Legendary actor-director Sammo Hung delivers a bazooka blast of pure adrenaline in this exemplar of Hong Kong action cinema at its most entertaining. Drawing inspiration from Hollywood war films like The Dirty Dozen, Eastern Condors follows a ragtag band of Asian American prisoners dropped into Vietnam on a secret suicide mission to prevent a cache of weapons from falling into the hands of the Viet Cong, who are more than ready for a fight. Propelled by a dynamic ensemble cast that includes the ever-charismatic Yuen Biao as a black-market trader and a superhuman Yuen Wah as a giggling martial-arts monster, this rip-roaring spectacle offers a nonstop barrage of turbocharged set pieces that defy death, logic, and gravity itself.

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Video Quality

The Criterion Collection presents Eastern Condors on Blu-Ray with a 1080p master in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio derived from a brand new 2K master of the 35m Original Camera Negative of both the Theatrical Cut and the Export Version. The transfer retains its organic roots without filtering or DNR destroying the image. The natural grain resolves admirably with no major moments of the grain field becoming loose. The source has been restored with the necessary care free of wear and tear such as dirt, cuts, and speckling.

The presentation avoids instances of compression artifacts, banding, and other digital anomalies. A few moments present as slightly soft which likely links back to the condition of the source elements. The transfer flourishes when it comes to color saturation in some of the environments, costumes, and lighting flourishes. Fine detail is first-rate as you notice distinct facets of the uniforms and the locale without issue. The Criterion Collection has given this one the necessary support to look its absolute best.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with an LPCM 1.0 mono track in the original Cantonese with newly restored lines of English and Vietnamese dialogue with approval from director Sammo Hung. There are subtle signs of some source limitations, but there are no major instances of damage or audio dropouts. Dialogue is typically clear and easy to understand with only a hint of hollowness in a few odd moments. The music does a fine job of settling you into the mood of the narrative, and it comes through with noble fidelity. There is a necessary balance between the action-driven blowouts and the reserved, character-driven moments. The film packs a sonic punch when it needs to. The Criterion Collection has provided a top-notch sonic experience for fans. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Special Features

The Criterion Blu-Ray of Eastern Condors includes a foldout pamphlet featuring the essay “Collective Action” by film scholar Sean Gilman which explores the film and the career of Sammo Hung. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Original Theatrical Version (1:38:47) and Export Version (1:34:55)

Audio Commentary: Film critic Tony Rayns provides a terrific commentary track in which he discusses the production entities, the shooting locations, how this film fits into Hong Kong cinema, the background of the performers, exposition that was cut from the film, ideas borrowed from other films, and more.

Meet The Filmmakers: A new nine-minute interview with actor-director Sammo Hung who discusses his background, working with King Hu, what he learned as a filmmaker, the choreography process, and more.

Evolution Of A Legend: A nine-minute archival interview from 2001 with actor-director Sammo Hung who discusses his background, his relationship with Jackie Chan, his upward trajectory in the industry, and more.

Sammo Hung on Eastern Condors: A nearly 18-minute interview from 2001 with Sammo Hung in which he dives into the process of making this film including the training to get in shape, his work behind the camera, and more.

Yuen Wah on Eastern Condors: An eight-minute interview from 2001 with actor Yuen Wah who discusses his experiences making the film, the difficulties of the action scenes, and more.

Eastern Condors Live!: A 14-minute excerpt from the 1987 Miss Asia Pageant in which Sammo Hung and various members of the team provide a stunt performance.

Teaser and Trailers: This disc provides the Teaser (3:14), Theatrical Trailer #1 (3:47), Theatrical Trailer #2 (3:40), and the English Trailer (2:14),

Final Thoughts

Eastern Condors is very entertaining action tale from Sammo Hung, who shows off his prowess both in front of the camera and behind it. The movie moves at a breathless pace while still allowing some time to get invested in the characters and the perilous journey they are undertaking. This is a very well-made, populous action film that delivers everything you want from the experience. The Criterion Collection has delivered a new Blu-Ray that offers a wonderful A/V presentation and some engaging special features. If you are a fan of Hong Kong cinema, this is a must-buy. Recommended

The Criterion Collection edition of Eastern Condors 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: The Criterion Collection 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.