Fearless Hyena Part II: Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1983
Director: Chan Chuen
Writer: Lo Wei
Cast: Jackie Chan, Dean Shek, Yam Sai-koon, Kwan Yung-moon, James Tien, Chan Wai-lau, Austin Wai

Release Date: May 20th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 92 Minutes 5 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono English (Alternate)
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"By the early 1980s, Jackie Chan’s popularity made him box-office gold. Thus when, midway through filming the sequel to his hit The Fearless Hyena, Chan walked off the production to defect to rival studio Golden Harvest, producer Lo Wei opted to complete the film with the help of stunt doubles and recycled footage. The result—the tale of two lazy cousins (Chan and Austin Wai Tin-chi) who join forces to avenge the deaths of their fathers—may not be pure Chan, but there are plenty of loony pleasures (including our hero fighting an adversary with his feet!) to be had." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray Presentation in 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio."

Fearless Hyena Part II comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 29.5 GB

Feature: 22.8 GB

The source looks great, considering that it incorporates footage from multiple films. That said, there is a slight dip in quality when it comes to footage sourced from other films. The colors look very good, the image clarity and black levels are strong, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - Alternate)

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and a DTS-HD mono mix in English labeled alternate track. All three audio tracks sound clear and balanced. The Cantonese language track and alternate English language track are more robust than the other English language track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track, and when you watch in English, there is a second removable English subtitle track for Cantonese text.

Extras:

Extras included with this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, Japanese theatrical trailer (1 minute 35 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 47 seconds, LPCm mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Japanese end credits (2 minutes 19 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese, no subtitles), export opening credits (1 minute 58 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Fake Shemps - How Fearless Hyena II Was Completed Without Jackie Chan (16 minutes 23 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto, reversible cover art, a slipcase (limited to the first pressing), and a 32-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with an essay titled Two Tigers on a Mountain: The Fractious Story Behind Fearless Hyena II written by David West, and archival promotional materials.

Summary:

The Ying-Yang brotherhood thwarts the plans of evil kung fu masters, Heaven and Earth. Two of its members come close to dying but manage to escape. The surviving members of the Ying-Yang brotherhood and their children are forced to fight for their lives years later when Heaven and Earth discover where they are hiding.

Throughout his career, Jackie Chan has had a few movies that are mostly compilations of footage from other films. And though there is some new footage in Fearless Hyena Part II, about ¾ of the footage is footage taken from other films or newly shot footage revolving around a subplot with characters loosely connected to Jackie Chan’s character. Needless to say, making a film under these circumstances is not an easy task, and the result is a film that is vastly subpar when compared to Jackie Chan’s most celebrated films.

The footage revolving around the newly created subplot opens Fearless Hyena Part II; it is a lengthy flashback sequence that sets up the events that follow. Despite this scene being born out of necessity, it is actually a very good opening, and the martial arts hold up well. Unfortunately, things start to unravel after this sequence with the first recycled footage of Jackie Chan.

The most memorable moment is the scene where Jackie Chan’s character, who is looking for a job, interacts with Dean Shek’s character. That said, their onscreen chemistry and comedic timing are impeccable. Also, the moments with Jackie Chan are filled with his trademark humor, while moments without him have a darker tone.

The mishmash narrative  has problems, none more detrimental than pacing issues. Something you can count on with Jackie Chan films are exceptional finale fight sequences; unfortunately, his double does not live up to expectations. Also, it would be unfair to judge performances considering the way Fearless Hyena Part II came to be. For a film that comes up short in more ways than it succeeds, Fearless Hyena Part II is an entertaining film for all the wrong reasons.

Fearless Hyena Part II gets a solid release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer