Shaolin Boxers – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1974
Director: Huang Ta
Writer: Huang Tien
Cast: James Tien, Lee Tin-Ying, Leung Tin, Li Min-Lang, Tien Mi, Hon Kwok-Choi, Chu Mu, Choi Sui-Cheng, Cheung Chok-Chow, Ma Chien-Tang, Chan Fei-Lung

Release Date: March 24th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 78 Minutes 31 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Mandarin, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK)

"In Fuquan, the people are terrified of the local Security Chief, He Rong (Chu Mu, The Invincible Iron Palm), who gained his position by bribing the referee in an annual martial arts tournament held between four villages. In order to wrestle control from this band of tyrants, Lin Zhi-gang (Tien) – a student of the Dragon Village Shaolin school – enters the competition to prove his dominance and free the villagers from their obligation to pay for He’s protection. But He Rong does not intend on relinquishing power so easily, and teams up with Lei Biao (Li Min-lang, The Shadow Boxer) – a mysterious kung fu adept with shaky morality – to ensure that Lin does not emerge victorious." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray from a new 2K restoration."

Shaolin Boxers comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 29.5 GB

Feature: 24.7 GB

The source is in great shape, the colors look correct, the image clarity is strong, and the compression is very good. That said, black levels, especially darker scenes, are not as convincing as they should be.

Audio: 4/5 (LPCM Mono Mandarin), 3/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Mandarin and a LPCM mono mix in English. The Mandarin track is superior to its English counterpart, which sounds boxy. The Mandarin track sounds clear and balanced, and range-wise, things sound very good. Included are removable English subtitles for the Mandarin language track. Also, the English language track has a different score than the Mandarin language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 33 seconds, LPCM mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an interview with Wayne Wong, editor of Martial Arts Studies titled Shaolin Style (16 minutes 50 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with East Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), an audio commentary with Hong Kong cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, an O-card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay written by Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Huang Ta directed Shaolin Boxers; the only other film he directed was Chinese Hercules.

An upcoming martial arts tournament will decide who controls the region and its freight terminals.

Bruce Lee's success led to an increased interest in martial arts films, and his untimely death left a huge void. Though there were martial arts films being made that were not influenced by Bruce Lee, the huge demand for similar films after his death led to countless imitators looking to cash in quickly. Besides Bruce Lee clones, there were several attempts to groom actors into being the next martial arts superstar. Case in point, Shaolin Boxers, a film made to be a starring vehicle for James Tien, who is most known for two films he made with Bruce Lee.

Something that becomes clear, the more martial arts films that you watch, is the limited number of scenarios. And Shaolin Boxers continues the trend of revenge-themed martial arts films. That said, the revenge is two-pronged in Shaolin Boxers; not only does the protagonist want to avenge his master's death, but the finale gives him an opportunity to take on the man who raped and murdered his mother.

Shaolin Boxers is not a film that you will remember for its performances. Fortunately, like a lot of martial arts films, this is not a deal breaker. James Tien is serviceable in the role of the hero, while Chu Mu (The Delightful Forest) is excellent in the role of the main villain, He Rong.

There is not much in the way of character development; the narrative quickly jumps into the action. Though action-heavy and light when it comes to plot, the action sequences are all well-executed. At 78 minutes in length, things move briskly, ensuring the narrative never overstays its welcome. Ultimately, though Shaolin Boxers is not an undiscovered martial arts classic, it is a well-made film that fans of 1970s martial arts cinema should enjoy.

Shaolin Boxers gets a first-rate release from Eureka Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer