King of Beggars – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1992
Director: Gordon Chan
Writers: Gordon Chan, John Chan
Cast: Stephen Chow, Sharla Cheung, Ng Man-tat, Norman Chui, Vindy Chan

Release Date: January 25th, 2026 (UK), January 27th, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 101 Minutes 40 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Stereo Cantonese, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"So Chan (Chow) is a naturally gifted martial artist – but lazy, unmotivated and spoiled by his wealthy parents. He is forced to make something of himself when he falls in love with Yu Shang (Sharla Cheung), a prostitute who agrees to marry him on one condition: that he enters and wins the upcoming imperial martial arts tournament. So Chan only hopes to win Yu Shang’s hand in marriage, but entering the competition soon leads him to become embroiled in a bitter feud between the famed Beggar Clan and a corrupt government official, Chiu Mo-kei (Norman Chiu)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

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

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

Disc Size: 41.4 GB

Feature: 29.4 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is solid.

Audio: 4.5/5 (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. The differences between these two audio tracks are minimal. Both tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, both tracks sound excellent. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and a removable English subtitle track for Cantonese text/songs in Cantonese when listening to the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 45 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with director Gordon Chan titled Beggars and Tramps (17 minutes 59 seconds, LPCM stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), a video essay by East Asian cinema scholar Gary Bettinson, co-editor of The Cinema of Stephen Chow titled So Chan and Stephen Chow (30 minutes 39 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with East Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), an O-card slipcase (limited to 2000 copies), and a 20-page booklet (limited to 2000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Gordon Chan a Hong Kong Metteur en scène written by Andy Willis, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Gordon Chan directed King of Beggars. He’s known for Fight Back to School, Fight Back to School II, Royal Tramp, Royal Tramp 2, Fist of Legend, and Thunderbolt.

A gifted martial artist whose affluent father embraces all of his whims finally receives his comeuppance during the imperial martial arts tournament. Now disgraced and forced to become a beggar, he must shed all of his flaws to regain his former prominence.

Stephen Chow had hit his stride as an actor by the time he appeared in King of Beggars. Like Jackie Chan before him, he would create a persona that he would return to throughout his career. He always portrayed characters who would face adversity and experience a tremendous amount of growth. Despite their similarities, it is the extra elements that he brings to his characters that make them unique.

Everything begins and ends with Stephen Chow when discussing any of his films. Although he surrounds himself with a solid cast who bring something to the table that elevates said film, whenever he’s onscreen it is impossible for anyone else to shine. He portrays So Chan, a lazy, arrogant character who's never been told no. While his martial arts skills are impressive, he still has much to learn, and it is not until he learns a new fighting style that perfectly matches his personality that he finally excels.

Ng Man-tat is key to the cinema of Stephen Chow; he has appeared in more films with him than any other collaborator. He portrays So Chan’s father, who exhibits many of the same traits his son does. Their onscreen chemistry is an essential part of the cinema of Stephen Chow. Another performance of note is Sharla Cheung in the role of Yu Shang, a prostitute that So Chan falls in love with. Her character has a subplot rooted in revenge against a man who killed her father. Also, Sharla Cheung is another frequent collaborator of Stephen Chow, having worked together on 11 films.

Stephen Chow’s unique brand of comedy, exaggerated facial expressions, and physical-based humor are on full display in King of Beggars. The narrative perfectly captures the highs and lows and builds to a triumphant finale for the protagonist. The action sequences are inventive and always incorporate humor into them, especially the scenes where the protagonist uses the sleeping Buddha fighting style. Ultimately, King of Beggars is a highly entertaining riches-to-rags story that fans of mo lei tau comedy will thoroughly enjoy.

King of Beggars gets an excellent release from Eureka Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer