When Taekwondo Strikes – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1973
Director: Feng Huang
Writer: Feng Huang
Cast: Jhoon Rhee, Angela Mao, Anne Winton, Andre E. Morgan, Carter Wong, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Chin Chun, Wong Fung, Wong In Sik, Kenji Kazama, Alan Chui Chung-San 

Release Date: January 22nd, 2024
Approximate running time: 96 Minutes 10 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Mandarin, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK)

"In Japanese occupied Korea, resistance leader Lee (Rhee) is captured by the Japanese occupying forces. To rescue him, his pupil Jin (Carter Wong, The Skyhawk) must get help from a Hapkido expert (Mao) and together they fight there way through an army of Japanese villains played by a number of genre favourites including Hwang In-shik (Way of the Dragon), Kenji Kazama (The Streetfighter) and Sammo Hung (The Millionaires’ Express)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

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 brand new 2K restoration."

When Taekwondo Strikes comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.6 GB

Feature: 28.1 GB

The source used for this transfer looks excellent. Flesh tones look accurate, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and there does not appear to be any digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Mandarin), 3.5/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Mandarin and a LPCM mono mix in English. The Mandarin language track is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. The English language track has sibilance issues and some faint background hiss. That said, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, things sound good. Included are removable English subtitles for the Mandarin language track. It should be noted that there are signs in Mandarin, and they are only subtitled when watching with a subtitle track that is meant for the Mandarin language track, unlike other Eureka Video releases that contain a second English subtitle track for signs and songs.

Extras:

Extras for this release include U.S. theatrical trailer #1 (1 minute 27 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), U.S. theatrical trailer #2 (2 minutes 56 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), UK theatrical trailer (3 minutes 34 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 55 seconds, LPCM mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an interview with stuntman Billy Chan (21 minutes, LPCM stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), a documentary titled The Best of the Martial Arts Films (91 minutes 15 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film historian and author Samm Deighan, reversible cover art, an O-card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 24-page booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Nobody Bothers Me The Art of the Feet and the Hands: When Taekwondo Strikes written by James Oliver, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Directed by Feng Huang, whose notable films include Lady Whirlwind, Hapkido, and The Shaolin Plot.

The narrative revolves around Korean nationalists who are fighting back against Japanese occupiers during World War II.

When Taekwondo Strikes is another Japanese-versus-Chinese martial arts film in the same vein as Fists of Fury and Heroes of the East. In the case of when Taekwondo strikes replace China with Korea, you have a scenario similar. That said, some of the Taekwondo strikes do take place in Hong Kong.

Though Angela Mao (Hapkido) is the main attraction of When Taekwondo Strikes, her character does not appear on screen until around the 25-minute mark. Fortunately, from there on out, her character plays a significant role. She once again delivers a solid performance, and when it comes to action sequences, she more than holds her own with her male counterparts.

Performance-wise, the rest of the cast are all great in their roles, especially Jhoon Rhee in the role of Lee, the leader of the Korean resistance. Though he is not an actor, his only other credit is Fists of Fury. He delivers a very good performance, which allows him to show off his exceptional Taekwondo skills. Other performances of note are Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (The Magnificent Butcher) in the role of a bad guy Japanese enforcer and Anne Winton in the role of Marie, the daughter of the priest's daughter. In the case of the latter, though she would appear in only one more film, when it comes to action sequences, she far exceeds expectations.

Without a doubt, the highlight of When Taekwondo Strikes is its exceptional action sequences. Though hand-to-hand combat and kicks play a role in the fight sequences, many times weapons like knives find their way into the action. That said, some of these action set pieces, which contain high body counts, can be bloody. The most memorable action sequence is a scene where Angela Mao’s character is in a knockdown drag-out fight with Sammo Kam-Bo Hung’s character, and when the latter sees he cannot beat her, he kills her mother.

Though the action sequences draw a lot of attention, that is not to say that moments of exposition are a slouch. In fact, when Taekwondo strikes, it is a perfect blend of action and exposition. Another strength of the narrative is how well it builds momentum and has a fantastic ending that serves as a very satisfying climax. Ultimately, When Taekwondo Strikes is a solid martial arts film that stands firmly as Angela Mao’s film, in which she was the lead.

When Taekwondo Strikes gets a solid release from Eureka Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer