Tsui Chik (Li) is a librarian who leads a quiet, unassuming life – or, at least, that’s what he wants people to believe. In truth, he was once a member of the 701 Squad, a group of elite combatants produced by a failed super-soldier project. In kind with his former comrades, his central nervous system has been altered to render him impervious to pain. When several of his fellow test subjects resurface and embark on a crimewave under the leadership of their former commander Hung Kuk (Patrick Lung), Tsui is forced to use his extraordinary abilities once more. Donning a costume, he sets out to face his past – as the vigilante known as the Black Mask.

Adapted from the manhua by Pang Chi-ming and Li Chi-tak and heavily influenced by Bruce Lee’s turn as Kato in The Green Hornet, Black Mask is one of the most entertaining movies in Jet Li’s filmography and boasts action orchestrated by Yuen Woo-ping, who would later win an Academy Award for his work on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

For thoughts on Black Mask, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/-wxlFGYzfB8?si=WjRhJ8i8zzEpqZ08&t=50]

Video Quality

Black Mask comes to Blu-Ray via Eureka Entertainment with a new 1080p transfer from a stellar new 2K restoration for both the uncut Hong Kong and U.S. Export Cut of the film in its original aspect ratio. This new release offers a strong presentation that far outranks any previous HD release of this film. Even participants on the commentary tracks note new details they are seeing for the first time with this restoration. The transfer mostly steers clear of filtering and DNR which allows it to present with a rich organic appearance. It is a pleasure to see how well the grain resolves, but admittedly there are some fleeting moments when the grain field spikes and the image quality shows its limitations for a second.

The transfer values the consistent color saturation on display, although much of this film takes place at night or in shadow which limits certain hues. That being said, the black levels are strong with not much in the way of crush, and highlights avoid blooming even when sparks are flying. Fine detail does not disappoint as you observe intricate facets of the costumes and production design without issue. This transfer showcases practically nothing in the way of wear and tear, and the film does not fall victim to any notable instances of compression artifacts. There are occasional shots that present as a bit soft which likely links back to the quality of the source elements. Eureka Entertainment has really delivered a high quality visual experience with this one.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with a host of different options including a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track and an LPCM 2.0 in Cantonese for the Hong Kong Cut. In addition, the Export version provides an LPCM 2.0 track in the original English dub along with the U.S. dub and soundtrack for those who have nostalgia for watching the film in this way or just hate subtitles. This release does have optional English subtitles provided. We always recommend sticking with the original language track for artistic purity.

The film packs a punch in its action set pieces from the opening scene on which adds formidable power to the overall mix. Even in the stereo tracks, the film holds its own in the low end, and things only get more aggressive in the surround sound mix. The score and soundtrack maintain a stable fidelity with no real instances of age-related wear and tear. The track does not sound overly bright in the upper registers with a nice consistency throughout. Dialogue is clear and easily distinguishable throughout the film, even in the more raucous developments. Eureka Entertainment has done a lovely job of presenting this film in the best quality possible.

Special Features

Disc One

Uncut Hong Version (1:39:58) and Export Version (1:27:14)

Audio Commentaries: There are two commentary tracks provided by film historians for different cuts of the film in which they deliver a deeply informative commentary track discussing the careers of the talent involved, the impact of the film upon its release, the history behind the production, the differences between the cuts, the sets that were used for filming, the stylistic flourishes and more.

- Audio Commentary #1 (Hong Kong Version): Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)

- Audio Commentary #2 (Export Version): Action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema

Mega Shock – A Chat with Mike Lambert: A 30-minute conversation with stuntman/fight choreographer Mike Lambert in which he discusses his early interest in martial arts films, getting involved in the Hong Kong film industry, the unexpected benefits of video games, how Daniel Lee worked to the strengths of the stunt team, memories of working with Jet Li, and much more.

Andrew Heskins on Black Mask: A nearly nine-minute interview with film critic Andrew Heskins (easternKicks.com) in which he gives background on Black Mask, the career of Daniel Lee, where this fit into the cinematic landscape both on the Mainland and in the United States, the film’s legacy, and more.

Leon Hunt on Black Mask: An 18-minute piece from Leon Hunt, author of Kung Fu Cult Masters: From Bruce Lee to Crouching Tiger, in which he dives into the career of Jet Li, his legacy in Hong Kong, how he compares to other martial arts megastars, the fight choreography, and more.

Archival Making Of Documentary: A 20-minute vintage documentary is provided that explores the creation of this film from different angles including the performances, the direction, the special effects, the costumes, and more.

Trailers: This disc provides the Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (1:59), US Trailer #1 (0:59), US Trailer #2 (1:54), and US Home Video Trailer (1:00).

Disc Two

Taiwan Version (1:40:57): This version was prepared exclusively for Taiwan and features the Original Mandarin and Alternate Mandarin audio tracks in LPCM 2.0. Since the original materials could not be located, the material unique to this cut has been included from a lower quality source

Extended Cut (1:42:18): This version attempts to bring together all of the footage unique to the various cuts of the film into one cut presented in LPCM 2.0 in primarily Cantonese with brief moments in English and Mandarin.

Booklet: A 27-page booklet is provided featuring new writing on the film by James Oliver and Simon Abrams.

Final Thoughts

Black Mask is one of the best action films that allows Jet Li to do what he does best. It is a bit silly, but it is brutal in the best way and features some eye-popping stunts. Some of the broad comedy does not hold up, but this is a common occurrence in the genre and varies by the sensibility of the viewer. For what is basically a superhero martial arts film, this serves up a truly fun time. Eureka Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a terrific assortment of special features. If you are a Jet Li fan, you could not ask for better. Recommended

Black Mask will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on April 23, 2024.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Eureka Entertainment and MVD Entertainment have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.