Magnificent Warriors is a high-flying action romp! International sensation Michelle Yeoh (Tomorrow Never Dies, Supercop) stars in this incredible adventure set against the backdrop of World War II. Yeoh portrays a wisecracking mercenary pilot with a leather jacket, gun, and bullwhip who sets aside personal greed to defend a small town and free its leader from the clutches of the invading Japanese army! Filled with spectacular action sequences, Magnificent Warriors seamlessly blends sly humor with thrills. Yeoh’s martial arts prowess, comedic flair, and dramatic skills are fully brought to bear in this incredible follow-up to the classic Royal Warriors. The finale, in which the town, armed only with spears and stones, rises up against the heavily fortified Japanese forces is not to be missed! Aerial battles, gunfights, hand to hand combat, Michelle Yeoh… Magnificent Warriors has it all!

For thoughts on Magnificent Warriors, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Magnificent Warriors comes to Blu-Ray via 88 Films with a new 1080p master in its original aspect ratio derived from the original camera negatives. This new release offers a strong presentation that ranks among the best we have seen from the label, most likely due to it being a bit more recent than many others. The transfer mostly steers clear of filtering and DNR which allows it to present with a tremendous organic appearance. It is a treat to see how well the grain resolves, but admittedly there are some minor moments that the grain field spikes and the image quality dips for a few seconds.

The transfer appreciates the sumptuous color saturation on display and presents it accordingly with vibrant hues popping off the screen. This is most welcome in the vegetation of the locations and certain garments that are visually striking. Fine detail does not disappoint as you observe intricate facets of the costumes and production design without issue. This transfer showcases virtually nothing in the way of wear and tear, and the film does not exhibit 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. 88 Films has really delivered a quality visual experience with this one.

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 have an aversion to subtitles. As always, we recommend sticking with the original language track. One of the most memorable elements of this film is the score, which maintains a stable fidelity with no real instances of age related wear and tear. The track can sound a bit bright in the upper registers, but this only pops up in a few moments. Dialogue is clear and easily distinguishable throughout the film. The film packs a punch in its action set pieces which adds a bit of power to the overall mix. This release does have optional English subtitles provided. 88 Films has done a lovely job of presenting this film in the best quality possible.

Special Features

The first-pressing of the 88 Films Blu-Ray of Magnificent Warriors includes a booklet featuring the essay “Magnificent Warriors: Indiana Yeoh and the Second Sino-Japanese War” by author Matthew Edwards. This provides a great context for and analysis of the film, how it plays with genre, its history and more. The package also contains a double-sided folded poster. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng delivers a deeply informative commentary track in which he discusses the career of the talent involved, the impact of the film upon its release, the history behind the events in the film, the sets that were used for filming, the stylistic flourishes and more.

Archive Interview with Actress Michelle Yeoh: A fun seven-minute archival interview in which she discusses how this film was one of the most difficult filming experiences, what it was like working with the weapons, the lack of safety measures on set and more.

Archive Interview with Stunt Coordinator Tung Wai: A 13-minute archival piece in which he discusses the shooting locations, the injuries sustained on set, working with Michelle Yeoh, his experiences working with other icons like Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, and more.

English Opening Credits Sequence: A two-minute alternate English-language opening is provided in HD quality.

Trailers: This disc provides the Hong Kong Trailer #1 (4:34), Hong Kong Trailer #2 (4:03) and English Trailer (3:12).

Stills Gallery: This disc provides various stills and marketing materials in a gallery.

Final Thoughts

Magnificent Warriors is a really terrific action-adventure film which only somewhat stumbles from the tonal imbalance between the lighthearted opening gambit and the more serious confrontation of the finale. Nevertheless, the film radiates a general sense of playfulness which is perhaps best represented in the nimble performance of Michelle Yeoh, confidently nailing her character’s lighthearted nature as well as her killer instinct. The remainder of the cast match her level of commitment for an experience you will not soon forget. 88 Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a couple of fun special features. If you are a Michelle Yeoh fan or love action-adventure in general, this is an easy recommendation. Highly Recommended

Magnificent Warriors will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on February 21, 2023.

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.