Heroes & Villains: Three Films Starring Jet Li (Eureka! Entertainment) Blu-ray Review + 1080p Screenshots


Eureka! Entertainment has gifted us three 90s Jet Li films (The Enforcer, Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words", and Hitman) and they have done an outstanding job with them.

Studio: Eureka!
Release Date: March 2nd, 1995 (The Enforcer) / March 14th, 1996 (Dr. Wai in "The Scriptures with No Words" / April 3rd, 1998 (Hitman) / November 20th, 2023 (blu-ray)
Run Time: 1 hour 44 minutes 52 seconds (The Enforcer) / 1 hour 31m minutes 11 seconds (Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words") (Hong Kong version), / (1 hour 44 minutes 54 seconds (Hit Man) (Hong Kong version), 1 hour 39 minutes 18 seconds ("The Contract Killer version)
Region Code: B (locked)
Disc Count: 3
Picture: 1080p (1.85:1 aspect ratio) (The Enforcer, Hitman) / 1080p (2.35:1 aspect ratio) (Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words")
Sound: Cantonese LPCM 2.0 Mono, English LPCM 2.0 Mono (The Enforcer) / Cantonese DTS-HD
 Master Audio 5.1, Cantonese LPCM 2.0 Mono, English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono, English LPCM 2.0 Mono, Mandarin LPCM 2.0 Mono (Dr. Wai in "The Scriptures with No Words) / Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Cantonese LPCM 2.0 Mono, English LPCM 2.0 Mono, English LPCM 2.0 Mono, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (Hitman)
Subtitles: English
Slipcover: Yes
Digital Copy: No
Starring: Jet Li, Anita Mui, Miao Xie, Rongguang Yu, Collin Chou, Ken Lo (The Enforcer) / Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Charlie Yeung, Takeshi Kaneshiro (Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words") / Jet Li, Eric Tsang, Simon Yam, Gigi Leung (Hitman)
Written by Sandy Shaw, Wong Jing (The Enforcer) / Lam Wai-lun, Sandy Shaw Lai-king (Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words") / Chan Hing-kai, Vincent Kok, Cheng Kam-fu (Hitman)
Directed by Corey Yuen (The Enforcer) / Ching Siu-tung (Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words") / Stephen Tung (Hitman)
Rating: BBFC: 18 (martial arts violence) (The Enforcer) / BBFC: 15 (martial arts violence) (Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words) / BBFC: 18 (strong violence) (Hitman)


____________________________________________

Poster(s)

____________________________________________

What's It About?

Kung Wei (Jet Li), an undercover Chinese cop sent to track down a notorious criminal Po Kwong (Yu Rongguang) in Hong Kong. There, he ultimately teams up with his son Johnny Kung (Xie Miao), and another cop Anna Fong (Anita Mui). Together, they lay down the law in the final fight on Po (The Enforcer)

Kit is a writer of serial adventures for a newspaper with a contract to write 100 stories a year. However, after two years of marriage the couple has problems giving writer's block after 93 stories. He sees himself as the hero in the adventures - the King of Adventurers in 1930s China. He still imagines the adventures that are affected by a possible divorce. He's still the hero in his fictional world with his wife, Monica, being the villain. His two "non-couple" friends at work and others working at the newspaper get their roles in his imaginary world. He meets Monica at a restaurant to discuss divorce. She brings a movie star and a lawyer. Kit's two non-couple friends watch from a distance. They later try to come with ideas as to finishing the last 7 stories which sends our hero and helper undercover as women to a ball at the Japanese embassy in Shanghai to snatch a letter that will lead him to a mysterious box and scripture. He falls in love with a woman (his/Kit's wife) there while in drag. (Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words")

Financially troubled, a newbie hitman reluctantly takes the job of finding the plotted killer of a Japanese tycoon, but things complicate when the tycoon is killed and he is forced to ally with a misfortunate hitman to find the "King of the Hitman." (Hitman)
____________________________________________

Video/Audio

Disc 1: The Enforcer

I was very shocked by how good THE ENFORCER looked. This transfer is taken from 4K restoration of the film and it looks like it. There were times when I thought I was watching an actual film print. This is one of the strongest transfers I have seen all year and we have gotten a bunch of them. Film grain can be a bit heavy at times, especially in the nighttime / low light level scenes and this makes me happy. I LOVE film grain and find that it helps the overall picture. Some swear up and down that film grain should be removed or lessened but I couldn't disagree more. I watched PLANES, TRAINS, and AUTOMOBILES on Thanksgiving and that transfer has DNR applied to it and it looks kind of bad at times. THE ENFORCER has had no DNR applied to it and it makes the overall picture quality a lot healthier than many big studio 4K releases. Colors are also brilliantly realized along with deep, inky blacks. Detail is strong with dinner details getting a huge bump over previous releases. 

