One of the most infamous movies branded with Hong Kong’s ‘adults only’ Category III rating, Taxi Hunter bravely tackles the under-explored scourge of – er – unprofessional taxi drivers. After his pregnant wife is perishes through the actions of a careless (and callous) cabby, mild-mannered Ah Kin (Anthony ‘king of the Cat III’s’ Wong) declares war on the entire profession – and you don’t need ‘The Knowledge’ to know he won’t be leaving a tip…

Directed by Herman Yau (who unleashed Ebola Syndrome on an unsuspecting world) 88 Films are pleased to present this important treatise on public transport in a wonderful new Blu-ray edition.

For thoughts on Taxi Hunter, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/17tejdPYFEY?si=GIReIyO0gHVm8uDo&t=3144]

Video Quality

Taxi Hunter comes to Blu-Ray via 88 Films with a new 1080p master in its original aspect ratio derived from a new restoration. This release offers a great presentation that ranks pretty high among the efforts we have seen from the label. Thankfully the transfer looks pretty natural throughout, never going overboard when it comes to filtering or DNR even while still exhibiting some small signs of age. The grain resolves favorably for the most part, but there are sporadic moments when the grain field spikes and the image quality decreases for a few seconds.

The transfer excels with the color saturation on display in some of the clothing, production design and lighting choices. The presentation rarely lacks fine detail as you observe subtle facets of the costumes and backgrounds without issue. This transfer exhibits very little in the way of wear and tear, but there are some fleeting specks here and there. The presentation avoids most instances of compression artifacts, banding and other digital anomalies. There are occasional shots that present as a bit soft which more than likely links back to the quality of the source elements. 88 Films continues to do admirable work with their Hong Kong output.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with a DTS-HD 2.0 mono track in the original Cantonese which suits the film really well. Dialogue can sound slightly boxy at points, but by and large it is clear and easy to understand throughout the film. The score does a nice job of establishing the mood of the narrative, and it comes through with a nice fidelity. The film packs a punch when necessary, but this film is not as action-driven as other films the label has distributed. There are signs that this film has some age to it, but there are no egregious instances of damage or audio drop outs. This release does have optional English subtitles provided. 88 Films delivers exactly what it needs to here.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng delivers an informative commentary track in which he discusses the place of this film in Hong Kong action cinema, careers of the talent involved, the impact of the film upon its release, the background of the rating categorization, the real-life taxi strike which influenced the film and more.

Hunting For Words – An Interview with Scriptwriter and Producer Tony Leung Hung-Wah: A 29-minute interview in which the scriptwriter and producer discusses how he got involved in the film industry, getting Herman Yau involved with Taxi Hunter, the attitudes around taxi drivers in the 90s, developing the script, the facets of the characters, the reception of the film and much more.

How To Murder Your Taxi Driver? – An Interview with Action Director James Ha: A 27-minute interview with the action director in which he discusses getting involved with the film, connections to Taxi Driver and Falling Down, the attitudes around taxi drivers, the difficulties of shooting the opening scene, the dangers of certain stunts and more.

Falling Down in Hong Kong – An Interview with Star Anthony Wongi: An 18-minute interview with the star in which he discusses his entry into acting, how he got involved with this production, his inspiration for the character, working with Herman Yau, the backlash against the film, his thoughts on the ending and more.

Trailer: The four-minute trailer is provided here.

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

Double Sided Poster

Final Thoughts

Taxi Hunter is one of the more tame Category III movies we have seen, but there are certainly moments that can get a bit intense. The premise is simple but it is executed in a very entertaining manner that leaves you wondering if you should be cheering on such brutality in the name of revenge. There are some odd runners when it comes to the humor which makes the tone feel slightly chaotic, but it is never so jarring as to ruin the movie. The lean runtime is effective as you never feel that the movie is drawn out longer than it needs to be. 88 Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a really good A/V presentation and an array of cool special features. If you like violent revenge films, this should leave you satiated. Recommended

Taxi Hunter 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.