Direct from the golden age of Hong Kong martial arts cinema comes Shaolin Mantis, another fast paced fight fest from the mighty Shaw Brothers studio. When scholar Wei Fung (David Chiang) is hired by the Emperor to infiltrate a clan of rebellious Ming loyalists, his mission goes adrift when he falls in love with the clan leader’s granddaughter and his plans are discovered. From legendary director and star (The Spiritual Boxer, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin) Shaolin Mantis is another superlative entry from the never ending showcase of 70s martial arts productions. An absolute must for collectors of classic Shaw Brothers movies.
For thoughts on Shaolin Mantis, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Shaolin Mantis comes to Blu-Ray via 88 Films with a 1080p master in its original aspect ratio derived from the original 35mm camera negatives. This new release offers an overall decent presentation, but this once again ranks among the lesser Shaw Brothers presentations that have been released in the past year. The transfer does appear to have been artificially tweaked with light DNR applied to slightly compromise its organic appearance and give it a bit smoother appearance. While fine detail is not completely washed away, particularly when it comes to the costumes and the production design, there could be even deeper nuance here. The anamorphic framing also occasionally looks a bit stretched or squeezed at points. The strongest facet of this transfer is the lovely color saturation throughout with vibrant colors that pop nicely off the screen, even if that also falters slightly as we approach the conclusion. There are a handful of shots that present as soft or even a bit unfocused, which is usually a sign of poor source elements available. At least there is not much in the way of wear and tear, and the film does not really exhibit any compression artifacts. While not without some issues, 88 Films has provided a decent high definition presentation for fans.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray presents the film with a LPCM 2.0 mono track in the original Mandarin along with an English dub, and as always we advocate for the original artistic intention. Even if creative purity is not on your list of priorities, the Mandarin track offers the most stable and natural sounding of the two tracks. Dialogue is clearly observed and never overshadowed throughout the film. The English track can sound a bit boosted at points which can take you somewhat out of the experience. Both tracks struggle the slightest bit with harshness at the high end of the spectrum. The score maintains a fine fidelity with only a small amount of age related wear and tear. The film employs some commanding sound effects in the mix that are given the appropriate weight. This release does have optional English subtitles provided. 88 Films has delivered a track that most fans will appreciate.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary #1: Asian cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema deliver an exciting and information-packed commentary track in which they discuss the career of the talent involved, where this film fits within the Shaw Brothers filmography and the genre at large, the tone of the picture, the historical context, facets of the titular fighting style and more. It is always a lot of fun to have two fanatics bouncing off one another.
- Audio Commentary #2: Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng delivers a very entertaining commentary track in which he focuses more on the story, historical touches and the kung fu performed in the film. Djeng has an easy delivery in which he casually drops a ton of fun tidbits.
- Complicated Families – David West On Shaolin Mantis: A 14-minute piece in which expert David West offers an analysis of the film including the work of David Chiang, the unique dilemma of the film, the twisted family dynamics, the interplay of masculine and feminine dynamics, how it compares to other films of the time and more.
- Uncle Tien Chung – An Interview with John Cheung: A 21-minute interview in which the actor discusses his early career, bringing his brothers along for the ride, getting involved in Shaolin Mantis, the fighting choreography of the film, the audience response of the time, his work later in his career and more.
- Trailers: This disc provides the U.S. Trailer (3:38) billed as Deadly Mantis and the Hong Kong Trailer (3:49).
Final Thoughts
Shaolin Mantis delivers when it comes to political intrigue and twisted narratives in a more effective way than many Shaw Brothers efforts. The action can be a bit more subdued in comparison to other features, but it makes an impression when it does kick into gear, especially with the different styles. While this is not an all-timer title, it makes for an entertaining watch at the end of the day. 88 Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a somewhat underwhelming A/V presentation and some interesting special features. If you are a fan of the genre, you probably already have this in your collection. Recommended
Shaolin Mantis is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: 88 Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.