Disc 2: Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words"

Sourced from a brand new 2K restoration, and presented in the film's original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, DR. WAI looks really nice. The transfer isn't a revelation like THE ENFORCER but it still is nice. Film grain is there but not as pronounced as THE ENFORCER. Colors are nice and blacks inky deep. The whole picture has a healthy look to it. 

Disc 3: Hitman

Taken from a "HD restoration from original film elements", and presented in the film's original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, HITMAN is the weakest of the bunch but still quite good. Film grain is very light this time out but it is there. Colors are good and skin tones are accurate. I didn't find any problems with this transfer.

HITMAN's English dub on the Hong Kong version is not very good any time there is no sound you can hear a hissing. Thankfully, it is as pronounced when characters are speaking but it is there. 
____________________________________________

Extras/Packaging

Disc 1: The Enforcer

Commentary by Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
Crowd Pleaser: An Interview with Wong Jing (Archival) (17m 36s, SD, 1.78:1) in English.
Like Father, Like Son: An Interview with Tse Mui (Archival) (16m 22s, SD, 1.78:1) in Cantonese with English subtitles.
Born to Be Bad: An Interview with Ken Lo (Archival) (20m 11s, SD, 1.78:1) in Cantonese with English subtitles.
Deleted Scene (1m 54s, SD, 1.85:1)
Hong Kong Trailer (4m 5s, HD, 1.85:1) in Cantonese with English subtitles

Disc 2: Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words"

Commentary with Mike Leeder and Arne Venema (Hong Kong Theatrical Version)
Commentary from Frank Djeng (International Version)
The Smart and the Brave (6m 54s, SD, 1.78:1) This is an old documentary about Jet Li's early years being a martial arts prodigy. We get a lot of footage of Li training along with scenes from his first film, The Shaolin Temple.
Hong Trailer (2m 51s, HD, 2.35:1) in Cantonese with English subtitles

Disc 3: Hitman

Commentary by Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
Jet Li Interview (Archival) (11m 3s, SD, 1.33:1) in Cantonese with English subtitles)
Simon Yam Interview (Archival) (8m 9s, SD, 1.33:1)
Keiji Interview (Archival) (13m 54s, SD, 1.78:1)
Opening Night Footage (Archival) (11mm 20s, SD, 1.33:1)
Hong Kong Trailer (2m 37s, HD, 1.85:1) in Cantonese with English subtitles
English Dubbed Trailer (2m 34s, HD, 1.85:1) in English
UK DVD Trailer (1m 41s, SD, 1.78:1)
"Contract Killer" (1m 14s, SD, 1.33:1) I remember this trailer and it's really shitty editing.

The packaging here is nice but a little bit underwhelming. The commissioned artwork that adorns the front of the slipcove, done by Sam Gilby is nice but rather plain. I would have preferred a collage of images from the film done in Mr. Gilby's style. 

The artwork on the three disc, clear amaray case features the poster for THE ENFORCER while the inner artwork features the posters for the other films.

Each disc is REGION B (locked)
____________________________________________

Overall

This is a great collection of Jet Li films from Eureka Entertainment. Each film is presented in the best possible way with each film given. We also get two versions of two of the film (DR. WAI and HITMAN) and multiple audio options. The Mike Leeder/Arne Venema commentary tracks (1 for each film) are each worthwhile and fun. Frank Djeng provides a commentary track on the International version of DR. WAI that is equally as fun. All of the other special features are archival and consists of interviews with various cast and crew members with the stand out interview being the Wong Jing interview found on the THE ENFORCER disc. There is also a featurette about Jet Li's early martial arts years that is a great watch. I would highly recommend this release. 
____________________________________________

Extras/Menus
























____________________________________________

Film





































____________________________________________




Post a Comment

0 Comments