Two Taoist Tales – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1984 (Taoism Drunkard), Hong Kong, 1986 (The Young Taoism Fighter)
Directors: Yuen Cheung-yan (Taoism Drunkard), Chen Chi-Hwa (The Young Taoism Fighter)
Cast: Yuen Yat-chor, Yuen Cheung-Yan, Yuen Shun-Yee, Zhu Hai-Ling, Lo Pi-Ling, Hilda Liu Hao-Yi, Yen Shi-Kwan, Mandy Chan Chi-Man, Tsui Oi-Sam, Tai Bo (Taoism Drunkard), Liu Hao-Yi, Yuen Yat-Chor, Cheng Ching, Tai Bo, Yen Shi-Kwan, Kwan Chung (The Young Taoism Fighter)

Release Date: September 23rd, 2024 (UK), September 24th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 94 Minutes 47 Seconds (Taoism Drunkard), 99 Minutes 39 Seconds (The Young Taoism Fighter)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £27.99 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

"Taoism Drunkard follows a man with a love for wine who accidentally damages a sacred statue. To atone for this blunder, he is asked by an enraged Taoist priest (Hsiao Hou-tao) to find a virginal boy (Yuen Yat-chor) to aid in defending his temple from a demonic sorcerer (Yuen Shun-yi). Then, in Young Taoism Fighter (directed by Police Story’s Chen Chi-hwa), a practitioner of Taoist kung fu (Yuen Yat-chor) manages to separate his soul from his body before teaming up with a vengeful young woman (Hilda Liu Hao-yi) to take on a sinister sorcerer (Kwan Chung) and the evil leader of a rival kung fu school (Yen Shi-kwan)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Taoism Drunkard, The Young Taoism Fighter)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "Both films presented in 1080p HD from brand new 2K restorations".

Taoism Drunkard comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.6 GB 

Feature: 29.4 GB

The Young Taoism Fighter comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.8 GB

Feature: 31.4 GB

The sources for both films are in great shape; any source debris is minor. Colors look correct, black levels are strong, and image clarity and compression are solid.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese), 3.75/5 (LPCM Mono English)

Both films come with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a LPCM mono mix in English. Though all audio tracks sound clear and balanced, the Cantonese audio tracks sound noticeably more robust. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks and removable English subtitle track for Cantonese text when watching with the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for Taoism Drunkard include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with filmmaker and film critic James Mudge titled James Mudge on Taoism Drunkard (17 minutes 53 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), and an audio commentary with action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema.

Extras for The Young Taoism Fighter include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 54 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with burnt-in English subtitles), an interview with filmmaker and film critic James Mudge titled James Mudge on The Young Taoism Fighter (10 minutes 35 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Frank Djeng, and an audio commentary with Mike Leeder and Arne Venema.

Other extras include reversible cover art, O-card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 28-page booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Return of the Miracle Fighters? written by Daniel O’Brien, an essay titled Flying Kicks and Thunder Magic written by Katarzyna Ancuta, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Taoism Drunkard: A drunken kung fu expert is the temple's only hope against the demonic sorcerer.

Taoism Drunkard is a family affair; the director Yuen Cheung-yan (who also appears in two roles), Yuen Yat-chor, and Yuen Shun-Yee are all part of the Yuen clan. Members of the Yuen clan include their father, Yuen Siu-tien (Drunken Master), and their brother, Yuen Woo-ping, one of Hong Kong’s most celebrated martial arts choreographers and a director in his own right. Taoism Drunkard is the third film in the Miracle Fighters series.

The narrative revolves around a drunk martial arts expert who damages a statue, and his punishment is to find a virgin boy who can appease the gods with a dance. Of course his search for the virgin boy leads to humorous moments, some of which are inappropriate. And as if trying to find a virgin boy was not weird enough, there is a watermelon monster that has to be seen to be believed. This monster is shaped like a ball, has extremely large, razor-sharp teeth, and has tentacles that attack nipples. That said, humor plays a significant role in the story that unfolds.

When it comes to the performances, they are all overflowing with enthusiasm. The most memorable performance is Yuen Cheung-Yan in the dual roles of the drunken Taoist and grandmother. His portrayal of the drunken Taoist is a deliriously over-the-top caricature performance that perfectly balances humorous dialog and psychical comedy. His portrayal of the grandmother is another scene-stealing performance that provides ample comedic moments.

When it comes to the martial arts sequences, Taoism Drunkard delivers in spades. The main character's drunken fighting style was first explored by Yuen’s in Drunken Master, and once again this fighting style is used to great effect. Ultimately, Taoism Drunkard is a wild ride, and there is rarely a dull moment.

The Young Taoism Fighter: An undisciplined student learns a fighting style where he can separate his soul from his body.

Despite The Young Taoism Fighter being a continuation of the Yuen clan's Miracle Fighters series, the result is a mess of film that never matches the quality of its predecessors. The Young Taoism Fighter’s most glaring shortcoming is convoluted narrative, it feels more like a series of moments, instead of a linear story. Fortunately, when it comes to pacing, things move along briskly ensuring there are rarely dull moments.

Once again, humor plays a large role in the story that unfolds. Not only are there humorous one-liners, but there are ample moments where psychical comedy comes into play. That said, most of the humor is best described as nonsensical. A scene where the master's brother trains the undisciplined student is one of the funniest moments. At the end of a series of gregarious exercises, the master's brother has shit on his face.

Martial arts cinema is known for lifting music cues and using them without given credit. Love is the Drug by Roxy Music and an instrumental version of Deborah Harry's Rush Rush, which originally appeared in Scarface (1983), are two such music cues used in The Young Taoism Fighter.

What The Young Taoism Fighter lacks when it comes to a cohesive narrative, it more than makes up for with its exceptional fight choreography. Just when you thought you had seen it all when it comes to fighting styles, The Young Taoism Fighter’s main fighting style, separating soul from body, brings something new to the table. In the craziest fighting sequence, a character uses his severed limbs to attack his opponent. Ultimately, despite its shortcomings, The Young Taoism Fighter is somehow a more entertaining film than its predecessor, Taoism Drunkard.

Two Taoist Tales is another solid release from Eureka Video, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer