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Peacock King: Deluxe Collector's Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1989
Director: Lam Ngai Choi
Writers: Frank Kong Heung-Sang, Shirley Woo Suet-Lai, Edward Tang Ging-Sang
Cast: Yuen Biao, Gloria Yip, Pauline Wong, Hiroshi Mikami, Narumi Yasuda, Ken Ogata, Eddy Ko, Chia-Hui Liu (Gordon Liu), Phillip Kwok Chun-Fung

Release Date: October 27th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 84 Minutes 28 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese, LPCM Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £25.00 (UK)

"When demonic forces threaten to unleash the Hell King upon the world, two monks—Peacock (Yuen Biao) from Hong Kong and Lucky Fruit (Mikami Hiroshi) from Japan—join forces to stop the chaos. Their mission centers on Ashura (Gloria Yip), a mysterious girl destined to open the Gates of Hell. Blending explosive martial arts, fantastical creatures, and ancient mythology, The Peacock King delivers a wild ride through sacred temples and neon-lit cities." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information given about the transfer, "High Definition Blu-Ray Presentation in 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio".

Peacock King comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.7 GB

Feature: 27.5 GB

The source is in excellent shape; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese), 4.25/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese, LPCM Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with four audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Cantonese, a LPCM mono mix in English, and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. All of the audio tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. That said, the Cantonese mono track sounds more robust than its English-language counterpart. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (sills/posters/home video art), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language closing credits (1 minute 33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), English language closing credits (3 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), additional footage from the Japanese release (16 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Yuen Biao (12 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Tony Rayns (21 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Hong Kong cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto, reversible cover art, a collectable postcard, an O-ring and rigid slipcase, and a 40-page perfect-bound book with cast & crew information, an essay titled Peacock King and the Crossroads of Cinema written by Fraser Elliott, and an essay titled Manga and Manhua at the Movies written by David West.

Summary:

Peacock King was directed by Lam Ngai Choi, whose other notable films include The Seventh Curse, Her Vengeance, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, Erotic Ghost Story, and The Cat. Peacock King is an adaptation of Makoto Ogino’s manga of the same name. Peacock King would have one film sequel, Saga of the Phoenix, which is also adapted from a story written by Makoto Ogino.

The king of hell is manifesting and he needs only four getaways to open for his return to the earthly realm.

Peacock King is best described as a combination of 1980s bombastic, special-effects-driven fantasy films and a live-action adaptation of a manga that faithfully retains that medium's qualities. While the initial setup effectively introduces key characters, the film is not always straightforward; at times, its convoluted narrative adds too many elements that do not enhance the story. Despite this, it's not unexpected that the unfolding spectacle overshadows moments of exposition.

The cast of Peacock King, who all deliver enthusiastic performances, is undoubtedly its greatest asset. Yuen Biao (The Prodigal Son) and Hiroshi Mikami are cast in the roles of two heroic monks named Peacock and Lucky Fruit. While Peacock is motivated solely by personal gain, Lucky Fruit represents the complete opposite. Other notable cast members include Eddy Ko (Heroes Shed No Tears), who portrays the two monks' master, and Gordon Liu (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin), who portrays one of the king of hell's minions.

Peacock King’s other asset is Lam Ngai Choi’s exemplary direction; he always excelled when working in the fantasy and horror genres with films that relied heavily on special effects. Besides excelling with special effects extravaganzas, another area where he always delivered is his ability to create tense and visually arresting moments. Although many of the special effects look dated by today's standards, they all hold up well because they work extremely well within the story that's unfolding. Another thing that firmly places Peacock King in the 1980s is its hard rock soundtrack. Ultimately, Peacock King is a highly entertaining film that is a lot of fun, and any of its shortcomings are not difficult to look past.

Peacock King gets an exceptional release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras. Highly recommended.