The Kung Fu Instructor – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1979
Director: Sun Chung
Writer: Ni Kuang
Cast: Ku Feng, Ti Lung, Wang Yu, Wong Yue, Angie Chiu, Wang Lung-Wei

Release Date: October 28th, 2024 (UK), November 12th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 104 Minutes 18 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: 12 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Mandarin, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK), $34.95 (USA)

"In this bitterly divided town, there's no middle ground; you're either with one side or the other – cross the line and face dire consequences. One clan hires a kung fu master – played by the great Ti Lung (A Better Tomorrow) – to break the stalemate, but he's nobody's servant and his loyalties can’t be bought so easily..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "HD transfer from the original negative".

The Kung Fu Instructor comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 27.9 GB

Feature: 26.4 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid and there are no issues with digital noise reduction. 

Audio: 4/5 (LPCM Mono Mandarin, LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, an LPCM mono mix in Mandarin and an LPCM mono mix in English. The differences between these two audio tracks are minor; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise they sound very good. Included are removable English subtitles for the Mandarin language track

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a trailer (1 minute 23 seconds, LPCM stereo Mandarin with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, 4 collector’s art cards (limited to the first pressing), and a slipcase (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Sun Chung directed the film To Kill a Mastermind. His other notable films are Big Bad Sis, The Avenging Eagle, The Deadly Breaking Sword, To Kill a Mastermind, Human Lanterns, and City War.

A Kung Fu instructor finds himself in the middle of a feud between two rival clans.

If the above synopsis sounds familiar, it's another take on Akira Kurosawa Yojimbo, a film that’s inspired numerous films, notably A Fistful of Dollars. That said, despite using the same premise, the result is a film that’s far removed from its inspiration. The most noticeable difference between Yojimbo and The Kung Fu Instructor is its protagonist's motivation. Where most films inspired by Yojimbo have a protagonist who works both sides, in The Kung Fu Instructor he only aids the other side when blackmailed by them.

It becomes clear very early on that the action sequences are the focal point. Though the narrative takes a backseat to the action sequences; that is not to say that a sufficient amount of time is not spent building backstory. That said, when it comes to most characters, there’s no gray area; it's clear where they stand.

The Shaw Brothers, like Hollywood, had their stars, and The Kung Fu Instructor’s leading man, Ti Lung (The Deadly Duo), was one of their biggest. He’s cast in the role of Wang Yang, a kung fu master whose skills are unrivaled. He delivers another solid performance in the role of the hero. Another performance of note is Wong Yue (He Has Nothing But Kung Fu), who portrays Zhou Ping, a mischievous character who is always at the center of trouble. The scenes where Ti Lung and Wong Yue share are the most memorable, especially the training sequences where their characters come up with a way to combine their fighting skills.

Though some films venture outside of the well-treated scenarios, during this era of Hong Kong cinema, the narratives are overly formulaic. That said, in martial arts cinema, it's not surprising that so much is devoted to the action sequences, as they are the main draw. No matter how many hundreds of martial arts films I have seen, it is always amazing how inventive the fight sequences are. The Kung Fu Instructor's fight sequences have a lot of impressive martial arts on display. Ultimately, despite covering familiar ground, The Kung Fu Instructor succeeds because of its excellent martial arts sequences.

The Kung Fu Instructor gets a strong audio/video presentation from 88 Films, recommended despite its lack of contextual extras.

Written by Michael Den Boer