (A Better Tomorrow), in the role of Ko Chun, a suave, confident character that is cut from the same mold as the types of roles that Chow Yun-Fat was being cast in around this time. Other notable cast members include Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs) in the role of a hustler named Knife and Joey Wang (City Hunter) in the role of Knife’s girlfriend. Though all of the cast members are very good, it is these three whose performances stand out.

Most of the humor revolves around the situations that arise from Knife and his friend's exploitation of Ko Chun, whom they give the new name Chocolate. Standout moments include a scene where Chow Yun-Fat’s character is given a chance to show off his double gun prowess and a shootout sequence on an escalator with a baby in a carriage that combines similar moments from The Untouchables and Carlito's Way.

Anyone going into God of Gamblers expecting an action film should be forewarned. There are many tonal shifts in God of Gamblers, a film that starts off as an intense melodrama with some action, slides into an offbeat tale about a man with amnesia being exploited, and culminates with thirty minutes of non-stop action and intensity. That said, somehow these tonal shifts actually work in God of Gamblers favor.

God of Gamblers gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer