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The Lucky Stars 3-Film Collection: Limited Edition – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1983 (Winners & Sinners), Hong Kong, 1985 (My Lucky Stars, Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars)
Director: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (All Films)
Cast: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Richard Ng, Charlie Chin, Stanley Fung, Cherie Chung, Eric Tsang, Sibelle Hu, Rosamund Kwan, Andy Lau

Release Date: October 23rd, 2023
Approximate running times: 108 Minutes 54 Seconds (Winners & Sinners), 96 Minutes 48 Seconds (My Lucky Stars), 95 Minutes 3 Seconds (Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono Cantonese Alternate, LPCM Mono English (Winners & Sinners), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese Home Video Mix, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese Alternate, DTS-HD Mono English (My Lucky Stars, Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: OOP

Winners and Sinners: "Five former prisoners form a cleaning company and endeavour to keep clear of crime, but inadvertently find themselves in the middle of a counterfeit money scheme, and now the Triads and the police are out to get them!” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

My Lucky Stars: "The Lucky Stars are sent to Japan to help the police apprehend a gang of dangerous criminals and a corrupt cop. Of course nothing goes to plan, and a series of gut-busting and neck-breaking action sequences ensue, leading up to one of the best climactic fight sequences ever filmed.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars: "Tasked with busting a crime syndicate, the Lucky Stars wreak havoc in a holiday paradise with their unique brand of high-kicking justice and outrageous antics.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Winners & Sinners, My Lucky Stars, Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "All three films presented in 1080p on Blu-ray from brand new restorations, including the alternate extended Taiwanese version of Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars which was fully restored in 4K."

Winners & Sinners comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.4 GB

Feature: 32.4 GB

My Lucky Stars comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.7 GB

Feature: 23.5 GB (Hong Kong Theatrical Version), 16.7 GB (International Export Version)

Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.7 GB

Feature: 31.3 GB

This release uses seamless branching for the two versions.

All of the sources used for these three films' transfers look excellent. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and these transfers are free of any digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese - Winners & Sinners, LPCM Mono Cantonese Alternate - Winners & Sinners, LPCM Mono English - Winners & Sinners, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - My Lucky Stars, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese Home Video Mix - My Lucky Stars, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese Alternate - My Lucky Stars, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese Home Video Mix - Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese Alternate - Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - My Lucky Stars, DTS-HD Mono English - Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars)

Winners & Sinners comes with three audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese labeled alternate mix, and a LPCM mono mix in English. These three tracks are comparable range-wise; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences sound robust. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks, a removable English subtitle track when watching the English language track that translates text, and a song that is in Cantonese.

My Lucky Stars comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese labeled home video mix, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese labeled alternate mix, and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The Cantonese language tracks are comparable, and they sound more robust than the English language track. That said, all tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks and a removable English subtitle track when watching the English language track that translates text in Cantonese.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese labeled home video mix, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese labeled alternate mix, and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The Cantonese language tracks are comparable, and they sound more robust than the English language track. That said, all tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks and a removable English subtitle track when watching the English language track that translates text in Cantonese and dialog in Thai.

Extras:

Extras for Winners & Sinners include Hong Kong teaser (43 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Japanese TV spot (15 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Japanese theatrical trailer (2 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), alternate Japanese end credits (2 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), outtakes (4 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Lucky Stars live performance (8 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese removable English), an archival extra titled Sammo Hung on Winners & Sinners (5 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director/actor Sammo Hung titled Tea Pot Tango (13 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival).

Extras for My Lucky Stars include Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Japanese theatrical trailer (2 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), outtakes (9 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), music video (2 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), alternate Japanese credits (2 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Sammo Hung titled Clown Prince (18 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actress Michiko Nishiwaki (20 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital English, no subtitles), the International export version of My Lucky Stars (88 minutes 29 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono English with removable English subtitles for Cantonese text and Cantonese song), and an audio commentary with Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival).

Extras for Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars include Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Japanese TV spot (15 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Japanese theatrical trailer (2 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), outtakes (3 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Richard Norton titled Gentleman Warrior (32 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Richard Ng titled A Life of Laughter (21 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), the extended Taiwanese version of Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars (107 minutes 9 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival).

Other extras include a limited edition O-Card (first pressing only), and a 28-page booklet (first pressing only) with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Chuckle Brothers Sammo, Jackie and Canto-comedy in Winners & Sinners written by James Oliver, an essay titled Family Reunion The Lucky Stars Carry On… written by James Oliver, an essay titled Sibling Rivalry Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars Sammo Hung Stands Back written by James Oliver, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Most Hong Kong martial arts films from this era are star-driven. What makes these three films special is their ensemble casts, which allow everyone an opportunity to take center stage, and their combined contributions outweigh individual performances. Also, besides some of the more well-known faces, there are also several recognizable faces in minor roles.

Winners & Sinners: Five former prisoners trying to stay out of trouble become entangled in a counterfeit money scheme.

