To Kill with Intrigue: Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1977
Director: Lo Wei
Writer: Gu Long
Cast: Jackie Chan, Hsu Feng, Jeong Hee, Shin Il-Ryong, George Wang, Chan Wai Lau, Chan San Yat, To Wai Wo, Yuen Biao, Chin Yuet Sang

Release Date: December 10th, 2018
Approximate running time: 107 Minutes 14 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Mandarin, DTS-HD 5.1 Mandarin, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Stereo Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"Shot in South Korea, when the country was still a curious entity to the West and under tyrannical one-party rule, To Kill with Intrigue highlights a fast-paced tale of doomed romance and revenge that gives Chan’s token stunts and chopsocky mayhem plenty of space to showcase themselves!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "2018 2K Scan from the Original Camera Negative".

To Kill with Intrigue comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.1 GB

Feature: 28.4 GB

The source used for this transfer is in very good shape, and any source debris is minor. Though colors look very good, there are a few moments where they are not as strong as they should be. The image looks crisp, the black levels fare well, and the compression is very good.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Mandarin, DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Stereo Cantonese), 3.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Mandarin, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with five audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Mandarin, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English, and a DTS-HD stereo mix in Cantonese. The two 5.1 tracks and the stereo track all sound clean, clear, and balanced. The two 5.1 tracks do a good job expanding their original mono sources. The two mono tracks have some audio imperfections that have not been cleaned up. That said, the dialog comes through clearly enough to follow all of the tracks. Included are removable English subtitles for the Mandarin language tracks and a second removable English subtitle track for Mandarin text when watching with the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a lobby card gallery, a behind the scenes stills gallery, a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an interview with Hong Kong Cinema Expert Rick Baker titled Intriguingly Jackie (20 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, 4 collectors’ postcards (first print run only), and a O-card slipcase (first print run only).

Summary:

Directed by Lo Wei, who is most remembered for directing two Bruce Lee films, The Big Boss and Fists of Fury. He collaborated with Jackie Chan on six films.

The narrative revolves around the lone survivor of a massacre at the hands of the Killer Bees clan, whose leader spares his life and forces him to suffer for as long as he lives.

The two main characters, Lei Shao-feng and Ding Can-ren, are both driven by revenge. In the case of the former, her revenge was against Lei Shao-feng’s father. When Ding Can-ren kills Lei Shao-feng’s family, he continues the cycle. Despite revenge being central to the story that unfolds, the result is a film that is much more than a by-the-numbers revenge-themed martial arts film.

Besides revenge, love also plays a role in the story at hand. Lei Shao-feng, in the opening moments, chases away Chin Chin, his pregnant girlfriend, who reluctantly ends up in the arms of his close friend Chen Chun. And Ding Can-ren, who spares Lei Shao-feng’s life, falls in love with him.

To Kill with Intrigue was an early role for Jackie Chan (My Lucky Stars) that was designed to make him the next big star in martial arts cinema. Unfortunately, it is yet another early role for Jackie Chan that does not play to his strengths. Lei Shao-feng, the character he portrays, is a brooding character whose personality is the polar opposite of most of the characters he portrays. The other performance of note is Hsu Feng’s (The Fate of Lee Khan) portrayal of Ding Can-ren, the leader of the Killer Bees. Her martial arts skills are on par with all of her male counterparts.

The deliberate-paced narrative can be quite moving at times; unfortunately,  the melodramatic moments are often the culprits responsible for the dragging narrative. Fortunately, when it comes to the action sequences, these always deliver, and they are To Kill with Intrigue’s most durable asset. The most memorable moment is a training sequence with Lei Shao-feng and Ding Can-ren. Ultimately, To Kill with Intrigue may not be one of Jackie Chan’s better films, but it is still a solid martial arts film that works as well as it does because of its two leads, Jackie Chan and Hsu Feng.

To Kill with Intrigue gets a good release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an informative extra.

Written by Michael Den Boer