The Killer: Hong Kong Cinema Classics: Deluxe Edition – Shout! Factory (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1989
Director: John Woo
Writer: John Woo
Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Chu Kong, Kenneth Tsang, Shing Fui-On, Ricky Yi Fan-wai, Barry Wong

Release Date: December 2nd, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 111 Minutes 16 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $49.99

"A Hong Kong hitman (Chow Yun-Fat, Hard Boiled) accidentally blinds an innocent woman during a hit. He is determined to get her surgery to help her regain her sight but he needs to complete one more hit first. He completes the job but then is ambushed as he tries to escape: someone wants him dead. Meanwhile a resourceful, unorthodox police detective is hot on his trail." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "4K Scan from the Original Camera Negative."

The Killer comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 79.4 GB

Feature: 79.1 GB

We have come a long way since Winstar’s non-anamorphic DVD and Dragon Dynasty’s interlaced Blu-ray. I envy anyone watching The Killer via this release for the first time. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look. That said, this new transfer looks phenomenal, and it is easily the best this film has ever looked on home media.

The Killer comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.7 GB

Feature: 33.5 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise action sequences sound appropriately robust. Included are English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and English SDH for the English language track. Language tracks and subtitles can only be changed via the setup menu and not during playback.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an archival audio commentary recorded for the Criterion Collection with director John Woo and producer Terence Chang, an audio commentary with John Woo, and an audio commentary with film critic and author David West.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an archival audio commentary recorded for the Criterion Collection with John Woo and Terence Chang, an audio commentary with John Woo, and an audio commentary with David West.

Extras on a second Blu-ray disc include an image gallery (stills/posters), two theatrical trailers (6 minutes 2 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles and DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), deleted and extended scenes (11 minutes 40 seconds, DTS-HD mono Mandarin with burnt-in English and Cantonese subtitles), an interview with author Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential: Inside The Killer (11 minutes 32 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with editor David Wu titled Editing the Killer (11 minutes 58 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Terence Chang titled My Kind of Hero (6 minutes 6 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with John Woo titled A Bullet Ballet (44 minutes 45 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), and a documentary about John Woo titled The Hero of Heroic Bloodshed, featuring interviews with John Woo, stuntman Bruce Law, producer Michael Colleary, writer Mike Werb, and producer Lori Tilkin de (74 minutes 19 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles). 

Other extras include a rigid slipcase and a 52-page booklet with an essay titled The Passion of The Killer written by Grady Hendrix, an essay titled Male Bonding and Nostalgia in The Killer written by Victor Fan, an essay titled Assassination Expectations written by Calum Waddell, and an essay titled Motion Picture Assassins in America written by Brandon Bentley.

Summary:

John Woo dedicated his entire career to making The Killer, and following the unprecedented success of A Better Tomorrow and A Better Tomorrow II, he finally had the liberty to craft a film according to his vision. Although The Killer features elements that are in common with his two A Better Tomorrow films, the result is a film that feels more like something that was influenced by the French New Wave. That said, when all was said and done, The Killer solidified John Woo's place as one of Hong Kong cinema's greatest filmmakers.

A hitman agrees to do one last job for a friend, and during the hit he accidentally blinds a nightclub singer. Feeling guilty, the hitman works his way into her life, and when he needs money for an operation to restore her sight, he takes on another contract killer job. Although he kills his target, the person who hired him double-crosses him and sends a hit squad to eliminate him.

The Killer, like John Woo’s two A Better Tomorrow films, is most recognized for its highly stylized action sequences, and yet, like those two films, it is a film that actually connects on an emotional level. While the action sequences rightfully receive significant attention, John Woo’s most overlooked talent as a filmmaker lies in his ability to craft dramatic moments that are just as exhilarating as his explosive action scenes.

The Killer’s flawlessly constructed narrative is filled with tense moments that build upon each other and culminate in an exemplary finale that’s overflowing with symbolism and a hellfire of bullets. The narrative opens big with a nightclub shootout where the protagonist accidentally blinds a woman who gets in the crossfire of the mayhem unfolding. This sequence works on so many levels; it does a superb job setting the foundation for what unfolds, and it quickly establishes what kind of man the protagonist is.

The Killer, like the other five films that make up John Woo’s key six Hong Kong films, is blessed with an outstanding cast. Chow Yun-fat (Hard Boiled) is cast in the role of a hitman named Ah Jong. Ah Jong is fiercely loyal and demonstrates compassion for those he unintentionally harms through his actions. While he shares traits with the characters that Chow Yun-fat portrayed in A Better Tomorrow and A Better Tomorrow II, this portrayal arguably represents the best character he has ever played.

Another performance of note is Danny Lee (City on Fire) in the role of Detective Li Ying. Although his character starts off as Ah Jong’s adversary, by the time the finale rolls around, they have formed an inseparable bond. He delivers an exceptional performance that perfectly counterbalances Chow Yun-fat’s Ah Jong. Rounding out the cast is Sally Yeh (Shanghai Blues) in the role of Jennie, the nightclub singer who loses her sight, and Shing Fui-on (The Blue Jean Monster) in the role of Wong Hoi, the man who hired and double-crossed Ah Jong.

Besides the aforementioned nightclub shootout, there are three other significant action set pieces. The first of these is an ambush at Ah Jung’s apartment and the aftermath in which the police investigate. This sequence features a tracking shot that starts with Detective Li Ying and concludes with Ah Jung seated in the same chair. It is a striking moment that allows the detective to delve into Ah Jung's mindset for a deeper understanding of him. The second of these is a virtually dialogue-free 20-minute sequence where Ah Jung, sitting in a speedboat, kills his target, then flees the scene, is attacked by assassins while being chased by police, and takes a critically injured young girl to the hospital. That said, the biggest and best action set piece is saved for a finale that takes place inside of a church.

The unsung hero of The Killer is its score/soundtrack, which greatly heightens the mood. A trio of songs sung by Sally Yeh and George Frideric Handel's Messiah when a Virgin Mary statue is blown into pieces are the most notable music cues. The Killer is a film in which every element harmoniously comes together, creating a work that far exceeds the sum of its parts. Ultimately, it stands out not only as one of the best action films but also as one of the greatest films ever made.

The Killer gets an exceptional release from Shout Factory that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras. 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

City on Fire: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1987
Director: Ringo Lam
Writers: Tommy Sham, Ringo Lam
Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, Sun Yueh, Carrie Ng, Roy Cheung, Lau Kong, Elvis Tsui

Release Date: December 1st, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 105 Minutes 11 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK)

"Ko (Chow) is an undercover cop on one last job, assigned to infiltrate a gang of jewel thieves committing armed robberies across Hong Kong. When another police officer is killed in the line of duty during one of the gang's heists, Ko finds himself caught in the crossfire between the police force desperate to catch the culprits at any cost and the trigger-happy thieves who begin to smell a rat in their midst. As the bullets fly and the body count rises, Ko's only hope for survival might be his burgeoning friendship with weary gang member Fu (Danny Lee)..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “The original negative was sourced from the Hong Kong Film Archive and was scanned by Interface Video Production Ltd. in Hong Kong.”

City on Fire comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 85.4 GB

Feature: 66 GB

This release uses the same source created by Shout! Factory for their 4K UHD release, and it looks comparable. Here’s what I said about that transfer: “After years of substandard releases, City on Fire finally gets an exemplary release that looks exceptional. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and comparison are solid; and the image always looks organic.”

Audio: 5/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a LPCM mono mix in English. Although the audio, like the video, is comparable to Shout! Factory’s release, Arrow Video’s booklet lists audio restoration by Brandon Bentley. That said, both audio tracks sound excellent, and they are both their original mono tracks, instead of the shoddy remix tracks that so many previous home media releases had. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences sound robust. Included are English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and English SDH subtitles for the English language track. It should be noted that subtitles and audio can only be chosen via the audio setup menu, and they cannot be turned off while watching the main feature.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (stills/posters/home video art), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 31 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with film historian Kim Newman titled Burning Rivalries - The Influence of Ringo Lam on Reservoir Dogs (14 minutes 4 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with film historian Ric Meyers titled Some Like It Hot - The Cult of Chow Yun-fat and the Hong Kong Kinetic Action Film  (33 minutes 30 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with author Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential Inside City on Fire (11 minutes 31 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with screenwriter Tommy Sham titled Burn It Down! (18 minutes 22 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto, an archival audio interview with director Ringo Lam (10 minutes 49 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with cinematographer Andrew Lau titled Portrait of Anger (21 minutes 41 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Roy Cheung titled Long Arm of the Law (21 minutes 41 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 32-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled A Life of Fire: Ringo Lam and the Journey to City on Fire written by Dylan Cheung, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Ringo Lam directed City on Fire; it was a breakout film for him as a filmmaker that firmly established his style. He’s known for Prison on Fire, School on Fire, Wild Search, Full Contact, and Burning Paradise. City on Fire has gained recognition in the U.S. since the release of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, which has a few similar elements.

An undercover cop named Ko reluctantly takes on another assignment as a favor to his mentor. Ko poses as an arms dealer, which leads to him becoming friendly with Fu, the leader of a group of jewel thieves. After gaining his trust, Fu and his boss ask Ko to participate in their next heist.

Though Ringo Lam made many crime films that are widely regarded as some of Hong Kong cinema’s best, he does not always get the acclaim he deserves because of the shadow that John Woo casts over these types of films. Like many of his contemporaries in the 1990s, he made the move to work in Hollywood; unfortunately, his films have varied quality-wise and not lived up to his Hong Kong films. The primary reason he struggled to find success in Hollywood is that the industry's system tends to dilute the unique elements that made his Hong Kong films so distinctive.

City on Fire is a film about two characters whose stories intersect; one is an undercover cop, and the other is a criminal who robs jewelry stores. When we are introduced to these two characters, Ko, the undercover cop, is working on a completely related case; he wants out because it is affecting his personal life, while Fu, the criminal, is riding high as part of a crew that has just pulled off an impressive heist. Before Ko is able to walk away, he’s drawn back in by his superior, who convinces him to infiltrate Fu’s gang.

City on Fire is a film that firmly sets its tone with a violent opening sequence where an undercover cop is exposed and knifed to death in front of a crowd of people. What set this sequence apart from similar ones made outside of Hong Kong is how they used real locations, and they rarely got permission to film there. By filmmaking this way, it adds an intensity and element of surprise that a controlled filmmaking process could never achieve. That said, when it came to filming moments like this, Ringo Lam was one of the best in Hong Kong cinema.

Although Ringo Lam gets most of the acclaim, and rightfully so, for City on Fire, one should not overlook the contributions of its two leads: Chow Yun-fat (The Killer) portrays Ko Chow, while Danny Lee (Undeclared War) portrays Fu. Ringo Lam makes an intriguing choice by casting them in roles that contrast with the characters they typically portrayed up to that point. Chow Yun-fat delivers an exceptional performance that covers a wide range of emotions, perfectly capturing his character's conflicted attitude to his job. There is a clear distinction between these two characters, and Danny Lee’s performance does a phenomenal job playing off of Chow Yun-fat. Another performance of note is Carrie Ng (Naked Killer), Hung, Ko’s frustrated girlfriend who feels like he does not invest enough into their relationship.

The narrative does a superb job building Ko and Fu’s stories before they ultimately merge and culminate with an explosive finale. The action sequences are exemplary, especially a pair of heist sequences and their subsequent aftermaths. Ringo Lam’s direction is inspired; he makes choices that his peers would not make, and they pay off in spades. Another strength of City on Fire is Teddy Robin’s (As Tears Go By) score, which features prominently a saxophone and a rendition of a Christmas staple. Ultimately, City on Fire is Ringo Lam’s masterpiece, which is only fitting since it marked the first time he was able to make a film the way he wanted to.

Arrow Video gives City on Fire its best home media presentation to date; 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

Rosa: Deluxe Collectors Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1986
Director: Joe Cheung
Writers: Wong Kar-wai, Barry Wong
Cast: Yuen Biao, Lowell Lo, Lu Hsiao-fen, Kara Hui, Paul Chun, James Tien, Charlie Cho, Dick Wei 

Release Date: December 8th, 2025 (UK), December 9th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 96 Minutes 59 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £25.00 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

"After a bungled mission, eccentric cop ‘Little Monster’ Ha is partnered with hot-tempered officer Lui Gung (Lowell Lo) on a high-stakes case: finding a missing police informant. Their only lead is Rosa (Lu Hsiao-Fen), the informant’s mysterious girlfriend—but as danger mounts, love and loyalty become just as complicated as the case itself." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 2K restoration from the original negative."

Rosa comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37 GB

Feature: 28.1 GB

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

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese), 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a LPCM mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese-language track and removable English subtitles for text and a song in Cantonese when watching the English-language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (stills/posters/home video art), a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English-language opening titles (1 minute 10 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), English-language closing titles (1 minute 41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with director Joe Cheung and Benz Kong (23 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with HK cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto, an audio commentary with HK cinema expert David West, a premium art card, a rigid slipcase, an O-card slipcase, and a 40-page perfect-bound book with cast & crew information, an essay titled Rosa and the Rhythm of 80s Hong Kong Cinema: From Lucky Stars to Pom Pom, Tracing the Comedy-Action Hybrid That Defines an Era written by Fraser Elliot, an essay titled Longing for the Shaw Brothers, Reaping the Golden Harvest: A Look at How Rosa Sits at the Crossroads of Yuen Biao and Kara Hui’s Careers written by Paul Bramhall; and archival images. 

Summary:

Joe Cheung directed Rosa. He’s known for Pom Pom, Flaming Brothers, and Bets on Fire. The screenplay for Rosa was co-written by Wong Kar-wai, who would go on to be a notable filmmaker in 1990s and beyond Hong Kong cinema.

A disgruntled captain pairs two troublesome cops together to find a missing informant.

Rosa is the Hong Kong equivalent of the buddy cop movie; its premise puts together cops who are polar opposites. Although they start off as adversaries, the more time they spend together, the more they bond and become friends. Besides the initial friction between these two characters, there is also conflict that comes from their captain, who on numerous occasions ends up in an accident or hurt because of them.

Immediately, it becomes evident that the unfolding events are heavily aimed at amusement, with the possibility of anything occurring. While most of the humor comes from pain accidentally inflicted on others by these two cops, there is also a running gag where one of them comes up with ways to be alone with a witness named Rosa. When it comes to the humor, it's a satisfying blend of dialogue and physical comedy.

All around, the cast are all outstanding, especially Yuen Biao (On The Run) in the role of Ha, aka Little Monster, and Lowell Lo (Magnificent Warriors) in the role of Lui Kung, aka Mustache. They both deliver enthusiastic performances and they have a tremendous amount of chemistry, which drives the film. The rest of the cast is filled out with Paul Chun (Peking Opera Blue) in the role of the disgruntled captain, Kara Hui (My Young Auntie) in the role of Lei Kung's sister, and Lu Hsiao-fen (On the Society File of Shanghai) in the role of Rosa.

Although Rosa is an action/comedy hybrid, it leans more heavily into the latter. That said, what action sequences there are are exemplary and inventive, especially when it comes to showcasing Yuen Biao’s athleticism. The narrative does an excellent job drawing you in, and things move briskly as it effectively builds to an action-heavy finale. Ultimately, Rosa is a highly entertaining film that works as well as it does because of its cast.

Rosa gets an exceptional release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras; highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer