“The Crippled Masters” is a classic martial arts film released in 1979 under the original title of, “Tiān cán dì quē.” It would later be released in the United States in 1982. Directed by Joe Law, the film tells the story of two martial artists who overcome physical disabilities to become skilled fighters.

The plot revolves around two men, one who has lost both arms and the other who has lost both legs, as they seek revenge against the villainous master who crippled them. Throughout the film, they undergo rigorous training, mastering their unique fighting styles. As both men hone their skills, they encounter various challenges and adversaries, including other martial artists and the master’s henchmen. Along the way, they form a deep bond and develop innovative techniques that capitalize on their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses.

Known for its inventive fight scenes, which showcase the protagonists’ resourcefulness and determination despite their physical limitations, this film highlights that with perseverance and skill any obstacle can be overcome. The film was well-received and led to two sequels.

For thoughts on The Crippled Masters, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

The Crippled Masters makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Film Masters with a brand new 1080p master in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio derived from a 2K scan from 35mm theatrical print. You can see from the included restoration comparison that this has been cleaned up immensely from the raw 2K scan of the print, but this is still a rough viewing experience thanks to the limitations of the source. Many martial arts fans will probably be grateful simply to have this in HD in acceptable quality given the alternative of not having it at all. Nicks and scratches are omnipresent even if they are not as overwhelming as they were before the restoration. Detail comes through with welcome texture on the costumes and within the locale that serves as the setting. The contrast is inconsistent in terms of density fluctuation and clarity. Black levels leave a bit to be desired with some black crush but no major compression artifacts. Film Masters were severely limited by the archival elements, but it is a passable transfer.

Audio Quality

The film comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track in Mandarin along with an English dub as the default track that handles the material without exceptional issues. Dialogue and background noises are in tune with one another and all other competing elements. The score never clips the dialogue or other important information, but it does sound a little fragile at its highest peaks. The artistic intention is preserved with a passable fidelity.

The track flows out with a small amount of age-related wear and tear including some light crackles that likely date back to the source elements. Film Masters has done an acceptable job with what they were given to provide the best audio experience possible. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film and commentary track. There are no English subtitles that accurately translate the Mandarin track, so you have to use the English dub subtitles if you don’t speak Mandarin (aka “dubtitles”).

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Will Sloan and Justin Decloux of The Important Cinema Club provide a very informative commentary track in which they discuss the history of the film, the output of New Line Cinema at this time, the location shooting, the background of the creative figures involved, how this film fits into the period in which it was released, the notable elements of the feature and more.

King of Kung Fu – Releasing The Legends Documentary From Ballyhoo Motion Pictures: A 31-minute documentary in which film historians discuss the interest in martial arts filmmaking at this time in America, the output of the Shaw Brothers, the attempts to do something different in the genre, and more.

Kung Fu Film Trailer Compilation From Something Weird (18:31)

Original Raw Scan of The Crippled Masters Feature Film (1:31:33)

Before/After Restoration: A two-and-a-half-minute-long look at what was accomplished with this restoration.

Trailers: The disc provides the Original Theatrical Trailer (4:05) and the 2024 Re-Cut Trailer (3:57) for The Crippled Masters.

Booklet: A multi-page booklet is provided featuring writing from Philip Elliott Hopkins and Lawrence Carter-Long.

Final Thoughts

The Crippled Masters is far from our favorite martial arts film we have discovered in recent years. Some moments are pretty kick-ass when our protagonists are banding together to smack down those who have wronged them in a spectacularly violent fashion. Yet, these rousing moments of unbridled marital arts zeal are complemented with an uneasy portrayal of these characters and their disabilities which leaves us somewhat cold. There is a level of nuance needed for this story that was not even a thought when this film was made. We understand why many people love this one, but it didn’t work for us. Film Masters has released a Blu-Ray featuring a lacking A/V presentation and terrific special features.

The Crippled Masters is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Film Masters has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.