Operation Scorpio – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1992
Director: David Lai
Writers: Barry Wong, David Chan
Cast: Chin Kar-lok, Lau Kar-leung, Won Jin, May Lo, Fung Woo, Victor Hon, Frankie Chin, Steven Yuen

Release Date: August 10th, 2026 (UK), August 11th, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 100 Minutes 17 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: £20.00 (UK), $29.95 (USA)

"A young man learns martial arts from two masters of opposing styles; he then combines them to take on the local gangster's son, who is a master of the deadly Scorpion Style." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

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

Operation Scorpio comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.2 GB

Feature: 30.3 GB

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

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese), 4/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a LPCM mono mix in English. Both tracks sound clear and balanced and ambient sounds are well represented. That said, the Cantonese-language track sounds more robust than the English-language track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese-language track and when watching the English-language track there are English subtitles for a song and text that are Cantonese.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (stills/posters), an English-language theatrical trailer (1 minute 52 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), a Cantonese language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 30 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English-language opening and closing credits (2 minutes 14 seconds, DTS-HD mono), an archival interview with actor and martial arts choreographer Lau Kar Leung (17 minutes 46 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Won Jin (20 minutes 7 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Korean with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Chin Kar Lok (18 minutes 12 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Won Jin Audition Reel (2 minutes 44 seconds, DTS-HD stereo), a sneak peek at Jump Senior, directed, produced, written, choreographed, and starring Won Jin (2 minutes 3 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), five scene-specific audio commentaries by Won Jin in Korean with removable English subtitles, an interview with Won Jin titled Scorpion in Seoul (65 minutes 52 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Korean with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Paul Bramhall, reversible Sleeve, an O-Ring slipcase (limited to the first pressing), and a 36-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with an essay titled Lau Kar Leung: The Grandmaster of Kung Fu Cinema written by Johnny Burnett, an easy titled Operation Seoul: The Journey to Interview Won Jin written by Paul Bramhall, and Kung Fu Bob Presents Animal Styles.

Summary:

David Lai directed Operation Scorpio. He’s known for Possessed, Possessed II, Women on the Run, and Heaven and Earth.

A young man who dreams of being a martial arts hero combines the two fighting styles of his two teachers, creating a new style that he employs against a gangster's son who mastered the deadly scorpion style.

Operation Scorpio takes the familiar blueprint: a novice who dreams of being a martial arts expert, who through sheer determination archives his goal. The protagonist, Fei Yu Shu, has the right intentions but constantly gets into trouble for avoiding his responsibilities. What makes his journey more interesting than similar themed martial arts films is that he has two teachers with contrasting fighting styles that he melds into one style. That said, one of his teachers' styles relies on brute force while the other relies on control.

All around, the cast are excellent in the roles, especially Lau Kar-leung (Drunken Master II) in the role of master Lo, the most feared killer in the underworld, who’s been hiding as a cook. He also worked as the martial arts choreographer on Operation Scorpio. Chin Kar-lok (Full Throttle) is cast in the role of Fei Yu Shu, and he convincingly moves from novice to the martial arts expert. Another performance of note is Won Jin’s portrayal of Sonny Wang, who’s character has mastered the deadly scorpion style.

While the narrative does an excellent job fleshing out characters and setting the foundation, the main attraction is the action set pieces. The most notable action sequences are the ones where Sonny Wang showcases his scorpion fighting style. That said, all of the action sequences are overflowing with inventiveness and outstanding stuntwork. Ultimately, Operation Scorpio is a highly entertaining martial arts film that serves as a time capsule for the type of films that Honjg Kong used to make.

Operation Scorpio gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer