Running on Karma: Limited Edition – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 2003
Directors: Johnnie To, Wai Ka-fai
Writers: Wai Ka-fai, Yau Nai-hoi, Au Kin-yee, Yip Tin-shing
Cast: Andy Lau, Cecilia Cheung, Cheung Siu-fai

Release Date: January 27th, 2025 (UK), January 28th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 10 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Stereo Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Big (Lau) was once a devoutly religious man, but turned away from his vocation as a Buddhist monk when he could no longer bear the weight of his unusual gift: the ability to see people’s past lives and predict the impact of karma upon their present and future. Having found a new life as a bodybuilder, he is drawn to use his sixth sense for good after meeting Lee Fung-yee (Cecilia Cheung, The Legend of Zu), a cop investigating a homicide. But as the two grow closer and work together to catch a murderer, their relationship is complicated by the fact that Big can see Lee’s past lives, too…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "from a new 2K restoration."

Running on Karma comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.1 GB

Feature: 27.7 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid; and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent, and the dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced. Range-wise action sequences sound robust, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 18 seconds, LPCM stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival “making of…” featurette (18 minutes 39 seconds, LPCM stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with Gary Bettinson, editor-in-chief of Asian Cinema journal titled Reap the Whirlwind (24 minutes 52 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with East Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and F.J. DeSanto, an audio commentary with Frank Djeng, an O-Card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 20-page booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Burden of Hope Untangling the Stylistic and Moral Knots of Running on Karma written by David West and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Johnnie To co-directed Running on Karma. His other notable films include All About Ah-Long, Running Out of Time, The Mission, Fulltime Killer, PTU, Breaking News, Thrown Down, Election, Election 2, and Exiled. Wai Ka-fai co-directed Running on Karma. His other notable films include Peace Hotel, The Shopaholics, and Written By.

A former Buddhist monk who can read people's karma is now a bodybuilder and a stripper.

At the heart of Running on Karma is a story about fate and how past lives tie into one's destiny. Because of an act of kindness from an undercover CID officer named Lee, the protagonist, simply referred to as Big, decides to use his powers and help her catch an escaped murderer. Realizing who Lee was in her past life, she wants to atone for the atrocities she committed by finding and bringing the man who killed a childhood friend of Big’s. Through Lee’s selfless act, Big is able to come full circle and shed the person he had become.

Running on Karma is a textbook example of how effortlessly Hong Kong cinema blends genres. There is humor, action, and the supernatural, which make for a wild roller coaster-like ride. For a film that is filled with moments that defy reality and are downright silly, it is ultimately its poignant moments that hit you the hardest. Despite being made for entertainment, Running on Karma is a film overflowing with deeper meaning.

The main draw of Running on Karma is Andy Lau’s (As Tears Go By) portrayal of Big. Though he delivers another exemplary performance that steals every scene he’s in, seeing him in a muscle suit adds another layer to everything. Another way that Andy Lau greatly aids Running on Karma is when it comes to humor, which plays off of his persona and makes references to his other films.The other performance of note is Cecilia Cheung’s (King of Comedy) portrayal of an undercover CID officer named Lee. Cecilia Cheung and Andy Lau have a tremendous amount of onscreen chemistry, and her character is the yang while Lau’s character is the yin.

Running on Karma does not fail to deliver moments that defy reality when it comes to stunt work and action set pieces. The most memorable moments are those with an Indian murderer who can contort his body to fit into the most unusual places. Another standout moment is a scene where Big showcases for Lee his martial arts skills by splitting a tissue in half.

The narrative does a superb job drawing you into the story that unfolds. Things move briskly, ensuring that pacing is never an issue, and the narrative does a phenomenal job building momentum to a bleak coda that perfectly brings the protagonist's journey to an end. Despite working effectively in every genre, Johnnie To is primarily known for his crime films, which unfairly burdens his other films. That said, those who embrace Running on Karma for what it is will be blown away by an extraordinary exploration of spirituality.

Running on Karma gets an excellent release from Eureka Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer