In The Line Of Duty I-IV: Deluxe Collector's Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)
Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1985 (Yes, Madam!), Hong Kong, 1986 (Royal Warriors), Hong Kong, 1988 (In the Line of Duty III), Hong Kong, 1989 (In the Line of Duty 4: Witness)
Directors: Corey Yuen (Yes, Madam!), David Chung (Royal Warriors), Arthur Wong, Brandy Yuen (In the Line of Duty III), Yuen Woo-ping (In the Line of Duty 4: Witness)
Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Rothrock, John Sham, Hoi Mang, Tsui Hark, James Tien, Dick Wei, Fat Chung, Melvin Wong, Wai Shum (Yes, Madam!), Michelle Yeoh, Michael Wong, Hiroyuki Sanada, Bai Ying, Chan Kwok-Kuen, Michael Wai-Man Chan (Royal Warriors), Cynthia Khan, Hiroshi Fujioka, Stuart Ong, Michiko Nishiwaki, Yueh Hua, Paul Chun, Dick Wei, Melvin Wong (In the Line of Duty III), Cynthia Khan, Donnie Yen, Michael Wong, Yat Chor Yuen, Lisa Chiao, Liu Kai-chi (In the Line of Duty 4: Witness)
Release Date: May 16th, 2023
Approximate running times: 93 Minutes 53 Seconds (Yes, Madam! - Theatrical Cut), 87 Minutes 36 Seconds (Yes, Madam! - Export Cut), 96 Minutes 36 Seconds (Royal Warriors), 84 Minutes 27 Seconds (In the Line of Duty III), 95 Minutes 24 Seconds (In the Line of Duty 4: Witness - Theatrical Cut), 95 Minutes 38 Seconds (In the Line of Duty 4: Witness - Export Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Theatrical Mix - Yes, Madam! Theatrical Cut), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Home Video Mix Original Effects - Yes, Madam! Theatrical Cut), DTS-HD 5.1 English (New Dub - Yes, Madam! Theatrical Cut), Dolby Digital Mono English (Classic Dub - Yes, Madam! Export Cut), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Theatrical Mix - Royal Warriors), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Alternate Mix - Royal Warriors), DTS-HD Mono English (Classic Dub - Royal Warriors), DTS-HD 5.1 English (New Dub - Royal Warriors), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (In the Line of Duty III, In the Line of Duty 4: Witness), DTS-HD Mono English (In the Line of Duty III, In the Line of Duty 4: Witness), Dolby Digital Mono English (Classic Dub - In the Line of Duty 4: Witness)
Subtitles: English (Yes, Madam! - Theatrical Cut, Royal Warriors, In the Line of Duty III, In the Line of Duty 4: Witness - Theatrical Cut)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $99.95
Yes, Madam!: "Chicks with kicks! When gangsters murder her friend, Inspector Ng (Michelle Yeoh, Police Story III, Tomorrow Never Dies) is drawn into a deadly search for the men who did it. Just as well she's got backup from British supercop Carrie Morris (the legendary Cynthia Rothrock, No Retreat, No Surrender 2, China O'Brien)." - synopsis provided by the distributor
Royal Warriors: "Returning from her holiday in Japan, Inspector Yip (Michelle Yeoh, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Everything Everywhere All At Once) foils a daring mid-air rescue of a gangster being returned to Hong Kong for trial. But Inspector Yip needs to watch her back: that gangster has friends." - synopsis provided by the distributor
In the Line of Duty III: "How do you top the first two In The Line of Duty films? Easy... bigger explosions, wilder fights and even crazier stunts! This time, two Japanese thieves have fled to Hong Kong with a tough J-cop (Cynthia Khan, Blade of Fury) hot on their heels. It's up to Hong Kong's finest to stop the villains before too much damage is done!" - synopsis provided by the distributor
In the Line of Duty 4: Witness: "The fourth (and for some fans... the best) of the In the Line of Duty series, sees the return of Cynthia Kahn (The Avenging Quartet) as Inspector Yeung. This time, she's on the trail of some ruthless international drug dealers, ably assisted by Donnie Yen (John Wick: Chapter 4, Ip Man) and Michael Wong (Royal Warriors, Tiger Cage III)." - synopsis provided by the distributor
Video: 4.5/5 (Yes, Madam! - Theatrical Cut, Royal Warriors), 4.25/5 (In the Line of Duty III, In the Line of Duty 4: Witness - Theatrical Cut), 4/5 (Yes, Madam! - Export Cut, In the Line of Duty 4: Witness - Export Cut)
Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "Stunning new 2K restorations of all 4 films."
Yes, Madam! comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 46 GB
Feature: 28.4 GB (Theatrical Cut), 10.8 GB (Export Cut)
Royal Warriors comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 36.2 GB
Feature: 32 GB
In the Line of Duty III comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 35.4 GB
Feature: 24.2 GB
In the Line of Duty 4: Witness comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 46.1 GB
Feature: 27.5 GB (Theatrical Cut), 14.3 GB (Export Cut)
The sources used for Yes, Madam! (theatrical cut) and Royal Warriors are in excellent shape. Color saturation, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.
The sources used for In the Line of Duty III and In the Line of Duty 4: Witness (theatrical cut) are in great shape. Flesh tones look healthy; colors have good image clarity; black levels are strong; and compression is solid.
The sources used for Yes, Madam! (export cut) and In the Line of Duty 4: Witness (export cut) are in great shape. The image looks crisp, the colors are strong, the black levels look good, and there are no issues with compression.
Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Home Video Mix Original Effects - Yes, Madam! Theatrical Cut, DTS-HD 5.1 English - New Dub - Yes, Madam! Theatrical Cut), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Theatrical Mix - Yes, Madam! Theatrical Cut), 3.75/5 (Dolby Digital Mono English - Classic Dub - Yes, Madam! Export Cut), 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Theatrical Mix - Royal Warriors), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Alternate Mix - Royal Warriors, DTS-HD Mono English - Classic Dub - Royal Warriors, DTS-HD 5.1 English - New Dub - Royal Warriors), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - In the Line of Duty III), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - In the Line of Duty III), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - In the Line of Duty 4: Witness Theatrical Cut), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - In the Line of Duty 4: Witness Theatrical Cut), 3.75/5 (Dolby Digital Mono English - Classic Dub - In the Line of Duty 4: Witness Export Cut)
Yes, Madam! the theatrical cut comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese (theatrical mix), a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese (home video mix original effects), and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English (new dub). The three audio tracks included with this release are comparable to the three audio tracks included with Eureka Video’s release. All three tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented, and fight scenes sound robust. That said, the Cantonese track labeled "theatrical mix" does not sound as full as the two other tracks. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks and removable English subtitles for Cantonese text when watching the English language track.
Yes, Madam! the export cut comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital mono mix in English (Classic Dub). This audio track sounds clean, clear, and balanced.
Royal Warriors comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese (theatrical mix), a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese (alternate mix), a DTS-HD mono mix in English (classic dub), and a DTS-HD 5.1 English (new dub). All four audio mixes are comparable. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well-represented, and fight scenes sound robust. The DTS-HD 5.1 track does a good job expanding upon the original mono source. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks and removable English subtitles for Cantonese text when watching the English language track. It should be noted that the Cantonese language tracks have some dialog in Japanese, and these moments come with removable English subtitles.
In the Line of Duty III comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The Cantonese language track is the stronger of the two tracks. The English language track has some background hiss that varies in degree of severity. That said, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences sound robust. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks and removable English subtitles for Cantonese text when watching the English language track.
In the Line of Duty 4: Witness comes with two audio options: a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The English-language track is stronger than the Cantonese-language track, which is not as robust as the English-language track. That said, the dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and fight scenes are well-represented. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks and removable English subtitles for Cantonese text when watching the English language track.
The original export version comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital mono mix in English. This audio track sounds clean, clear, and balanced.
Extras:
Extras for Yes, Madam! include reversible cover art, an introduction with actress Cynthia Rothrock (9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), archival featurette tilted Battling Babes (10 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actress Michelle Yeoh (15 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Mang Hoi titled Ladies First (13 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Chinese with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Cynthia Rothrock titled A Team Player (17 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a scene select audio commentary with Cynthia Rothrock and Frank Djeng for Airport Scene (4 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a scene select audio commentary with Cynthia Rothrock and Frank Djeng for Final Fight (8 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng.
Extras for Royal Warriors include reversible cover art, Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), English language In the Line of Duty titles (2 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), missing airplane scene inserts (29 seconds, Dolby Digital Mono), and an audio commentary with Frank Djeng.
Extras for In the Line of Duty III include reversible cover art, Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language theatrical trailer #1 (3 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), English language theatrical trailer #2 (3 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), English language credits (2 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), archival interview with actor John Sham (25 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and Michael Worth.
Extras for In the Line of Duty 4: Witness include reversible cover art, Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language theatrical trailer (5 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in English), an archival interview with actor Donnie Yen (20 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and Michael Worth, and an archival audio commentary with Hong Kong expert Stefan Hammond and actor Michael Wong.
Other extras include a double-sided foldout poster, and a one-hundred page booklet with cast & crew information for each film, an interview with Shan Tam and Michael Parker titled Police Assassins conducted by Matthew Edwards, Yes, Madam! archive picture gallery, an interview with Stephan Berwick titled Force of the Dragon conducted by Matthew Edwards, an interview with Michael Woods titled Red Force conducted by Matthew Edwards, archival imagery for Royals Warriors, In the Line of Duty III, and In the Line of Duty 4: Witness.
Summary:
Yes, Madam! has had numerous alternate English language titles, like In the Line of Duty 2, Police Assassins, and Super Cops. Yes, Madam! is the second film in a series of seven films that make up the In the Line of Duty series. The first two films, In the Line of Duty (Royal Warriors) and In the Line of Duty 2 (Yes, Madam!) both featured Michelle Yeoh in the title role, while the remaining films featured Cynthia Khan in the title role. Yes, Madam! was directed by Corey Yuen, whose other notable films include Righting Wrongs (Above the Law), The Transporter, and So Close.
Yes, Madam! covers ground that has been covered in a slew of Hong Kong action films. And yet, despite the familiarity of the narrative, the film manages to stand on its own due to exceptional performances from Michelle Yeoh and James Tien. Yes, Madam! is also significant for being the first starring role for Michelle Yeoh, whose later film credits include Police Story 3: Supercop, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She had two minor film roles before Yes, Madam!, and even at this early stage of her career, she proves that she is more than capable of holding her own in action sequences.
My favorite moment in Yes, Madam! involves Michelle Yeoh’s character, Inspector Ng, who is hanging upside down on a balcony while two bad guys try to knock her over the edge. The railing she is hanging on is glass, which she breaks through and pulls the two guys off the ledge to the floor below.
Another standout performance is by James Tien, who plays Tin, the lead bad guy in the film. He hams it up as the diabolical Tin. His character has a laughing fetish and even goes so far as to remark on how much he loves laughing. Another performance of note is Cynthia Rothrock in one of her first starring roles. She proves that she can hold her own against her male counterparts, and her chemistry with Michelle Yeoh is off the charts.
From a production standpoint, there is no area where Yes, Madam! does not deliver and then some. The briskly paced narrative is a satisfying mix of action set pieces and offbeat humor. The best action sequence is saved for an exceptional finale. Also, the score, like so many martial arts and action films from the 1970s and 1980s, features music cues lifted from other movies. Yes, Madam! uses the musical cue "The Shape Talks" from John Carpenter’s Halloween. Ultimately, Yes, Madam! is a high water mark for 1980s martial arts cinema that features some of the most jaw-dropping action set pieces to ever appear in a Hong Kong film.
Royal Warriors was also released under the title In the Line of Duty. This title would be used to link together a series of films that are only connected by name. Royal Warriors was directed by David Chung, who only directed six films. He is best known for his work as a cinematographer on films like My Heart Is That Eternal Rose, God of Gamblers, and Once Upon a Time in China.
The narrative revolves around three police officers who stop a plane hijacking, killing the two suspects. From there, the three police officers are targeted for assassination by associates of the two dead suspects.
Royal Warriors is a film that quickly jumps into action with a sequence that showcases Michelle Yeoh’s (Magnificent Warriors) exceptional martial arts skills. Then, after a brief exposition moment, it is once again back into action with a phenomenal sequence that takes place inside of an airplane that has been hijacked. Needless to say, Royal Warriors is heavy when it comes to action set pieces. Fortunately, all of the action sequences deliver and then some.
Though Royal Warriors has a solid cast, they are all very good in their roles. It is ultimately Michelle Yeoh in the role of a Hong Kong CID officer who steals the show. Throughout Royal Warriors, she proves that she can more than hold her own against her male counterparts, and in some instances, she outdoes them. Another performance of note included Hiroyuki Sanada (Roaring Fire) in the role of a Japanese interpol agent.
From its opening moments, Royal Warriors establishes a brisk momentum that barely gives you a chance to catch your breath. Though backstory is minimal, this is never an issue since the action set pieces are strong enough to carry the narrative. Also, the stunts are phenomenal, and there is a thrilling car chase sequence. The most surprising aspect of Royal Warriors is its high body count. Ultimately, Royal Warriors is a solid martial arts film that fans of 1980s Hong Kong cinema are sure to enjoy.
In the Line of Duty III is one of nine loosely connected films that make up the In the Line of Duty film series. The first two films in the series, Yes, Madam!, and Royal Warriors, starred Michelle Yeoh (Police Story 3: Supercop) in the role of the protagonist. In In the Line of Duty III, there would be a change in the role of the protagonist, with Cynthia Khan taking over for Michelle Yeoh this time around. Also, Cynthia Khan, whose real name is Li-Tsing Yang, takes her stage name from Cynthia Rothrock and Khan from Michelle Yeoh, whose real last name is Khan. Cynthia Rothrock and Michelle Yeoh both appeared in Yes, Madam!
Trying to replace Michelle Yeoh is an impossible task. Fortunately, in the case of Cynthia Khan, the filmmakers let her bring her own unique qualities to the character instead of trying to make her a Michelle Yeoh clone. That said, Cynthia Khan proves that she can more than hold her own, especially when it comes to the martial arts sequences.
The narrative revolves around a police officer named Rachel Yeung, whose initiative during a robbery while working as a traffic cop leads to her moving up quickly in the police force. From there, her path crossed with a terrorist organization that was double-crossed during a diamond heist.
The performances are very good, especially the two main villains, Stuart Ong (Die Another Day) in the role of Nakamura Genji and Michiko Nishiwaki (Magic Cop) in the role of Michiko Nishiwaki, a pair of psychopath lovers who are part of the Red Army terrorist group. Hiroshi Fujioka (Ghost Warrior) in the role of Hiroshi Fujioka, a Japanese detective determined to avenge the death of his partner, who was murdered by Genji and Nishiwaki, is another performance of note.
At eight and a half minutes in length, In the Line of Duty III’s briskly paced narrative never overstays its welcome. What In the Line of Duty III lacks when it comes to character development, it more than makes up for with solid action set pieces. Notably, an elaborate diamond heist sequence Also, when it comes to the action set pieces, there is an ample amount of violent carnage. Ultimately, In the Line of Duty III is another solid entry in the In the Line of Duty film series.
In the Line of Duty 4: Witness was directed by Yuen Woo-ping, an acclaimed action director (Matrix, Kill Bill), and a director in his own right whose notable films include Drunken Master, The Magnificent Butcher, Iron Monkey, and Tai Chi Master. And it should not come as a surprise when it comes to In the Line of Duty 4: Witness, the action set pieces deliver and then some. These sequences are inventive; they have high-flying wire work and impact crunching blows.
The narrative revolves around an immigrant living in America named Luk Wan-Ting, who witnesses a corrupt CIA agent kill a cop. From there, he flees back to Hong Kong, where he is followed by two American cops and pursued by numerous assassins.
Though cast in a different role, Cynthia Khan (In the Line of Duty III) returns in the role of Inspector Yeung Lai-Ching. Her character has a connection to the fugitive who has returned to Hong Kong. And cast in one of his first leading roles is Donnie Yen (IP Man), who portrays an American cop who is tracking the fugitive. Though this role does not give him much to work with in terms of character development, When it comes to martial arts sequences, he often overshadows the rest of the cast. Other cast members of note include Yat Chor Yuen (The Postman Strikes Back) in the role of Luk Wan-Ting and Michael Wong (City Hunter) in the role of an American cop, who is Donnie Yen’s character's partner.
From a production standpoint, In the Line of Duty: Witness is a better film than its predecessor, In the Line of Duty III. It features a stronger narrative, which devotes more time to building up the characters. Also, there is a good mix when it comes to exposition moments and action set pieces. Ultimately, In the Line of Duty 4: Witness is a solid martial arts film that embodies all that is great about 1980s Hong Kong martial arts cinema.
The audio/video presentations for these four films are on par with Eureka Video’s releases for these same films. And though this release has some of the extras from Eureka Video’s releases, It also comes with a substantial amount of extras that are exclusive to its release. In The Line Of Duty I-IV is a solid release from 88 Films that comes with strong audio and video presentations and a wealth of insightful extras. It is highly recommended.
Written by Michael Den Boer
