From the director of The Skyhawk, Broken Oath and King Boxer, Jeong Chang-hwa’s The Double Crossers is an action-packed revenge story produced by Golden Harvest, starring South Korean martial artist Shin Il-ryong (The Dragon Lives Again) and featuring the legendary Sammo Hung (The Magnificent Butcher).

Following his late father’s murder, police officer Detective Lung (Shin) discovers that both of his parents were involved in a smuggling ring – and that his father was killed by its leader, a violent criminal now living in Hong Kong under the name Wang (Chao Hsiung, The One-Armed Swordsman). Determined to avenge his father’s death, Lung resigns from the police force to take matters into his own hands. Teaming up with a smuggler who was once a close friend and partner-in-crime to his parents, Chang (Chan Sing, The Chinese Boxer), Lung heads for Hong Kong and sets about drawing Wang into a trap.

Following in the footsteps of Golden Harvest’s earlier Bruce Lee vehicles, The Double Crossers was made in the years following Lee’s death, when the company was in search of a new generation of martial arts stars. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film in its worldwide debut Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration.

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Video Quality

The Double Crossers comes to Blu-Ray via Eureka Entertainment with a 1080p master in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio derived from a brand new 2K restoration of both the Theatrical Cut and the Export Version. This release is quite fetching and avoids nearly all of the anomalies that usually detract from other Golden Harvest releases. This transfer is in favorable shape when it comes to wear and tear, only allowing for the slightest intrusion of speckles. The presentation sidesteps most instances of compression artifacts, banding, and other digital anomalies. A few moments present as a bit soft which likely links back to the condition of the source elements.

The transfer looks largely natural throughout without filtering or DNR mucking up things. Some brief signs of age remain, but the source appears to have been maintained with care. The grain resolves impeccably outside of irregular moments when the grain field gets a bit unstable and the image quality takes a momentary downturn for a few seconds. The transfer thrives when it comes to color saturation in some of the clothing, production design, and lighting choices. Fine detail is first-rate as you notice distinct facets of clothing and the production design without issue. Eureka maintains the level of quality we expect from them.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with an LPCM mono track in the original Mandarin along with an English dub that sounds pleasant enough, but we suggest sticking with the original language when it is an option. Dialogue can sound slightly hollow in some scenes, but it is typically clear and easy to discern. The score does a great job of immersing you into the mood of the narrative, and it comes through with excellent fidelity. There is a fine balance between the action-driven sequences and the subdued, character-driven moments. The film perks up when necessary for a hard-hitting outing. There are signs of some source deficiencies, but there are no deal-breaking instances of damage or audio dropouts. Eureka has provided a consistent sonic experience for fans. This release does have optional English and English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Hong Kong Theatrical Cut (1:39:36) and Export Version (1:37:44)

Audio Commentaries (Kong Kong Theatrical Version): Two commentary tracks from film historians are provided in which they discuss the place of this film in Hong Kong action cinema, the careers of the talent involved, the unsuccessful box office run, the cinematography of the film, the vacuum left by the death of Bruce Lee, the shooting locations, and more.

- Audio Commentary #1: Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng

- Audio Commentary #2: Action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema

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

Booklet: This release provides a 19-page bound booklet featuring the essay “A Sting In The Tale: The Jet Set Deceptions of The Double Crossers” by film historian James Oliver.

Final Thoughts

The Double Crossers is a perfectly solid Hong Kong action film that surprisingly did not get a lot of play when it was first released. The performers are compelling, there are plenty of thrilling moments, and it keeps a breathless pace which is a great benefit. We are living in a golden age of Asian cinema being rediscovered through physical media, and this one is certainly worth your time. Eureka Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a worthwhile A/V presentation and a couple of supplements. Fans of Hong Kong cinema should have this on their list. Recommended

The Double Crossers 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: Eureka Entertainment 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.