He has trained every thought, every muscle, every nerve, for this moment of truth! The Challenge was co-written by John Sayles (Lone Star) and stars Scott Glenn (Man on Fire) as an American boxer thrust into a Japanese family feud involving the ownership of an ancient sword. Screen legend Toshiro Mifune (Yojimbo), plays a master samurai who trains the American in the ways of Japanese martial arts and culture so that he can assist him in foiling his rich industrialist brother (Atsuo Nakamura). Boasting a muscular Jerry Goldsmith (The Satan Bug) action score and handsome visuals, The Challenge entertains and should please fans of pictures like The Yakuza, Big Trouble in Little China, and Remo Williams as well as The Seven Samurai, a fairly obvious cinematic forebear. Directed by the great John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) and beautifully shot by veteran Japanese cinematographer Kozo Okazaki (Goyokin, The Yakuza).
For thoughts on The Challenge, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/8LVGW1SoP0U?si=QQJVtmeRa7NkvAZO&t=1571]
Video Quality
This new Blu-Ray from Kino Classics gives The Challenge an AVC-encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 that serves the movie well enough. The film was released on Blu-Ray back in 2016 by the label, although it appears to have been out of print for a while. The new disc is derived from the same master, but this release utilizes a new BD-50 disc instead of the more compressed BD-25 from before. We do not have that disc to compare the two experiences, but this appears to be a reasonable presentation despite being from an older source. We wish that this had been given a fresh master, but that was not in the cards this time out. There is notable room for improvement across the board, but this is far from a disgrace.
The setting features some nice hues that are saturated pretty well, if not slightly washed out. Black levels hold up okay with some amount of depth, but there are obvious signs of crush present. Print damage appears to have been kept to a minimum throughout this presentation, but there is intermittent dirt and specks throughout. The feature has a passable grain structure that maintains the filmic look of the picture, but some of the grain can shift into digital noise and swarm somewhat. The transfer shows off some details in the production design, clothing, and locations. Kino Classics has kept this one in the conversation with this new release, but a new master would have been the way to go here.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a nice DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that represents the movie well even without a refresh. The score from the legendary Jerry Goldsmith maintains strong fidelity and keeps the dialogue and other important information in balance. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear as it balances well with background noises and other competing elements. This track gives in to brief moments of age-related wear and tear, but nothing that distracts from the viewing experience. The audio track holds up as it needs to without a major refresh. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson provide a great commentary track in which they discuss the career of John Frankenheimer, where this film fits into his output, the backgrounds of the performers, the shooting location, the work of Jerry Goldsmith, the reception of the film, and more that is worth a watch.
- TV Spots: A minute-and-a-half-long collection of TV spots is provided here.
- Trailers: The two-minute trailer for The Challenge is provided here. There are trailers for Wild Geese II, 52 Pick-Up, Ghost Warrior, and Ronin.
Final Thoughts
The Challenge is an entertaining fish-out-of-water action-drama that is elevated significantly by the guidance of director John Frankenheimer. The film could have hit some sour, culturally insensitive notes that this feature mostly avoids in favor of something more emotionally genuine. Scott Glenn capably maintains your attention in the lead role, but it is Toshiro Mifune who proves to be the standout aspect of this narrative. It is not the absolute best from the filmmaker, but it is a worthy entry that should not be overlooked when evaluating his output. Kino Classics has delivered a Blu-Ray release that features a fine A/V presentation and a great new commentary track. If you have missed this one until now, this is a good addition to your collection. Recommended
The Challenge (Special Edition) will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on October 31, 2023.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
