The Magnificent Chang Cheh (Blu-ray Review)

If there was one thing the Shaw Brothers Studio knew it was how to get the best actors and directors under their umbrella. And one of the best directors they had was Chang Cheh. He is known as "the Godfather of Hong Kong Cinema". Eureka Entertainment released a Limited Edition Blu-ray of 4 films entitled Horrible History: Four Historical Epics By Chang Cheh.

Now the next Eureka Entertainment Blu-ray to get the deluxe treatment is more Chang Cheh films. This time it is a double feature entitled The Magnificent Chang Cheh: The Magnificent Trio and Magnificent Wanderers.

Classic Cinema+ Film Rating System:
****=Don’t Miss it!
***=Worth a look.
**=An Ok way to spend an evening.
*=You haven’t missed anything.

The Magnificent Trio (1966) A swordsman Lu Fang (Jimmy Wang, along with fellow warriors Yen Tzu-ching (Lo Lieh) and Huang Liang (Cheng Lui) - lends his martial arts prowess to a group of oppressed farmers when they kidnap the daughter of their local magistrate. ***

Magnificent Wanderers (1977) The three nomads Lin Shao You (Fu Sheng), Shi Da Yong (Chi Kuan-chun), and Guan Fei (Li Yi-min) attempt to join Chinese patriots in their struggle against invading Mongol armies with the help of the wealthy Chu Tie Xia (David Chiang). ***

Chang Cheh directed film for over three decades bringing he world over 90 films and so much entertainment. These two films bring us the wide range of action, adventure and comedy. It is a wonderful double feature.

Eureka Entertainment has transferred these two Chang Cheh films to Blu-ray in 1080p they are presented in 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The audio tracks are the original Mandarin mono. There is also the option for English subtitles, newly translated for this release. But there is also an English dubbed from Magnificent Warriors.

Now are not just prints thrown on a Blu-ray disc, no way. These new HD presentations are from masters supplied by Celestial Pictures. Now even though there are two films on this Blu-ray don't worry, these films look crisp and clean and sound clear.

But Eureka Entertainment, liked all there Blu-ray releases added some extremely cool bonus features. Take a look at what has been included on this deluxe Blu-ray!

* New audio commentary on The Magnificent Trio by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist and filmmaker Michael Worth

* New audio commentary on Magnificent Wanderers by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema

* Chang Cheh Style – new video essay by Gary Bettinson, editor-in-chief of Asian Cinema journal

* A limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Chang Cheh by writer and critic James Oliver

* Double-sided Blu-ray insert

* Limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju)

The addition of audio commentaries is always a welcomed bonus. I really enjoy hearing all the information about these films from another culture. The essay written by James Oliver in the booklet unveils so much information about these two films. And than there is the artwork o the insert and slipcase.

Eureka Entertainment continually impresses with the quality of their Blu-ray releases. Granted these kung fu films are not for everyone, but for those that love this type of cinema this Blu-ray is going to be a must for your home video library.

So, if you enjoy the films of Chang Cheh this new Blu-ray The Magnificent Chang Cheh will thrill you! head over to MVD Shop or Amazon and order your copy today!