Taxi Hunter – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1993
Director: Herman Yau
Writers: Lau Yin, Ray Mak, Herman Yau, Leung Hung-Wah
Cast: Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Yu Rongguang, Ng Man-Tat, Athena Chu Yun, Perrie Lai Hoi-San, Chan Fai-Hung

Release Date: August 28th, 2023 (UK), August 29th, 2023 (USA)
Approximate running time: 89 Minutes 40 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK), $34.95 (USA)

"Taxi Hunter bravely tackles the under-explored scourge of - er - unprofessional taxi drivers. After his pregnant wife is perishes through the actions of a careless (and callous) cabby, mild-mannered Ah Kin (Anthony 'king of the Cat III's' Wong) declares war on the entire profession - and you don't need 'The Knowledge' to know he won't be leaving a tip..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

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

Taxi Hunter comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.3 GB

Feature: 24.5 GB

The verbage used for this transfer source is vague, suggesting it comes from a date source. The source is in great shape, and any source imperfections are very minor. Colors and flesh tones generally look very good, and black levels fare well. That said, there are some moments where they are not as strong as they should be, and compression is solid.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise things sound very good.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery (24 images), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 51 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an in Interview with actor Anthony Wong titled Falling Down in Hong Kong (17 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an in Interview with action director James Ha titled How to Murder Your Taxi Driver? (27 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter and producer Tony Leung Hung-Wah titled Hunting For Words (28 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng, reversible cover art, a double-sided foldout poster (limited to the first pressing), and a double walled matt finish O-ring (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Directed by Herman Yau, a filmmaker who is most remembered for his contributions to Hong Kong’s Cat II cinema. His notable films are The Untold Story and Ebola Syndrome.

The narrative revolves around Kin, an insurance salesman who blames taxi drivers for the deaths of his pregnant wife and unborn child. His anger grows when he sees the way that taxi drivers mistreat their customers, which pushes him over the edge, and he vents his rage by killing taxi drivers.

Despite the premise, a mild-mannered man, through a series of events, reaches his breaking point after having been done before. The result is a film that works as well as it does because of actor Anthony Wong Chau-Sang’s (Three Days of a Blind Girl) portrayal of Ah Kin. Though he is known for portraying characters who commit extreme acts of violence, the depth his performance gives Kin makes him a more well-rounded character that actually exudes empathy.

When it comes to the rest of the cast, they range from very good to serviceable, with those who fall into the latter mostly being secondary characters like the taxi drivers. Besides Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, there are two other performances that stand out: Yu Rongguang (Iron Monkey) in the role of sergeant Yu Kai Chung, whose temper gets him reassigned, and Ng Man-Tat (A Moment of Romance) in the role of sergeant Gao, who wears hip-hop attire and street lingo on the job. In the case of the latter, this character provides most of Taxi Hunter’s humor.

Though Taxi Hunter gets labeled as a Cat III film, Hong Kong’s highest rating is that no one under 18 is allowed to rent, watch, or purchase said film. Its actual rating is Cat II, which carries the warning that it is not suitable for children. That said, there are moments in Taxi Hunter that are reminiscent of content that has been given a Cat III rating. Like the scene where a drunk woman is raped by a taxi driver and the first taxi driver's murder.

Taxi Hunter is a well-made film that often exceeds the sum of its parts. The narrative does a phenomenal job setting the stage for the events that follow. Also, when it comes to pacing, there is never an issue. Another strength of the narrative is how it balances the absurd moments with Gao's and the more aggressive moments where Ah Kin exacts his revenge. Ultimately, Taxi Hunter is a tense thriller that never gets bogged down in the more exploitive elements that rump rampant throughout 1990s Hong Kong cinema.

Taxi Hunter gets a first-rate release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer