When the former member of a failing magical kung fu order threatens to destroy the remaining group’s reputation through his loud mouth insults and defamatory behavior, an elite band of killers is dispatched to silence him forever. Though perhaps the golden age of martial cinema had been and gone, this late entry wuxia style film from The Shaw Brothers house of dreams was still able to pack a powerful punch. Written, directed and starring Chia-Liang Liu (The Spiritual Boxer, Spiritual Boxer II), this gloriously fast-paced drama which entertainingly mixes swordplay with hand to hand combat in a fabulously furious rollicking adventure weaves its own special kind of magic.

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[youtube https://youtu.be/XNKUjfR5nvw?t=2217]

Video Quality

Legendary Weapons Of China 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 a terrific presentation that ranks near the best of the Shaw Brothers titles that I have seen from the label. There is almost nothing in the way of wear and tear, and the film does not exhibit any notable instances of compression artifacts. The transfer does not appear to have any DNR applied which allows it to maintain its organic appearance. Admittedly, the anamorphic framing does occasionally look a bit squeezed. The transfer features consistent color saturation throughout with vibrant colors popping off the screen, especially in the bright red blood. The level of fine detail does not disappoint as you observe intricate facets of the production design and costumes without issue. There are a handful of shots that present as a bit soft which likely links back to the quality of the source elements. 88 Films has done a really nice job of handling this title with care. .

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with a LPCM 2.0 mono track in the original Cantonese along with an English dub for those who, for whatever reason, do not want to deal with subtitles. The score primarily maintains a nice fidelity, although there are instances of age related wear and tear at the highest amplitudes. As always, the film employs some hard-hitting sound effects in the mix that are given the appropriate weight. Dialogue is mostly clear and easily distinguishable throughout the film. The track can sound a bit boxy overall which can make some moments feel less than natural. This release does have optional English subtitles provided. 88 Films has done a fine job of presenting this film in the best quality possible.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Japanese film experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema deliver a lively and deeply informative commentary track in which they discusses the career of the talent involved, the unnecessary opening sequence, where this film fits within the Shaw Brothers filmography and the genre at large, the horror movie feel of the picture, the sets that were used for filming and more.

Audio Commentary #2: Asian Cinema Expert Frank Djeng and Actor / Martial Artist Michael Worth deliver a very entertaining commentary track in which they focus more on the story, historical touches and the kung fu performed in the film. These two have an easy rapport in which they casually drop a ton of fun tidbits.

Audio Commentary #3: Asian Cinema Expert Frank Djeng provides a final commentary track on his own which manages to cover a good amount of information that is not mentioned in the other two tracks. All three are well worth a listen.

Eighteen Weapons – David West On Legendary Weapons Of China: A 13-minute featurette with West in which he discusses how this film fits into the Shaw Brothers output, the “meta” aspects of this feature, the obvious humor in the story, the unique time period of the film and more. West mentions how confused he was the first time he saw the film and how much better the film plays when you have a foundation of martial arts knowledge at your disposal.

Gordon at Shaw – Interview with Actor Gordon Liu: A 15-minute archival piece from 2004 in which he discusses the legacy of the film, his role in the feature, what makes the film stand apart, getting too close to fire for his comfort, the most dangerous scenes and more.

Titus at Shaw – Interview with Producer Titus Ho: A nearly 25-minute interview with Titus Ho in which he discusses his career working with the Shaw Brothers, what his duties entailed, the themes exhibited in the film, his career after leaving the Shaw Brothers and more.

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

Final Thoughts

Legendary Weapons Of China is a unique martial arts film which draws on the audience’s knowledge of the genre to subvert expectations. The plot is supremely stupid, but the film knows this and pushes forward purposefully embracing the ridiculous aspects. Even with its comedic bent, there is no shortage of hard-hitting fight scenes that will make your body ache just witnessing them. 88 Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and some interesting special features. If you are a fan of the Shaw Brothers, you will likely find a lot to enjoy here. Recommended

Legendary Weapons Of China 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.