In this bitterly divided town, there’s no middle ground; you’re either with one side or the other – cross the line and face dire consequences. One clan hires a kung fu master – played by the great Ti Lung (A Better Tomorrow) – to break the stalemate, but he’s nobody’s servant and his loyalties can’t be bought so easily… Inspired by Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars, The Kung Fu Instructor puts a slightly more cynical spin on traditional codes of honour. Stylishly directed by Sun Chung (Human Lanterns), 88 Films are proud to present the Blu-ray premier of this martial arts masterpiece.
For thoughts on The Kung Fu Instructor, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
The Kung Fu Instructor debuts on Blu-Ray domestically via 88 Films with a new 1080p master in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio derived from an HD transfer of the Original Camera Negative. This release ranks quite highly among releases from 88 Films in terms of visual consistency and idyllic clarity. This transfer has eliminated nearly all wear and tear, and the film does not come up short with any digital nuisances such as compression artifacts. The transfer does not appear to suffer from heavy filtering or DNR which allows it to retain its properly organic appearance. The grain field resolves well without major swings in quality outside of a few odd moments of a more dense appearance. This allows for exceptional fine detail including subtle facets of the production design that display such clarity. The transfer delivers first-rate color saturation with beautiful hues in the costumes. Shaw Brothers fans will be pleased.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray presents the film with an LPCM 2.0 mono track in the original Mandarin with optional English subtitles. There is also an English dub provided in LPCM 2.0 mono. The score maintains a fine fidelity with no serious instances of age-related wear and tear outside of some fragile high notes. Dialogue emanates clearly with no unpleasant distortion or sibilance. This film handles the action well with any scuffles receiving the appropriate presence in the mix. This track exhibits some of the same deficiencies as other Shaw Brothers films from this era, but the overall quality remains in the pocket. The soundscape has a somewhat reserved quality to it, but it does not block your enjoyment. 88 Films has presented this one as well as can be expected.
Special Features
- Trailer (1:23)
- Stills Gallery: A nearly two-minute collection of stills from the film.
- Four Postcards
Final Thoughts
The Kung Fu Instructor is a pretty familiar outing from the Shaw Brothers pantheon, but it is one that is executed very well and is sure to please fans of the genre. The action sequences are performed with great skill and there is not much of a lighthearted tone to undercut the severity of the situation. If you have been enjoying the explosion in martial arts cinema over the last several years, you will likely conjure a big smile from this one. 88 Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. Recommended
The Kung Fu Instructor 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