Though Winners & Sinners is billed as an action film, there are a few standout action set pieces. The result is an action/comedy hybrid that leans heavily towards the latter. In fact, when it comes to the comedy moments, this is where Winners & Sinners shines brightest. That said, the most memorable moments when it comes to humor are at the expense of Richard Ng’s (Wheels on Meals) character, who walks around naked because he thinks that he is invisible, when in reality everyone can see him and they just pretend not to see him.

Though the premise is well executed, it is ultimately the characters and the crazy situations in which they find themselves that drive the narrative. Fortunately, when it comes to the performances, the cast is all excellent. And besides the aforementioned Richard Ng, another performance of note is Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (The Magnificent Butcher) in the role of Teapot.

Also, though a lot is made of Jackie Chan (Drunken Master) and Yuen Biao (The Prodigal Son) being part of Winners & Sinners, their roles are minor. And in the case of the latter, he is only in one scene. Not to be overlooked in Cherie Chung's Wild Search is the role of one of the ‘lucky stars’ cousins. Her character is the only fleshed-out female character, and her performance provides a solid contrast to her male counterparts.

The opening setup does a great job establishing who everyone is and what their motivations are. And though action takes on a larger role in the latter half of the film, this does not slow down the momentum. When it comes to action sequences and stunts, Winners & Sinners does not disappoint. Standout moments include a character being kicked through a window, a roller coaster-like chase, and a lengthy, action-heavy final. Ultimately, Winners & Sinners is a highly entertaining film that fans of comedy/action martial arts films are sure to enjoy.

My Lucky Stars: An undercover cop named Muscles recruits the ‘lucky stars’ his childhood friends to help him apprehend a corrupt cop who fled to Japan, and he has taken Muscles partner hostage.

Content-wise, though My Lucky Stars has all the elements that made Winners and Sinners successful. When it comes to action set pieces, it ups the ante. My Lucky Stars opens with a phenomenal action set piece that starts off with a car chase that ends up at an amusement park where Jackie Chan’s character climbs a Ferris wheel. And if the amazing stunt work in this sequence was not enough, ninjas also made an appearance.

When it comes to the cast, John Shum (yes, Madam) is the only major cast member who does not return. Also, Jackie Chan (Police Story) and Yuen Biao (On the Run) had limited roles in Winners & Sinners. This time around, they have more sizable roles, especially Jackie Chan. That said, their performances are mostly physical since most of their screen time is spent on action sequences.

From a performance standpoint, the entire cast is excellent. This time around, Eric Tsang (Twin Dragons) is a new cast addition, and his character provides an ample amount of comic relief. Another performance of note is Sibelle Hu (The Inspector Wears Skirts) in the role of a female police officer who is paired with the ‘lucky stars’. Her character, like Cherie Chung's in Winners & Sinners, provides a solid contrast to her male counterparts. A notable cameo is Bolo Yeung (Bloodsport), who portrays a jealous husband whose wife is having an affair with a dentist.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where My Lucky Stars does not deliver, and then some. The narrative does a great job building moments towards an excellent action-packed finale. When it comes to the action sequences, they are filled with the crazy stunt work that one has come to expect from Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Jackie Chan, and Yuen Biao. The two best action sequences are the opening and closing scenes. Ultimately, My Lucky Stars is a perfect mix of action and humor that is a must-see if you're a fan of 1980s action cinema.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars: The ‘lucky stars’ are recruited by law enforcement to protect an actress who is the main witness against a crime syndicate that has sent assassins to kill her.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars takes the ‘If it ain't broke, don’t fix it’ approach, as it just follows where its two predecessors left off. And though it is a good mix of action humor, it tends to lean too heavily towards humor. Some of the jokes felt too drawn-out. Fortunately, there are jokes that hit the bullseye, like a scene where what appear to be female assassins are actual men disguised as women.

The third time around, all of the cast members are really comfortable in their roles, and their onscreen chemistry is off the charts. There is also a trio of new cast members added to the mix, which include Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs), who portrays an associate of Muscles; Michael Miu in the role of Pagoda, a relative of Charlie Chin’s character; and Rosamund Kwan (Once Upon a Time in China) in the role of an actress who was marked for death by a crime boss.

Jackie Chan (Dragons Forever) returns in the role of Muscles, and Yuen Biao (Knockabout) is given a larger role than he had in the two previous films. Also, Jackie Chan’s screen time was limited due to an injury. A notable cameo is Michelle Yeoh (Magnificent Warriors) in the role of a judo instructor.

In the first two films, the ‘lucky stars’ played an active role when it came to interactions with the criminals the cops were trying to bring down. In Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars, most of the ‘lucky stars’ screen time is spent chasing around women. Fortunately, most of these moments are outrageous situations that play to these actors strengths. Ultimately, though Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars is a very good film, it is the weakest of these three Lucky Stars films.

The Lucky Stars 3-Film Collection is an excellent release from Eureka Video that gives each film solid audio/video presentations and informative extras, highly recommended.

Note: Eureka Video has rereleased The Lucky Stars 3-Film Collection in a standard edition.