10kbullets

Island of Fire – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Taiwan/Hong Kong, 1990
Director: Kevin Chu
Writers: Lee Fu, Yip Wan-Chiu
Cast: Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Tou Chung-hua, Barry Wong, Jimmy Wang Yu, Ko Chun-hsiung, Jack Kao

Release Date: August 26th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 96 Minutes 22 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono Mandarin, LPCM Mono English, LPCM Alternate Mandarin Mono
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £19.99 (UK)

"Four men of iron face their destinies within the harsh walls of a Taiwanese prison. Steve (Jackie Chan) is a gambler seeking to atone for his sins. Andy (Tony Leung) is an undercover cop solving a crime. Lee (Andy Lau) is a gangster looking for vengeance. John (Sammo Hung) is a lifer seeking to reunite with his son." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "HD (1080p) Blu-rayTM presentation in original 1.85:1".

Island of Fire comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.1 GB

Feature: 31.6 GB

The information provided in regard to the source leads me to believe it is dated. That said, flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is solid.

Audio: 4.25/5 (All Audio Tracks)

This release comes with four audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, a LPCM mono mix in Mandarin, a LPCM mono mix in English, and a LPCM alternate mono mix in Mandarin. All of the audio tracks are in great shape; they all sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese and Mandarin language tracks.

Extras:

Extras for this release include Japanese TV spot (17 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Japanese theatrical trailer (1 minute 47 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with Japanese text and removable English subtitles), Taiwanese theatrical trailer (4 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), export theatrical trailer reconstruction (2 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), export version end credits (1 minute 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (6 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Jimmy Wang Yu (8 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Kevin Chu (6 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Jack Kao titled Actor on Fire (21 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Mandarin with removable English subtitles), 16 scenes from the Taiwanese version (40 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with burnt-in English and Cantonese subtitles), an audio commentary with Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto, reversible cover art, a fold-out poster (limited to the first pressing), a rigid slipcase (limited to the first pressing), and a 32-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled An Offer You Can't Refuse Jimmy Wang Yu and Island of Fire written by David West, an essay titled Clothes Make the Chan - Breaking the Fourth Wall written by Thorsten Boose, and archival images.

Summary:

Despite directing 73 films and having a career that spanned 4 decades, before Island on Fire, Kevin Chu was most known for Fantasy Mission Force, a film that also starred Jackie Chan.

The narrative revolves around a cop who goes undercover inside a maximum security prison, looking into men who were executed and turned up later as assassins.

Those seeking a typical Jackie Chan film with Island of Fire should be aware that he assumes a secondary position with limited on-screen time. And though his performance ventures into darker areas he would later explore in films like Crime Story and Shinjuku Incident, there are still moments in Island of Fire that are in line with the type of character he’s known for portraying. That said, there are several moments where his mischievous interactions with other characters are in line with what one expects from Jackie Chan.

Besides Jackie Chan, there are a few other notable names in the cast: Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs), Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (The Magnificent Butcher), and Jimmy Wang Yu (The Chinese Boxer). Like Jackie Chan, all of the actors portray secondary characters. The actual lead is Tony Leung Ka-fai (Ashes of Time), who portrays the undercover cop.That said, no matter how large or small, all of the performances are excellent.

Despite there being some martial arts in Island of Fire, it is more of a straight up action film with its use of guns, knives and explosives. Also, when it comes to onscreen carnage, there are times where it can be jarring. And it should not come as a surprise that the action set pieces and stunt work are exceptional all around. Jackie Chan and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung perform the most daring and acrobatic stunts.

The most impressive aspect of Island of Fire is the way its narrative is laid out. All of its name actors' characters are given super introductions that fill in all their relevant backstory. Also, the narrative does an excellent job bringing all their stories together for a sensational finale. That said, things always move along quickly, ensuring there are never any issues with pacing.

Though Island of Fire has a serious tone that at times gets bleak, that is not to say that it does not effectively interject moments of humor. The most memorable moment of humor is a scene where a woman needs help with a flat tire in the pouring rain, and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung’s character has her rock the car so her breasts press against the car window. That said, as effective as these moments of humor are, they don’t lessen the blow of the extremely bleak ending. Ultimately, Island of Fire is a solid action film that has some heroic bloodshed elements.

Island of Fire gets a solid release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of extras, recommended.