The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk Collection: Deluxe Limited Edition – 88 Films (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1993 (The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk, The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2)
Director: Corey Yuen (Both Films)
Cast: Jet Li, Josephine Siao, Michelle Reis, Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo, Paul Chu, Sibelle Hu, Adam Cheng, Kong Chu, Amy Kwok, Corey Yuen, Ji Chunhua, Peter Chan

Release Date: November 25th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 105 Minutes 50 Seconds (The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk), 96 Minutes 38 Seconds (The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Both Films)
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £49.99 (UK)

"In 'The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk', Jet Li stars as a carefree young martial arts expert who gets involved with a government official's daughter just as he discovers his family is part of a rebel resistance movement. While his fighting ability and charm made him a local champion, his epic battle for freedom would make him a legendary hero. Acclaimed choreographer Corey Yuen directs Li at his jaw-dropping best, including an unbelievable sequence fought entirely atop the heads of stunned onlookers. 

In 'The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2' Martial arts sensation Jet Li kicks back into action as the heroic Fong Sai Yuk in this explosive follow-up to the powerfully entertaining original. Having fought to save his father from the wrath of the Chinese government, Fong Sai Yuk joins his father's underground revolutionary organization, the Red Flower Society! But in the camp of rebels, a traitor lurks! Now, at a time when few can be trusted, Fong Sai Yuk must utilize his every skill in the fight to overthrow his nation's brutally powerful empire!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Both Films)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "4K restoration of the original Hong Kong Version of The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk. 4K restoration of the original Hong Kong Version of The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2."

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 83.5 GB

Feature: 71.7 GB

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 73.4 GB

Feature: 65.5 GB

Both films look excellent; they are substantial improvements over their previous home media releases. Also, both films are presented in their full length Hong Kong versions and not their shorter English language versions. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.5/5 (Both Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. Both of these audio tracks are noticeable improvements over their previous home media releases. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and range-wise action sequences sound robust.

Extras:

Extras for The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Corey Yuen titled Hit Hard and Fly High (21 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with screenwriter Jeff Lau titled The Pen is Mightier than the Sword (13 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Chris Poggiali and Frankie Balboa.

Extras for The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Peter Glagowski and Frankie Balboa.

Other extras include a rigid slipcase with 2 single digipaks, a double-sided fold-out poster, and a 40-page booklet with cat & crew information for both films, an essay titled Yuen Kwai, Jet Li and The Family Fun of Fong Sai-Yuk written by James Oliver, A Retrospective Look Into Jet Li’s Portrayal of Fong Sai Yuk written by Paul Bramhall, and an essay titled Fong Sai-Yuk: Inventing History and the Hero Who Wasn’t There written by David West.

Summary:

The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk and The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2 were both directed by Corey Yuen, whose other notable films include Yes, Madam, Righting Wrongs, and The Transporter. Besides Corey Yuen, the bulk of the cast is in both films.

In The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk films, like the Once Upon a Time in China films, Jet Li portrays a larger-than-life folk hero. The narratives revolve around a protagonist named Fong Sai-Yuk, a gifted martial artist whose fighting skills and mischievous behavior often get him into trouble. Besides Fong Sai-Yuk, the other main ingredient is a subplot revolving around the Red Flower Society, which is trying to overthrow the Qing dynasty.

Both films have strong narratives that remain engaging throughout. And yet the heart and soul of both films are the exceptional fight sequences, which contain high-flying wire work and moments of brutal force. Some of the more memorable fight sequences include a scene where fighters compete for the chance to marry an influential man's daughter. In this sequence, you lose when your feet touch the ground. Fighters use structures and people's heads and shoulders to remain off the ground. Both films feature a spectacular fight scene where Fong Sai-Yuk’s parents (his father in the first film and his mother in the second film) will die if he does not free them. And while he tries to free them with one hand, he uses the rest of the limbs to fight off the person who put them into these death traps.

The most surprising aspect of these two films is the chemistry between Jet Li (Once Upon a Time in China) and Josephine Siao in the role of Fong Sai-Yuk’s mother. Throughout both films, they're inseparable, and you can see where Fong Sai-Yuk gets his character traits, especially his sense of humor. Also, though Jet Li always shines when it comes to martial arts sequences, Josephine Siao more than holds her own.

Other notable cast members include Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo in the role of Governor of the Nine Gates. His character is determined to eliminate every member of the Red Flower Society, and he often does it with the utmost brutality. Also, Michelle Reis (the Fallen Angels) in the role of Lui Ting-ting and Amy Kwok (the Victim) in the role of Suen On-yee, their characters both vie for Fong Sai-Yuk’s affection, and there are no slouches when it comes to martial arts.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where either film comes up short. And though The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 2 is not much more than a rehash of The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk, the result is a highly entertaining film that still stands well on its own. Ultimately, The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk films are a satisfying mix of action, humor and melodrama.

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