This limited edition Jet Li double feature includes two ‘breathtaking martial arts action’ films directed by Corey Yuen (The Transporter): The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 1 and, for the first time on Blu-ray in the US, The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 (New York Times).

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 1 (aka The Legend): Jet Li stars as a carefree young martial arts expert who gets involved with a government official’s daughter just as he discovers his family is part of a rebel resistance movement. While his fighting ability and charm made him a local champion, his epic battle for freedom would make him a legendary hero. Acclaimed choreographer Corey Yuen (The Transporter) directs Li at his jaw-dropping best, including an unbelievable sequence fought entirely atop the heads of stunned onlookers. Winner of Best Action Choreography at the Hong Kong Film Awards, The Legend “ranks waaaaay up there on the list of great Hong Kong cinema experiences” (LoveHKFilm.com).

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 (aka The Legend 2): Martial arts sensation Jet Li kicks back into action as the heroic Fong Sai Yuk in this explosive follow-up to the powerfully entertaining original, The Legend! Having fought to save his father from the wrath of the Chinese government, Fong Sai Yuk joins his father’s underground revolutionary organization, the Red Flower Society! But in the camp of rebels, a traitor lurks! Now, at a time when few can be trusted, Fong Sai Yuk must utilize his every skill in the fight to overthrow his nation’s brutally powerful empire!

For thoughts on The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 1 & 2, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/dxlcPGipsSw?t=3657]

Video Quality

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 1 & 2 come to Blu-Ray via Ronin Flix with 1080p masters in their original aspect ratios. The first film was previously released under the Dragon Dynasty line nearly 13 years ago, but the sequel is making its HD debut in the U.S. We have never seen these films before, so there is no way to determine if they are an improvement over previous releases. These films are very similar in quality, so they will be discussed as a pair.

This new two-pack includes both films on the same Blu-Ray disc which offers a fine presentation that gets the job done despite some room for improvement. This transfer avoids most instances of wear and tear, and the transfer also does not suffer from compression artifacts very often. There are sporadic shots that present as a bit soft which likely links back to the quality of the source elements. Fine detail could be stronger with fine detail struggling a fair amount. The transfer thankfully does not appear to have much in the way of filtering or DNR applied, but you might spot a very minor amount of sharpening which does not impact the organic appearance too greatly. There are some minor moments when the grain field spikes just a bit. These transfers feature great color saturation throughout with vibrant hues popping off the screen, especially within the environment. Ronin Flix has done the best with the masters they were supplied.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 1 & 2 with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track in Cantonese along with an English stereo dub in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio for those who have an aversion to subtitles. As always, we recommend sticking with the original language track for both films. There are both Original Language English and English SDH subtitles provided for both films.

Dialogue comes through well enough but can be overshadowed by other sounds causing some exchanges to be a bit fuzzy at points. The various scores maintain a nice fidelity with no real instances of age related wear and tear. The film comes alive during weighty moments which adds a bit of power to the overall mix during the fight scenes. The track can sound a bit strained in other ways during odd moments, but it is not a persistent issue. This audio experience is not as lacking as the video, and Ronin Flix should be pleased by what they delivered.

Special Features

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk

Audio Commentary: Chris Poggiali, author of These Fists Break Bricks, and Frankie Balboa (aka The Shogun Supreme) provide a lively and fairly informative commentary track in which they discuss the careers of the cast and creative team, how this fits into the career of Jet Li, how this compares to some of the Shaw Brothers stories about the titular character, the dubious authenticity of the narrative, the lighter tone of the feature, the technical minds behind the production and more.

Hit Hard & Fly High – Interview with Director Corey Yuen Kwai: A 21-minute interview with the director and legendary choreographer is provided here in which he discusses his background, working with Bruce Lee, the source of the lore behind Fong Sai-Yuk, the period setting of the narrative, the performances in the film, stories from the production and more.

The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword – Interview with Writer Jeff Lau: A 13-minute interview with the writer in which he discusses his early career, working with Corey Yuen Kwai, the interesting qualities of the titular character, the ambitious nature of some of the action sequences and more.

Original Theatrical Trailer: A two-minute trailer is provided for The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk.

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2

Trailer: A 56-second trailer is provided for The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2.

Final Thoughts

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 1 & 2 are a good time to see Jet Li cutting loose a bit and getting a bit more slapstick in his narrative outings. That being said, the actual quality of these two movies are a bit at odds with the first film holding up as a delirious blend of martial arts prowess with utter lunacy. The sequel retains that tone, but the narrative itself is less focused and enjoyable overall. There are some set pieces that will never leave our mind, but moments stick out more than the film as a whole. Jet Li does some fun work here, but even he is slightly overshadowed by Josephine Siao, who plays his mother. Ronin Flix has released a Blu-Ray set featuring fair A/V presentations and a decent assortment of special features. Even with some consistency issues, these films are worth a watch for martial arts fanatics that do not take things too seriously. Recommended

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 1 & 2 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: Ronin Flix 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.