Import Corner: Righting Wrongs (88 Films) Blu-ray Review + 1080p Screenshots + Packaging Shots


88 Films brings us Righting Wrongs to blu-ray with four versions of the film and countless extras. This is a beautiful edition of the film that fans will love.

Studio: 88 Films
Release Date: November 27th, 1986 (theatrical) / October 24th, 2022 (blu-ray)
Run Time: 1 hour 37 minutes (Hong Kong cut) / 1 hour 31 minutes 21 seconds (English cut) / 1 hour 39 minutes 8 seconds (Singapore cut) / 1 hour 45 minutes 28 seconds (Ultimate cut with Random Ending), 1 hour 46 minutes 25 seconds (Ultimate cut with Ending 1), 1 hour 46 minutes 20 seconds (Ultimate cut with Ending 2), 1 hour 45 minutes 28 seconds (Ultimate cut with Ending 3), 1 hour 45 minutes 8 seconds (Ultimate cut with Ending 4)
Region Code: B (locked)
Picture: 1080p (1.85:1 aspect ratio)
Sound: Cantonese LPCM 2.0 (Hong Kong Theatrical, Japan Mix, Home Video) / English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (Hong Kong cut) / Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (Singapore cut)
Subtitles: English (Hong Kong cut), English SDH (Hong Kong cut, English and Singapore cut)
Slipcover: Hard Box
Digital Copy: No
Starring: Yuen Biao, Cynthia Rothrock, Melvin Wong, Wu Ma, Roy Chiao, Corey Yuen
Written by Szeto Chuek-hon, Barry Wong
Directed by Corey Yuen
Rating: BBFC: 15 (strong violence, injury detail)


____________________________________________

Poster

____________________________________________

What's It About?

Lawyer Ha Ling-Ching (Yuen Biao), fed up with the failings of the justice system and the way it allows criminals off the hook, vows to take the law into his own hands after a key witness and his entire family are murdered. However, his plans are soon complicated when he finds hotshot detective Cindy Sze (Cynthia Rothrock) on his tail. (taken from the blu-ray box)
____________________________________________

Video/Audio

Sourced from a 2K remasted of the original camera negative, and presented in the film's original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, RIGHT WRONGS looks amazing. I have seen this film a ton of times over the years and it has never looked this good. Film grain is present throughout the entire film. The film is fine for most of the film but gets a bit heavy during a few scenes. Colors are accurate as are skin tones. Clairty is insane as is detail. I love this transfer. All of the versions of the film, four in total, are taken from the same remaster as the main version of the film, so they all look the same. 

There are four language tracks on the main feature and they all sound great. I can't really tell you the differences in the tracks as I don't really know about the differences. I have only seen the film in it's original Cantonese language track and the English dub. Both of them sound great even if the Cantonese track is a little flat. 

Cantonese-language Hong Kong Theatrical Mix
Cantonese-language Japan Mix with End Narration
Cantonese Home Video Remix
English 5.1 Dub
____________________________________________

Extras/Packaging

Frank Djeng Commentary (also found in Setup Menu)
Cynthia Rothrock Tai Seng Commentary (also found in Setup Menu)
Right Place, Right Time: Cynthia Rothrock (12m 31s, HD, 1.78:1) 
Cynthia Rothrock talks to Frank Djeng (20m 33s, HD, 1.85:1) This is a selected scenes commentary thing.
Do No Wrong: Peter Cunningham on Right Wrongs (15m 24s, HD, 1.78:1)
Peter Cunningham talks to Frank Djeng (5m 11s, HD, 1.85:1)
The Vigilante: An Interview with Yuen Biao (16m 26s, SD, 1.78:1)
Action Overload: An Interview with Cynthia Rothrock (12m 39s, SD, 1.78:1)
From the Ring to the Silver Screen: An Interview with Peter Cunningham (18m 42s, SD, 1.78:1)
Alternate Ending (1m 3s, HD, 1.85:1)
Hong Kong Trailer (3m 41s, HD, 1.90:1)
English Trailer (2m 16s, HD, 1.85:1)
Tai Seng Reconstruction Trailer (1m 33s, HD, 1.85:1)

Disc 2

English Cut
 
Singapore Cut
-Mike Leeder and Arne Venema Commentary

Ultimate Cut
-Play with Random Ending
-Play with Ending 1: Heroes Always Win
-Play with Ending 2: Vigilantism For Life
-Play with Ending 3: Heroes Always Sacrifice
-Play with Ending 4: Justice Over Vigilantism

We start out our special features journey with two commentary tracks. The first one is with Frank Djeng. Anyone who has read my 88 Films martial arts reviews knows my love for Frank Djeng. He is full of information about not only the film itself but the culture surrounding the film. This commentary track is no different. The second commentary track is from the wonderful Cynthia Rothrock. This track is an old Tai Seng commentary track from their laserdisc release. The commentary is full of stories and is a lot of fun. There are also two selected scene commentary tracks here, one with Cynthia Rothrock, the other with Peter Cunningham with both tracks being moderated Frank Djeng. Great tracks as well. 

The interviews provided here are a mixed bag. This is because the information between these interviews is often repeated many times. This happens a lot when there are many interviews done for one project. You'll watch one interview and get some wonderful information, but then the next interview will provide the same information. I will say that this is ok here as this only happens between two or three interviews and commentary tracks. It's not like the MEGAFORCE blu-ray where they included every interview they could find with them all containing the exact same information. We finish up disc 1 with a few trailers including a recreation of the Tai Seng trailer, which is just awesome. 

Disc 2 contains three different cuts of the film. Well, there are three cuts, but one of those cuts features four different endings, so I guess that means there are 7 different versions of the film if you include the randomizer as well. There is only one special feature but it is a doozy. We get a Mike Leeder and Arne Venema commentary track on the Singapore version of the film. As with the Frank Djeng commentary track, I have nothing but love for Leeder/Venema commentary tracks. They always provide ample amounts of information, not just about the film and the people involved but the industry and how much Hong Kong has changed over time. I love this track.

88 Films has given RIGHTING WRONGS the royal treatment. The release comes in the hard box that 88 Films has adopted for their Limited Edition releases like YOUNG MASTER, RIKI-OH: STORY OF RICKY, and THE SEVENTH CURSE. The artwork on the hard box, done by Sean Longmore, who did the artwork for a bunch of 88 Films releases including the aforementioned THE SEVENTH CURSE along with TIGER CAGE TRILOGY and the upcoming GORGEOUS blu-ray release. This artwork is very striking and looks beautiful when you see it in person.

Inside the box is a two disc amray featuring reversible artwork with the Sean Longmore artwork on one side and the film's original theatrical poster. There are two discs inside the amray with artwork taken from the film with some filters added to the artwork.  Also in the case are six postcards that recreate the lobby cards for the film.

There is also an 80-page booklet featuring an essay by Matthew Edwards, an interview with actor Karen Shepard, and some archive materials. Last but not least is a double-sided poster featuring the same two pieces of artwork the blu-ray cases have.

Both discs are REGION B (locked)
____________________________________________

Overall

RIGHTING WRONGS is all kinds of fun. Yuen Biao is a madman in terms of fighting and stunts. Cynthia Rothrock is flat out wonderful in her role and she is able to keep pace with Biao and the other stuntmen in terms of fight choreography and speed. I am always impressed whenever she shows up in a Hong Kong film. This is a great film from beginning to end. 

88 Films keeps on providing us with the best editions for the Hong Kong films they acquire and this release is no different. Four different cuts of the film including an Ultimate Cut that features four different endings that is exclusive to this release. We also get two awesome commentary tracks from Frank Djeng, Mike Leeder, and Arne Venema, which are always welcome on these releases. Also, the package is all kinds of cool. This is an awesome release that will probably end up on my End of the Year list.
____________________________________________

Extras/Menus
































____________________________________________

Film













____________________________________________

Packaging






Post a Comment

0 Comments