Review of Big Boss, The

Introduction

As Bruce Lee experts will tell you, "The Big Boss" was the first film in which Lee took the leading role. There were initially doubts as to whether he would be able to carry the film on his own, and other characters in the film would have been beefed up to compensate if this was the case.

However, he shines as the star of the film, and of course went to make several other films, many better than The Big Boss. That`s not to say that The Big Boss is a bad film, just that some of Lee`s other films were even better.

Another important point is that with the release of this disc, The Big Boss has now been released uncut for the first time in the UK.

Video

If you`ve ever seen The Big Boss before, on TV, on VHS or on any of the other DVD versions of the film, the first thing you notice when you watch this version is that the video quality is utterly stunning.

The video is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic, and has been completely remastered and colour corrected. I watched this version side by side with a recent TV transmission of the film and the difference is incredible. Dust and scratches are gone and the colours are vastly improved.

Take the night scene in the ice room. The TV transmission showed a very pink light, whereas this DVD shows the correct red light. An absolutely brilliant transfer.

Audio

The audio hasn`t undergone the same extensive remastering, and is presented here as either a Cantonese mono soundtrack or a dubbed English version. My preference is to watch it in the original language with English subtitles. The subtitles on the TV and DVD version differ slightly in places, but are generally conveying the same information.

Whilst not being of the same high standard as the video, the audio is still up to the job, and is usually very clear throughout.

Features

The biggest extra here is an audio commentary, recorded especially by Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan. It really is an excellent commentary, which has been thoroughly researched and is very interesting to listen to. There`s lots of information about the film, plus stories about Lee and his background and discussion on other stars of the film.

There`s also a photo gallery, featuring various stills related to the film, and three trailers for the film, a UK trailer, a Hong Kong trailer, plus the original theatrical trailer. The theatrical trailer also contains very brief glimpses of two deleted scenes, which don`t seem to exist any more. These include another brothel scene, and the now legendary "saw in the skull" scene. There`s some explanation in the introductory text before the trailer and in the audio commentary itself.

There`s also a Bruce Lee filmography and biography, plus trailers for all of the other Hong Kong Legends releases. An excellent all round package.

Conclusion

What more is there to say? An an amazing transfer given the age of the film and the conditions of the various prints of it. Reasonable audio quality, and an excellent and informative audio commentary track make this the best DVD of this film ever released and an excellent Bruce Lee DVD.

The film itself follows the theme of vengeance, involving Chinese workers at an Ice Factory in Thailand which is exporting more than just frozen water. Lee himself is initially reluctant to start fighting after making a promise to his mother, but soon joins in the action. There`s some obviously fake blood flying around, as well as some great kicks and punches. It doesn`t tax the brain extensively, but is an enjoyable 95 minutes of entertainment.

Fans of Bruce Lee or martial arts should add this to their collection as soon as possible. Highly recommended.