Review of Warriors Two

Introduction

When it comes to Hong Kong cinema, my experience has been mostly limited to Jackie Chan flicks. His mix of Kung Fu and comedy has always appealed, but I have never really felt the need to broaden my horizons as it were. Oddly enough Bruce Lee always left me a little cold, so I guess I`ve been waiting for the right movie to come along and rekindle my interest. In 1978, fellow Opera School alumnus Sammo Hung directed Warriors Two, the first Hong Kong film to really showcase Wing Chun, and in 2005, Hong Kong Legends have brought out a remastered version on a Special Edition DVD. Could this be the one?

Wah is a bank cashier in the small town of FoShan, who overhears a gang planning to murder the village elder and take over. When he goes to warn the elder, he`s betrayed and ambushed by the gang. He barely escapes, and with the aid of Fatty, he takes refuge with Master Jan, the town`s pharmacist. Jan helps him heal, but refuses to teach Wah the art of Wing Chun, of which he is the exponent. Citing his pacifistic beliefs, he sees Wah`s desire for vengeance to be mistaken. Meanwhile things go from bad to worse in the town, the gang takes over and chaos ensues. Fatty helps Wah to eventually convince Master Jan to teach him Wing Chun, but it may be too late as the gang embarks on a reign of terror.

Video

I always look forward to Hong Kong Legends discs, as they have a sterling reputation of giving a film the best possible presentation when it comes to the image quality. Warriors Two is no exception, a film that is nigh on 27 years old looks as if it was filmed last year. The 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer is clear and relatively sharp. There is a minor hint of grain, an occasional softness, but most impressive is the almost complete absence of print damage. It`s a stunning job of film restoration that shows off the lush sets and costumes to outstanding effect. It`s not perfect however, as darker scenes are prone to lack detail and black levels are also a little lacking.

Audio

The sound on the other hand is another matter. You have a choice of DD 5.1 Cantonese or English, and as usual I found the original soundtrack to be the preferable one. As per usual for Hong Kong films, all dialogue was looped in post-production, and non-Cantonese actors like the Korean Casanova Wong had to be dubbed anyway. I mention that, as lip-syncing was never too high a priority.

The surround itself is a little distracting; dialogue is confined to the foreground, as is much of the action. However the rears are used solely for ambience, but this is ambience that is artificial and forced, never varying in volume. The hubbub of a market place, the chirping of birds, the susurration of a restaurant, are all presented at a constant high volume, and switch on and off most noticeably when the scene changes. This is a problem common to both the English and Cantonese tracks. I must also mention the sound effects for the fight sequences; loud is not the word, as these explosions of violence thunder through the speakers. One of the characters uses an invincible armour technique in battle, and when he is struck, you are supposed to hear the chime of a bell to indicate his impervious skin. I found this quite distorted and annoying to listen to, sounding almost like an electronic shriek than a modulated tone.

The music may have you scratching your head for a minute, until you recognise the tune from The Magnificent Seven. Subtitles are provided in English, Dutch as well as English SDH. I noticed one spelling mistake in the subtitles but other wise they were easy to read. The subtitles translate the Cantonese dialogue, rather than reflecting the English dub.

Features

This is usually where the Hong Kong Legends discs excel, providing reams of material to accompany the films. Warriors Two is comparatively bare of extras however, but what there is, is comprehensive and actually make for a nice rounded package.

Once again, the animated menus are a delight to look at, easy to navigate and avoid annoyingly long transitions between screens. You`ll find the trailers for Warriors Two, as well as plenty of promotional material for other Hong Kong Legends titles, as well as Premier Asia titles.

The Way Of The Warrior: The Making Of Warriors Two, lasts for 45 minutes and is presented anamorphically. It`s presented by Bey Logan, and explains the genesis of the film, the novelty of making a film showcasing Wing Chun, and has plenty of interviews with the cast and crew. There are anecdotes about the filming process, and some background into the cast and crew, with special emphasis given to Sammo Hung, who wrote, starred in, and directed Warriors Two. It`s a good documentary and very rounded. Subtitles are displayed for the non-English contributions only.

There is a text biography for Bey Logan on the disc, so you can see what he gets up to when he isn`t recording commentaries for HKL. It`s nice to see him getting some recognition on this disc.

Finally there is the audio commentary from Bey Logan himself. 5 minutes of a Bey Logan commentary can impart more information than a feature length commentary on many another disc. The man knows all there is to know about the Hong Kong film industry, and he gives a constant stream of informational gems on the commentary for Warriors Two, it`s just a matter of trying to keep up. Unfortunately the commentary lacks subtitles, but Bey Logan is always clear and erudite, a commentary that is a joy to listen to.

Conclusion

Warriors Two is certainly a decent amount of fun, a nice blend of action and comedy, with some exciting fight sequences and interesting characters. Being the sedentary chap that I am, I`m not in a position to appreciate the Martial Arts skills in the film as some would, and simply take the film at face value. No doubt someone with a more specific interest in Wing Chun would see this film on another level.

The story couldn`t be simpler; a character tries to do the right thing, and is betrayed and beaten for his troubles. He then learns the ancient art of Wing Chun, and emerges a formidable warrior. It would be a let down if he didn`t use his newfound skills to teach the bad guys a lesson they won`t forget. The film really rests on how well the story is told, and some sharp direction and nice characterisations really help to make the film enjoyable. The fact that Leung Jan and Chan Wah were actually characters from the history of Wing Chun adds another dimension to the film.

The film also explores Wing Chun in some depth, without taking us out of the story. A good third of the film is devoted to Wah`s training as Leung imparts the skills, wisdom and philosophy required to master the art. It`s to Sammo Hung`s credit that we are never distracted or feel removed from the story in this second act. In fact the training sequence never feels less than essential to the film and is a joy to watch, snappily directed and perfectly paced.

The final act of the film is action packed, as Wah and his friends confront the villains. The fights are well choreographed and keep the pulse pounding. But this is where the film`s major flaw lies. Sammo Hung has a talent for comedy, and intersperses the drama with lightness to provide a balance through much of the film. It is what I personally look forward to most from Hong Kong cinema. The denouement on the other hand is a moment of tension, when the betrayal and loss that has been building up through the story is resolved. Yet there are still moments of humour in the minutes leading up to the final frame that I found quite misplaced given the drama of the moment.

Warriors Two is an enjoyable enough film, on another well-presented disc from Hong Kong Legends. The picture is excellent, but the sound may have you changing your audio settings before long.