Future Cops: Webstore Exclusive – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1993
Director: Wong Jing
Writer: Wong Jing
Cast: Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, Aaron Kwok, Chingmy Yau, Dicky Cheung, Simon Yam, Ekin Cheng, Winnie Lau, Charlie Yeung, Andy Hui, Ken Lo, Billy Chow

Release Date: October 21st, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 94 Minutes 58 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: OOP (Limited Edition Webstore Exclusive 1000 copies)

"In the year 2043, the evil crime lord The General (Ken Lo, Drunken Master II) has been imprisoned for his heinous crimes. His loyal followers Kent (Ekin Cheng, Young and Dangerous), Thai King (Billy Chow, High Risk) and Toyota (William Duen, Crime Story) have a plan to free him, though: they will travel back in time and eliminate the Judge who sentenced him. They are followed into the past by Lung (Kwok), Broomhead (Cheung), Ti Man (Lau) and Sing (Yam), “Future Cops” who intend to keep The General in jail where he belongs. But as both cops and criminals arrive in the year 1993 to search for the Judge – who back then was just a teenager – they find themselves embroiled not just in a battle for the future… but high-school drama, too." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "This release of Future Cops is presented from a studio supplied HD transfer that Eureka had no involvement in. Sadly the master is just below the level of quality that we would normally expect. Despite our persistent efforts, the studio would not allow us to restore the film. As this may be the last opportunity for this cult classic to get a physical media release in the UK, we have decided to proceed but on a very limited number and as a Eureka store exclusive. We don’t believe that the slight imperfections in the feature master will affect your enjoyment of this wacky martial arts extravaganza."

Future Cops comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.4 GB

Feature: 26.8 GB

Digital noise reduction has given the source an over processed look. That said, the source looks clean, flesh tones and colors look correct, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The audio fares better, dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences sound robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 8 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), a documentary titled Super Street Culture Turbo (28 minutes 23 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and UDON Entertainment founder and CEO Erik Ko, an audio commentary with action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, an O-card slipcase, a double sided poster, and a 16-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Street Fighter Man Arcade Adventures with Wong Jing and Future Cops written by James Oliver, archival images and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Directed by Wong Jing, a prolific producer and director who is now into his fifth decade of making cinema in Hong Kong. Anyone who's familiar with Hong Kong's heyday of the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s is sure to have seen one of his films. And though he often takes on the role of producer, most films he is associated with have his distinctive bombastic style.

Cops from the future are sent to the past to look for and protect a future judge against The General’s evil minions.

Though Future Cops is loosely based on Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, it's an unofficial adaptation. Future Cops was Wong Jing’s second live-action film to feature characters inspired by the Street Fighter series; his first adaptation was City Hunter. That said, Wong Jing’s cinematic style perfectly suits these types of films.

Future Cops does not require you to know anything about Street Fighter to enjoy the insanity that unfolds. Though the narrative begins in the future, I would not call Future Cops a sci-fi film since most of it takes place in the present. That said, Future Cops is best described as an action/comedy with minimal futuristic elements.

Future Cops’ cast is a who's who of Hong Kong cinema. And when it comes to the performances, the entire cast is exceptional in their respective roles. The cast enthusiasm and dedication to the story that unfolds ensure there is never a dull moment. That said, it's difficult to single out any performance since there are no weak links.

When it comes to humor, nothing is rooted in reality, and it's best described as overexaggerated. Also, Future Cops is overflowing with sight gags, and virtually all of these deliver in spades. The scene where Andy Lau and Chingmy Yau’s characters go inside of a video game and become Luigi and Mario is one of the more memorable sight gags. This sequence culminates with Chingmy Yau’s character taking too many orgasm pills.

Wong Jing is a filmmaker who always makes the most of what he has to work with, and though there are some things that do not hold up in Future Cops, they are easy to overlook. The fight scenes are inventive, and the stunt work is impressive. Also, there is a manic energy that drives the narrative, rarely giving the viewer a moment to recover from the previous moment of humor. Ultimately, Future Cops is a highly entertaining blend of action and humor that fans of Hong Kong cinema should thoroughly appreciate.

Despite the limitations of the transfer, Eureka Video has put together a first-rate release, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer