To Kill with Intrigue – 88 Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1977
Director: Lo Wei
Writer: Gu Long
Cast: Jackie Chan, Hsu Feng, Jeong Hee, Shin Il-Ryong, George Wang, Chan Wai Lau, Chan San Yat, To Wai Wo, Yuen Biao, Chin Yuet Sang

Release Date: June 17th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 107 Minutes 14 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Theatrical Mono Mandarin, LPCM Mono English, LPCM Stereo Cantonese, LPCM Alternate Japanese Theatrical Mono Mandarin
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK)

"Shot in South Korea, when the country was still a curious entity to the West and under tyrannical one-party rule, To Kill with Intrigue highlights a fast-paced tale of doomed romance and revenge that gives Chan’s token stunts and chopsocky mayhem plenty of space to showcase themselves!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Brand new 4K remaster from the original negatives."

To Kill with Intrigue comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 89.2 GB

Feature: 81 GB

The source looks excellent; it is a massive improvement over the 88 Films 2018 Blu-ray release. Flesh tones look correct, color saturation, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

To Kill with Intrigue comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.2 GB

Feature: 34.6 GB

The Blu-ray uses the same source as the 4K UHD does for its transfer.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Alternate Japanese Theatrical Mono Mandarin), 4/5 (LPCM Theatrical Mono Mandarin, LPCM Mono English, LPCM Stereo Cantonese)

This release comes with four audio options, a LPCM theatrical mono mix in Mandarin, a LPCM mono mix in English, a LPCM stereo mix in Cantonese, and a LPCM alternate Japanese theatrical mono mix in Mandarin. 88 Films previous Blu-ray release all of the audio tracks were DTS-HD; this time around they are all LPCM, and both DTS-HD 5.1 audio tracks have been dropped from that release, while this release adds a LPCM alternate Japanese theatrical mono mix in Mandarin. Though the Cantonese audio track sounds similar to the one used for their 2018 Blu-ray release, the two mono audio tracks sound cleaner, and their range is greatly improved. That said, the LPCM alternate Japanese theatrical mono mix in Mandarin is the strongest audio track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Mandarin language tracks and a second removable English subtitle for Mandarin text when watching the English language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a lobby card gallery, a behind the scenes stills gallery, Japanese theatrical opening credit sequence (1 minute 41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with Japanese text and removable English subtitles), Japanese TV spot (14 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Japanese teaser (50 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Japanese theatrical trailer (2 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles),  From the Lo Wei Vaults - Alternate Korean Footage (16 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Korean with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Hong Kong Cinema Expert Rick Baker titled Intriguingly Jackie (20 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto.

Other extras include reversible cover art, A3 fold-out poster (limited to the first pressing), a double walled slipcase (limited to the first pressing), and a 32-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Lo Wei - The (Other) Million Dollar Director written by David West, and archival images.

Summary:

Directed by Lo Wei, who is most remembered for directing two Bruce Lee films, The Big Boss and Fists of Fury. He collaborated with Jackie Chan on six films.

The narrative revolves around the lone survivor of a massacre at the hands of the Killer Bees clan, whose leader spares his life and forces him to suffer for as long as he lives.

The two main characters, Lei Shao-feng and Ding Can-ren, are both driven by revenge. In the case of the former, her revenge was against Lei Shao-feng’s father. When Ding Can-ren kills Lei Shao-feng’s family, he continues the cycle. Despite revenge being central to the story that unfolds, the result is a film that is much more than a by-the-numbers revenge-themed martial arts film.

Besides revenge, love also plays a role in the story at hand. Lei Shao-feng, in the opening moments, chases away Chin Chin, his pregnant girlfriend, who reluctantly ends up in the arms of his close friend Chen Chun. And Ding Can-ren, who spares Lei Shao-feng’s life, falls in love with him.

To Kill with Intrigue was an early role for Jackie Chan (My Lucky Stars) that was designed to make him the next big star in martial arts cinema. Unfortunately, it is yet another early role for Jackie Chan that does not play to his strengths. Lei Shao-feng, the character he portrays, is a brooding character whose personality is the polar opposite of most of the characters he portrays. The other performance of note is Hsu Feng’s (The Fate of Lee Khan) portrayal of Ding Can-ren, the leader of the Killer Bees. Her martial arts skills are on par with all of her male counterparts.

The deliberate-paced narrative can be quite moving at times; unfortunately,  the melodramatic moments are often the culprits responsible for the dragging narrative. Fortunately, when it comes to the action sequences, these always deliver, and they are To Kill with Intrigue’s most durable asset. The most memorable moment is a training sequence with Lei Shao-feng and Ding Can-ren. Ultimately, To Kill with Intrigue may not be one of Jackie Chan’s better films, but it is still a solid martial arts film that works as well as it does because of its two leads, Jackie Chan and Hsu Feng.

To Kill with Intrigue gets a definitive release from 88 Films, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer