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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.