The Stephen Chow Collection – Shout! Factory (Blu-ray)
Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1990 (Look Out, Officer!), Hong Kong, 1992 (Justice, My Foot!), Hong Kong, 1993 (The Mad Monk), Hong Kong, 1995 (Out of the Dark)
Directors: Lau Sze-yue (Look Out, Officer!), Johnnie To (Justice, My Foot!, The Mad Monk), Jeffrey Lau (Out of the Dark)
Cast: Stephen Chow (All Films), Bill Tung, Stanley Fung, Vivian Chen, Sunny Fang, Amy Yip, Cutie Mui (Look Out, Officer!), Anita Mui, Ng Man-tat, Carrie Ng, Wong Yat Fei, Eddy Ko (Justice, My Foot!), Maggie Cheung, Anthony Wong Chau-sang, Kirk Wong, Ng Man-tat, Anita Mui (The Mad Monk), Karen Mok, Bryan Leung, Wong Yat-fei, Lee Lik-chi, Ben Wong, Lee Kin-yan, Lam Suet (Out of the Dark)
Release Date: November 26th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 92 minutes 10 Seconds (Look Out, Officer!), 99 minutes 30 Seconds (Justice, My Foot!), 88 minutes 55 Seconds (The Mad Monk), 82 minutes 56 Seconds (Out of the Dark)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $59.98
Look Out, Officer!: "A murdered police inspector comes back from the dead to help a clever and crafty cop avenge his death. As the duo investigate the case, the comedic complications – as well as the thrills – multiply.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor
Justice, My Foot!: "This rollicking period farce set in Imperial China finds Chow as a shyster lawyer with an equally eccentric, kung fu ace of a wife, hilariously played by the great Anita Mui (The Heroic Trio, Drunken Master II).” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor
The Mad Monk: "When the arrogant god Dragon Fighter Lo Han (Chow) pushes his fellow deities too far, he is punished by being transformed into an animal and banished to Earth until he can change the fates of three ne'er-do-wells. Maggie Cheung (Irma Vep, Police Story) also stars in this heavenly fantasy.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor
Out of the Dark: "When supernatural events overwhelm a Hong Kong apartment building, and those guys in New York City won't answer your call, look no further than Stephen Chow! Our hero plays a most unlikely paranormal investigator who steps in to save the building's residents from their harrowing haunting.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor
Video: 3.75/5 (Look Out, Officer!, Justice, My Foot!, The Mad Monk, Out of the Dark)
Look Out, Officer! comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 27.1 GB
Feature: 25.3 GB
Justice, My Foot! comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 42.5 GB
Feature: 27.3 GB
The Mad Monk comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 27 GB
Feature: 25.6 GB
Out of the Dark comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 27 GB
Feature: 22.7 GB
Though all of these transfers come from what looks like a dated source; they actually look very good. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is very good. That said, all of these transfers exhibit digital noise reduction; fortunately, it's not distracting.
Audio: 4/5 (All Audio Tracks)
Each film comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles. All of the audio tracks are in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences are robust. During playback, you cannot turn off the subtitles; they can only be disabled when accessing the menu.
Extras:
Extras for Look Out, Officer! include a stills gallery, a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 11 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), Celestial re-release trailer (1 minute 11 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with James Mudge, Veteran Hong Kong Film Critic At easternKicks.
Extras for Justice, My Foot! include a stills gallery, a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 14 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), Celestial re-release trailer (1 minute 15 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), a documentary titled Hong Kong Hustle: The Chinese Cinema Odyssey of Stephen Chow (82 minutes 22 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English and Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese), and an audio commentary with James Mudge.
Extras for The Mad Monk include a stills gallery, a theatrical trailer (1 minute 23 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Celestial re-release trailer (1 minute 10 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with James Mudge, and an audio commentary with Frankie Balboa AKA Shogun Supreme and Peter Glagowski, writer at FLIXIST.
Extras for Out of the Dark include a stills gallery, a theatrical trailer (48 seconds, DTS-HD mono with Cantonese text and non-removable English subtitles), Celestial re-release trailer (1 minute 10 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with Daniel O'Brien, author of Spooky Encounters - A Gwaillo's Guide to Hong Kong Horror titled A Different Shade of Dark (11 minutes 57 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), and an audio commentary with James Mudge.
Other extras include a slipcase.
Summary:
Look Out, Officer!: An officer killed in the line of duty returns as a ghost and assists a rookie cop in solving his murder.
Look Out, Officer! is a pivotal film in Stephen Chow’s evolution as an actor. Though Stephen Chow had already appeared in over a dozen films before Look Out, Officer!, he had yet to fully unleash his unique style of comedy, "Mo Lei Tau.” Despite being around since the 1970s, "Mo Lei Tau” would not become a cultural phenomenon until Stephen Chow latched onto it in the 1990s. Also, though "Mo Lei Tau" may be appreciated by those who are not native Cantonese speakers, a lot of its nuances get lost in translation.
Hong Kong cinema often finds inspiration from other films that were successful. While watching Look Out, Officer! if you start to feel déjà vu, that is because it's a remake of Where's Officer Tuba?, a film that starred Sammo Hung Kam-bo. That said, despite their similarities, it is ultimately Stephen Chow’s performance that sets these two films apart.
The opening moments of Look Out, Officer! resemble a heroic bloodshed film and not a comedy. An officer is involved in a daring police raid where he is forced into a bloody shootout after being discovered. The body count is ridiculously high, and the scene ends with the officer being shot point-blank in the head. After this graphic moment of violence, there is an abrupt tonal change as everything takes on a humorous tone.
Stephen Chow is the main attraction, and he does not disappoint in the role of a mischievous rookie police officer. His flawless comedic timing is what drives the narrative. That said, the rest of the cast are also extremely good in their roles, especially Bill Tung's (Police Story) portrayal of the murdered officer who returns as a ghost and Stanley Fung (The Inspector Wears Skirts), who portrays the killed officer's ex-partner. The most memorable performance is Amy Yip (Robotrix), who has a brief cameo as the police superintendent.
Though the narrative does a great job moving things forward, the story always takes a backseat to the comedy. The humor is silly and overflowing with sight gags. Notable moments of humor include a scene where Stephen Chow’s character looks like he’s aroused when it's just a gun in his pocket and the scene with Amy Yip where she shows off her ample assets. Even the fight sequences incorporate humor. Ultimately, what Look Out, Officer! lacks when it comes to story, its cast makes up for with their exceptional performances.
Justice, My Foot!: A renowned lawyer with questionable morals is unable to bend the law in his favor when confronted by a corrupt magistrate.
Johnnie To directed Justice, My Foot!. His other notable films include All About Ah-Long, Running Out of Time, The Mission, Fulltime Killer, PTU, Breaking News, Thrown Down, Election, Election 2, and Exiled.
Stephen Chow portrays Sung Sai Kit, a successful lawyer whose personal life is filled with tragedy. None of his sons lived beyond one year; when his 13th son dies, his wife convinces him to retire. Bored with retirement, he reenacts his final case. Despite his best efforts, a chance encounter gives him one last chance to prove that no one can beat him.
Though humor is front and center, Justice, My Foot! is a film that delves into deeper subject matter like corruption and how the affluent use their position to exert power. Also, morality is central to the story that unfolds. The protagonist's wife connects their misfortune in having children to her husband's unscrupulous tactics as a lawyer.
Stephen Chow once again delivers an outstanding performance in which his use of rapid-fire dialog is second to none. Surprisingly, Stephen Chow’s character does not do much in the way of martial arts. Anita Mui (The Heroic Trio) in the role of Sung Sai Kit's wife shines brightest when it comes to the martial arts. Her character is a martial arts master whose skills are unrivaled. Another performance of note is Ng Man-tat (Royal Tramp), who portrays a magistrate with flatulence issues.
Though Johnnie To is most known for his crime films, he’s actually a diverse filmmaker who's worked in many genres. It is not surprising how adept he is at comedy, since earlier in his career he mostly worked in this genre. That said, though Stephen Chow is the creative force that drives Justice, My Foot!, there are a few moments that are undeniably Johnnie To.
The narrative is overflowing with nonsensical moments, and yet it never feels disjointed. When it comes to pacing, things move briskly, and the narrative does a superb job building momentum. And though there is no shortage of humorous moments, the most memorable are the scenes where Stephen Chow and Anita Mui’s characters interact. Their onscreen chemistry is Justice, My Foot!'s greatest asset. Ultimately, Justice, My Foot! is a highly entertaining film that fans of Stephen Chow’s "Mo Lei Tau" should thoroughly enjoy.
The Mad Monk: A mischievous deity, Lo Han the Dragon Fighter, is banished to Earth and given the task of helping three ne'er-do-wells change their fates.
Johnnie To directed The Mad Monk. His other notable films include All About Ah-Long, Running Out of Time, The Mission, Fulltime Killer, PTU, Breaking News, Thrown Down, Election, Election 2, and Exiled.
The Mad Monk would mark the second and final time that Johnnie To collaborated with Stephen Chow. Anyone familiar with their previous collaboration, Justice, My Foot!, should have a clear idea of what to expect from The Mad Monk. In The Mad Monk, things get even crazier and more outrageous than in Justice, My Foot!
The Mad Monk is a fantasy film with mythical characters, and Lo Han the Dragon Fighter is given a fan that distorts reality. Lohan the Tiger Fighter joins Lo Han the Dragon Fighter on Earth. Unfortunately, Lohan the Tiger Fighter's arrival doesn't go as planned, and as a result, he grows into a man who behaves like a baby. From there, Lo Han the Dragon Fighter tries to accomplish his mission while taking care of a man child.
A solid cast filled with recognizable faces from 1980s and 90s Hong Kong cinema supports Stephen Chow, who delivers an outstanding performance. Anita Mui (My Father is a Hero) portrays the Goddess of Mercy, Maggie Cheung (In the Mood for Love) portrays a prostitute, and Anthony Wong Chau-sang (The Untold Story), who portrays a beggar. Ng Man-tat (Fightback to School), who portrays Tiger Fighter Lohan, a deity who is transformed into a man child, is another performance of note. Stephen Chow often worked with Ng Man-tat, and their onscreen chemistry is off the charts; every moment they share is a scene stealer.
The Mad Monk is a film where the story often takes a backseat to its comedic set pieces. The narrative is jam-packed, and things move at a breakneck momentum. Throughout, Stephen Chow’s character finds himself in numerous outrageous situations; surprisingly, his character does not have much to do in the way of action. That said, there are only two action sequences, both of which are excellent. Ultimately, The Mad Monk is an entertaining film that fans of Stephen Chow’s "Mo Lei Tau" should enjoy.
Out of the Dark: A paranormal investigator helps an apartment building eradicate evil spirits.
Jeffrey Lau directed Out of the Dark. His other notable films include The Haunted Cop Shop, All for the Winner, Treasure Hunt, and A Chinese Odyssey.
Out of the Dark is a horror/comedy hybrid laced with Stephen Chow’s brand of humor. Though humor is front and center, Out of the Dark does a superb job when it comes to balancing supernatural and comedy elements. When it comes to onscreen carnage, it is more cartoonish than gruesome. Some of the violence includes electrification, injury by dynamite, and a woman who is brought back to life, only to be accidentally killed.
Stephen Chow once again delivers a phenomenal performance. Throughout his filmography, Stephen Chow often references other films, and his character Leon is clearly an homage to Leon the Professional. Another performance of note is Karen Mok (So Close), whose character Kwan at one point looks like Matilda from Leon the Professional. That said, when it comes to the rest of the performances, they are all very good.
For his only true foray into horror, Stephen Chow shows that he can excel in any genre. Out of the Dark’s over-the-top humor perfectly complements its cartoonish violence. The narrative is well-constructed, and it does a superb job building momentum. Ultimately, Out of the Dark is a different kind of film from Stephen Chow that is overflowing with nonsensical humor and, more importantly, is always entertaining.
Shout! Factory’s The Stephen Chow Collection brings together four films, gives them strong audio/video presentations, and includes informative extras, highly recommended.
Written by Michael Den Boer
