A fantastic martial arts film that is packed with kung-fu action but also dramatic and tragic scenes as the film deals with drug (opium) addiction. Definitely recommended!
Images courtesy of © 2006 Celestial Pictures, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: Opium and the Kung-Fu Master
DURATION: 90 minutes
DVD INFORMATION: NTSC, Region 1, Anamorphic Widescreen 16×9, Mandarin Mono
RATED: Not Rated: Parental Guidance Suggested
COMPANY: Celestial Pictures/FUNimation Entertainment
Released on April 27, 2010
Directed by Chia Tang
Screenplay by Ying Huang
Produced by Mona Fong
Music by Chin Yung Shing, Chen-hou Su
Cinematography by Hui-chi Tsao
Edited by Chung Yiu Ma, Shao Feng Yu
Art Direction by Ching-Shen Chen, Kuang-hsien Teng
Costume Design by Chi-Yu Liu
Starring:
Ti Lung as Master Tieh Chiao-san
Robert Mak-Tak Law as Guang Si
Shen Chan
Kuan Tai Chen
Miao Ching
Pei Chi Huang
Choi Kwok Keung
Phillip Ko
Feng Kuan
Kuan-chung Ku
Wai Lam
Hoi Sang Lee
Yiu Ging Lee
Hsueh-hua Liu
Film legend Ti Lung (A Better Tomorrow, The Legend of Drunken Master) battles the scourge of the orient in this epic final film from director Tang Chia. Schooled in the martial arts by the Peking Opera, Chia’s deft touch guides the gut-wrenching tale of a Kung Fu master wrecked by opium. Starring a legitimate champion of the Gibbon Fist style as the film’s villain – Chen Kuan Tai (The Flying Guillotine, Big Brother Cheng) – Chia’s masterpiece showcases the talents of at least six different martial arts directors.
The Shaw Brothers, the company known for their many releases of Hong Kong films for many decades ran by producer Sir Run Run Shaw, knighted by the British government and founder of Shaw University in Hong Kong and even founded the HK-TVB TV network was a major power behind the company and his third brother Runme Shaw (who founded South Sea Film), the film company would become known as Shaw Brothers Studio and become the first studio to bring Hong Kong cinema with sound in 1934.
The Shaw Brothers have created over a thousand films and with several having been aired on US television and some being released on video, the 1984 film”Opium and the Kung-Fu Master” (Hung kuen dai see) gets its release on DVD.  It’s important to note that the DVD and Blu-ray was released by BCI Eclipse in Jan. 2009 but because parent company Navarre shut down the company due to the recession, FUNimation Entertainment (who’s parent distribution company is Navarre) is re-releasing the movie on DVD as part of its Hong Kong Connection Shaw Bros. DVD releases.
“Opium and the Kung-Fu Master” revolves around Master Tie Qiao San (played by Ti Lung), one of the legendary Ten Tigers of Guandong and the chief of a town in which his martial arts students police the street to capture criminals. As his students Guang Si (played by Robert Mak Tak-Law) and Da Niu are policing the city, they come across two thieves.
Next thing you know, there is chaos as the thieves happen to be talented martial artists and not even the students can stop them. That is until Master Tie arrives and beats them (and ends up killing one of them). The escaped thief tells his master about what has happened and it appears the ring leader is a rival of Master Tie Qiao San.
So, the criminals try to find a way to take over the city and that is by infiltrating it with the use of the drug opium. The criminals immediately create an opium house in the village and next thing you know, several of Master Tie’s students become addicted to the opium. Guang Si’s father and his Master Tie also get hooked on the opium as well.
Guang Si, the young spirited student of Master Tie has seen how opium has corrupted the city, his friends and his master. It’s so bad that people he has loved is being corrupted and even killed because of the opium. So, Guan Si, wants to put a stop to the opium by burning down the opium house. With no one to turn to, especially his own Master, Guan Si must take care of it on his own.
Meanwhile, Master Tie is slowly being consumed by opium and it’s effects are taking a toll on his body, his martial arts and his role as a master.
VIDEO:
So far, each Shaw Brothers release that FUNimation Entertainment has looked quite solid. Thanks to Celestial Pictures going through major remastering and restoration for many of the Shaw Bros. films, “Opium and the Kung-Fu Master” looks very good. I saw no major blemishes, the film doesn’t look aged and for the most part, the fact that this film is over 25-years-old, it doesn’t show. I hope that FUNimation Entertainment considers a Blu-ray release of “Opium and the Kung-Fu Master”. Granted, it was released last year from it’s sister company BCI/Eclipse, but with the company no longer in existence, these Shaw Brothers are look fantastic and I can imagine how much better they would look on Blu-ray.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
As for audio, the film is presented in English Dolby Digital stereo and Mandarin Mono. Personally, having endured these Shaw films with the terrible (yet humorous) English dubs back in the late ’70s and early ’80s, just watching it again with the English dub just didn’t make sense anymore (unless you get a kick of how bad they were acted). So, watching it with the Mandarin mono track was my choice and preference.
I felt the English stereo soundtrack was OK but felt the Mandarin mono to be much better. For listening, I had my receiver set for stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundtrack. Some may be wondering why the film is presented in Mandarin when Hong Kong films are typically in Cantonese. The Shaw Brothers Studio had films split into Mandarin and Cantonese.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Opium and the Kung-Fu Master” comes with trailers of upcoming releases.
EXTRAS:
The DVD comes in a slipcase.
“Opium and the Kung-Fu Master” was definitely an entertaining film that definitely delivered when it comes to action and dramatic, tragic scenes.
Also, the storyline about drug addiction when it comes to a martial arts film is rarely seen. You actually see how various people have been consumed by opium and in this case, one wanting to be a hero and taking down the opium establishment and then the hero seeing his master and his friends and other students being consumed by it.
Ti Lung and Robert Mak Tak-Law are excellent onscreen. The fighting scenes are just wonderful to watch and to watch Ti Lung go from this quick and awesome fighter and then to see him consumed by opium and then to see him go through the withdrawals and suffer while undergoing his treatment was definitely a sight to see. You just don’t see this in a martial arts film and the only time I can even recall seeing a film’s main protagonist having to undergo treatment and watch as they must go through the major withdrawals was the the 1975 John Frankenheimer film “French Connection II” in which hero Doyle (played by Gene Hackman) had to undergo a similar situation.
So, this was very unique to see in a martial arts film. “Opium and the Kung-Fu Master” is an awesome martial arts film about opium addiction and it’s great to see FUNimation Entertainment release this on DVD (knock on wood, hopefully it’s considered for a Blu-ray release).
As for the DVD, I’m glad that you do have the option of the Mandarin or English dub track and the restoration of the film definitely adds to the enjoyment of the film as well. A shame that there are no special features but then again, since the Shaw Bros. churned out films one after the other, I’m not sure if that type of footage of the making of the film is lost. The BCI/Eclipse Blu-ray did come with a special feature but nothing that had to do with the film.
Overall, FUNimation Entertainment and Celestial Pictures are doing a great service for fans of these classic martial arts films by releasing it on DVD in the US. If you are a fan of the Shaw Brothers, these restored DVD releases are worth watching! “Opium and the Kung-Fu Master” is definitely recommended!