Eastern Condors – The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1987
Director: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung
Writer: Barry Wong
Cast: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Yuen Biao, Joyce Godenzi, Haing S. Ngor, Yuen Wah, Lam Ching-ying, Yuen Woo-ping, Corey Yuen, Billy Chow

Release Date: December 17th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 98 Minutes 47 Seconds (Theatrical Version), 94 Minutes 35 Seconds (Export Version)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese (Theatrical Version), Dolby Digital Mono English (Export Version)
Subtitles: English (Theatrical Version)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

"Eastern Condors follows a ragtag band of Asian American prisoners dropped into Vietnam on a secret suicide mission to prevent a cache of weapons from falling into the hands of the Viet Cong, who are more than ready for a fight." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 Theatrical Version), 3.5/5 (Export Version)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "2K digital restoration of theatrical version.", "2K digital restoration of export version."

Eastern Condors comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.1 GB

Feature: 27.8 GB (Theatrical Version), 8.8 GB (Export Version)

The source used for Criterions release is comparable to Eureka Video's 2019 Blu-ray. The source looks great; flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and there are no issues with compression. That said, though the export version is in great shape, quality-wise it's a few notches below the theatrical version.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese - Theatrical Version), 3.5/5 (Dolby Digital Mono English - Export Version)

The theatrical version comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. There is some dialog in English. This audio track is in excellent shape; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

The export version comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital mono mix in English, with no subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced. That said, this audio track lacks the Cantonese track's oomph.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a teaser trailer (3 minutes 14 seconds ,Dolby Digital mono with Cantonese text and removable English subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer #1 (3 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer #2 (3 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), footage from a theater adaption of Eastern Condors titled Eastern Condors Live! (13 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor/director Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (8 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (17 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Sammo Kam-Bo Hung titled Evolution of a Legend  (8 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with Sammo Kam-Bo Hung titled Meet the Filmmakers (8 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with stuntman/actor Wah Yuen (8 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Chinese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic Tony Rayns for the theatrical version, a poster, and on the other side of the poster an essay titled Collective Action written by Sean Gilman, cast & crew information, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Hong Kong cinema, more than any other country or region, they’re insulated from the rest of the world. Where just about every country/region is influenced by what was popular in Hollywood. Hong Kong cinema's influence over cinema beyond its borders is greater than Hollywood’s influence over Hong Kong cinema. With that being said, because examples of Hollywood influencing Hong Kong cinema are so rare, That’s what makes a film like Eastern Condors so special.

However, Eastern Condors is a war film that takes place in Vietnam during a time when there was an influx of Vietnam war films in Hollywood. The result is a film that distances itself from other Vietnam War films by putting an inventive twist on the reason why the soldiers are in Vietnam. In many ways, Eastern Condors is more akin to films like Dirty Dozen and The Inglorious Bastards than to films like Platoon and Full Metal Jacket.

The bombastic action films that were coming out of Hollywood in the 1980’s from companies like Cannon Films clearly influenced Eastern Condors. With the bulk of the action set pieces revolving around gun battles and explosions, Having said that, while there are martial arts sequences in Eastern Condors, martial arts takes a back seat until the breathtaking finale.

Without a doubt, the Eastern Condors' greatest assets are their colorful characters. And, in terms of performance, the cast is all excellent in their respective roles. Eastern Condors’ most memorable performance was by Wah Yuen (Mr. Vampire) in the role of a Vietnamese general who has a maniacal laugh. Other notable performances include Joyce Godenzi (License to Steal) in the role of an underground resistance fighter and Yuen Biao (On the Run) in the familiar role of a trouble maker who provides comic relief. Ultimately, Eastern Condors is an exceptional action film and one of the high water marks of 1980s Hong Kong action cinema.

The Criterion Collection gives Eastern Condors an exceptional release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of extras, highly recommended.