Kung Fu Cult Master – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1993
Director: Wong Jing
Writers: Wong Jing, Louis Cha
Cast: Jet Li, Sharla Cheung, Gigi Lai, Chingmy Yau, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Francis Ng, Sun Mengquan, Bryan Leung, Collin Chou, Richard Ng 

Release Date: January 29th, 2024
Approximate running time: 103 Minutes 26 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK)

"While various martial arts sects fight over a pair of mythical swords that grant great power, Zhang Wuji (Jet Li) goes on a quest to become a great martial artist and end the conflict." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray of the original Hong Kong theatrical cut from a new restoration of the original film elements."

Kung Fu Cult Master comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.3 GB

Feature: 31.2 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape, free of any source damage. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and compression are solid, and black levels are strong.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese), 3/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, an LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and an LPCM mono mix in English. The English language track is not as clean as the Cantonese language track; it has a noticeable hiss throughout. That said, dialog comes through clearly, and range-wise, things sound serviceable. The Cantonese language track is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and a second removable English subtitle track for text and a song in Cantonese. It should be noted that when watching the English language track, there is a brief dialog exchange in Cantonese, and this comes with removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include English export theatrical trailer (3 minutes 5 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 22 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival Interview with actor Sammo Kam-Bo Hung titled Kung Fu Master (23 minutes 49 seconds, LPCM stereo English with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Asian film expert Frank Djeng, reversible cover art, an O-card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 20-page booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled We Don't Need Another Hero: or, Revenge of the Kung Fu Cult Master written by Simon Abrams, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

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.

Kung Fu Cult Master is a Wuxia film that was adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Over the years, there have been numerous TV and film adaptations of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, notably the Shaw Brothers films Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber and The Hidden Power of the Dragon Saber.

The narrative revolves around martial arts sects that are battling over two mythical swords.

Though adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, Kung Fu Cult Master is not a faithful adaptation. Whereas in the novel the protagonist is portrayed as a righteous hero, in Kung Fu Cult Master he is the polar opposite. Reportedly, this change of protagonist had a negative effect on Kung Fu Cult Master at the box office, and it was originally planned to be the first of three films.

From its opening moments, it becomes clear that action comes first and exposition takes a backseat. There is no time given to establish characters and build them up; pretty much all of the characters are already in peak form and have no room for growth. The only character who evolves is Zhang Wuji, whose parents' deaths traumatized him. Though this character does not start off as a skilled fighter, once he learns the Nine Yang Skill, he becomes an imposing fighter whose skills are second to none. This character's evolution is one of the few bright spots in Kung Fu Cult Master.

The cast is filled with recognizable faces, and for the most part, they are all very good in their roles. The most memorable performance was that of Chingmy Yau (Naked Killer) in the role of Xiaozhao, a woman who helps Zhang Wuji after they fall off a cliff. Though Jet Li (Once Upon a Time in China) is billed as the star of Kung Fu Cult Master, this film is really an ensemble cast in which multiple actors are given an equal amount of screentime. That said, when it comes to the action sequences, he once again delivers, and then some.

Content-wise, Kung Fu Cult Master has all the elements that one would expect and want from a Wuxia film. The tale is firmly rooted in the realm of fantasy, and when it comes to the fight scenes, they are high-flying and often defy gravity. When it comes to the characters, there is a clear distinction between good and evil. Also, some of the action sequences can be bloody, with severed body parts.

Though Kung Fu Cult Master has a solid premise, rival clans fight to obtain a pair of magical swords. The execution of said premise is not as effective, and some of the blame for this falls on a narrative that tries to cram too much into 103 minutes. Another strike against Kung Fu Cult Master is its open-ended ending. That said, not being able to make the two additional planned films does not do Kung Fu Cult Master's ending any favors.

Kung Fu Cult Master gets a first-rate release from Eureka Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a trio of informative extras.

Written by Michael Den Boer