Follow up to The Flying Guillotine, cited as one of Quentin Tarantino’s favourite movies, FLYING GUILLOTINE 2 AKA PALACE CARNAGE continues in the same vein as the original with its visceral mix of martial arts expertise and weapons-grade violence. To fight against the evil emperor’s reign of terror outlaw rebel Ma Teng joins a group of female freedom fighters, however, she soon finds herself embroiled not just in a battle with enemy forces but also in with group leader’s torn family loyalties. Brutal, fast and furious FLYING GUILLOTINE 2 is an even more off-kilter Shaw Brothers entry than usual, containing familiar tropes as well as unique elements, it is arguably the best of the Flying Guillotine sequels, rolling along at an impressively enjoyable pace.

For thoughts on Flying Guillotine II, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/-Ueh57kDg4o?t=4844]

Video Quality

Flying Guillotine II comes to Blu-Ray via 88 Films with a 1080p master in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio derived from the original 35mm camera negatives. This new release offers an overall decent presentation, and ranks somewhere in the middle of the Shaw Brothers presentations that have been released in the past year. While not as obvious as some other releases, this transfer does appear to have been given a light DNR pass which slightly hinders its organic appearance and gives it a less textured look than it could have had. Thankfully, you still get some notable fine detail when it comes to the costumes and the production design. Do not fear, the individual blade edges of the titular weapon seem just as sharp as ever.

The strongest aspect of this transfer is the sumptuous color saturation throughout with dazzling colors that leap off the screen with only a few deficits. There are sporadic shots that present as soft or even a bit unfocused, which you can likely attribute to poor source elements being the only option available. The anamorphic framing also occasionally looks a bit stretched or squeezed at points. Thankfully, there is next to nothing in the way of wear and tear, and you do not have to worry about compression artifacts. As always, 88 Films has attempted to deliver the most pleasing presentation possible 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. The Mandarin track offers the more stable and natural sounding of the two tracks, but both are solid options. The score comes through with decent fidelity and a minimal amount of age related wear and tear at the peaks. As you would expect from this type of film, there are some powerful sound effects in the mix that never sound anemic in execution. Dialogue is clearly rendered and never overshadowed throughout the film. The English track can sound a bit boosted at points which can be a bit abrasive. Both tracks have a bit of an issue with harshness at the high end of the spectrum. This release does have optional English subtitles provided. 88 Films has done what they can to deliver a good experience for this one.

Special Features

The first-pressing of the 88 Films Blu-Ray of Flying Guillotine II includes a booklet featuring the essay “Watch Out For The Flying Guillotines!” by author Barry Forshaw. This provides a great context for and analysis of the film, how it shakes up the kung fu genre, its themes and more. The package also contains a double-sided folded poster. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Asian cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema deliver an exciting and information-packed commentary track in which they discuss how exactly this functions as a sequel, the logistics and safety concerns around the titular weapon, the career of the talent involved, where this film fits within the Shaw Brothers filmography and the genre at large, how this influenced popular culture such as Kill Bill, the clothing in the picture, the lack of faith from Shaw Brothers when it came to merchandising and more. It is always a lot of fun to have two fanatics bouncing off one another.

Original Trailer: The three-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.

Stills Gallery: A collection of stills from the film along with some promotional materials.

Final Thoughts

Flying Guillotine II is another supremely entertaining tale from the Shaw Brothers factory. The obvious appeal to this one is the titular weapon which is a lot of fun even if it might be a bit impractical if you think about it for too long. The film is violent and tense with political intrigue that gives you the base level narrative you need. The story is such that you do not really need to have seen the first film if you simply want to sit back and enjoy some martial arts extravaganza. 88 Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fine A/V presentation and an interesting commentary track complete with lovely packaging. If you are a fan of the genre, there is no reason not to add this to your collection. Recommended

Flying Guillotine II 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.