Heart of Dragon: Deluxe Limited Edition – 88 Films (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1985
Director: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung
Writer: Barry Wong
Cast: Jackie Chan, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Emily Chu, Mang Hoi, Lam Ching-ying, James Tien, Yuen Wah  

Release Date: October 27th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 91 Minutes 25 Seconds (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), 99 Minutes 11 Seconds (Extended Japanese Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), DTS-HD Mono English (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese with Japanese Soundtrack (Extended Japanese Cut), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese with HK theatrical Soundtrack (Extended Japanese Cut), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese with HK theatrical Soundtrack with Japanese Soundtrack for parking lot fight scene (Extended Japanese Cut), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese with HK soundtrack & the Japanese songs (Extended Japanese Cut), DTS-HD Mono English/Cantonese Hybrid (Extended Japanese Cut)
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £35.00 (UK)

"World-famous for their action and derring-do, old friends Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung teamed up for a film that shows there's much more to them than brawling. Jackie plays a good-hearted cop looking after his learning-disabled brother Danny, played by Sammo, but doesn't always succeed in keeping him out of trouble. When Danny is taken as a hostage, his brother will risk everything - his career and even his life –-to rescue him, throwing it down as only Jackie Chan can." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut - 4K UHD, Extended Japanese Cut 4K UHD, Hong Kong Theatrical Cut - Blu-ray, Extended Japanese Cut Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 4K Remaster from the original negatives."

Heart of Dragon comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 74.5 GB

Feature: 66.2 GB (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), 70.8 GB (Extended Japanese Cut)

This release uses seamless branching for the two versions. Although Arrow Video’s 2023 Blu-ray already looked excellent, this new release from 88 Films still somehow improved upon that release. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Heart of Dragon comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.3 GB

Feature: 27.1 GB (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), 29.7 GB (Extended Japanese Cut)

This release uses seamless branching for the two versions. This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5 (All Audio Tracks)

The Hong Kong cut comes with two audio options: a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles and a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English subtitles for text in Cantonese. The extended Japanese cut comes with five audio options: a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese labeled "Japanese soundtrack" with removable English subtitles, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese labeled "HK theatrical soundtrack," a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese labeled "HK theatrical soundtrack with Japanese soundtrack for parking lot fight scene" with removable English subtitles, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese labeled "HK soundtrack & the Japanese songs," and a DTS-HD mono mix in English labeled "Classic English dub hybrid with Cantonese for the extra Japanese scenes" with removable English subtitles for text in Cantonese. All of the audio tracks are in excellent shape; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences sound robust.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include the Hong Kong theatrical trailer (5 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with David West for the extended Japanese cut.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include the Hong Kong theatrical trailer (5 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Fortune Star trailer (2 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Japanese teaser #1 (1 minute 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Japanese teaser #2 (2 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Japanese theatrical trailer (1 minute 32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), extended version fullscreen outtakes (3 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese, no subtitles), an archival interview with cinematographer Arthur Wong (15 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor/director Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (7 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (11 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles subtitles), an archival interview with actor Rocky Lai (10 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles subtitles), an archival interview with actor Jackie Chan (9 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled The Making of The First Mission (48 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese and Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival featurette titled The First Mission: Pre-Release Event (15 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese and Japanese with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with David West for the extended Japanese cut.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a rigid slipcase, a double-sided poster, six art cards, and an 80-page perfect-bound book with cast & crew information, an essay titled Deinstitutionalised! Mental Health and Movies in 80s Hong Kong written by C.J. Lines, an essay titled Three Months with Jackie written by Matthew Edwards, and an essay titled The First Mission written by Fraser Elliott.

Summary:

Jackie Chan (Police Story) had firmly established himself as the premier actor working in martial arts cinema by the mid-1980s. At this point in his career, humor and incredible fight sequences were two things you could always count on when watching a Jackie Chan film. This leads me to Heart of the Dragon, a film that ultimately provided Jackie Chan with the chance to venture beyond his traditional boundaries.

That said, when you watch a Jackie Chan film, there are certain expectations. Although Heart of the Dragon meets the expected elements of a Jackie Chan film, it effectively retains Jackie Chan's core elements while balancing them with a softer side that demonstrates his ability to excel in dramatic moments.

Besides Jackie Chan, one must not overlook the role that Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (The Magnificent Butcher) plays in Heart of the Dragon. Not only did he direct Heart of the Dragon, but he also portrays Jackie Chan’s mentally disabled brother. Over the years, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung have appeared in numerous films. They have a tremendous amount of chemistry, and with Heart of the Dragon, their performances are perfectly in sync. That said, the rest of the cast are all excellent in their roles.

Although there is an ample amount of melodrama, the opening twelve minutes are non-stop action, which is in line with what one expects from a Jackie Chan film. Tone-wise, things change once Sammo Kam-Bo Hung’s character appears on screen. The narrative does a superb job balancing Jackie Chan’s and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung's characters, and in the case of the latter, he delivers an exemplary performance that never feels like a caricature. 

Anyone who wants their martial arts films to be wall-to-wall action set pieces Don’t let Heart of the Dragon’s melodrama turn you off. It is a well-expected story that is engaging, and when there are action sequences, there are exceptionally executed moments of jaw-dropping action that one has come to expect from Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. Ultimately, Heart of the Dragon is a very satisfying blend of melodrama and action.

Heart of Dragon gets a definitive release from 88 Films. Highly recommended.

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