‘The Long Arm Of The Law I & II’ Blu-Ray Review – Hong Kong Crime Films Play In The Moral Gray Areas

Presented together in one dynamite package comes The Long Arm of the Law and The Long Arm of the Law Part 2. Directed by Johnny Mak (To be Number One) and his brother, Michael Mak (Sex and Zen, Butterfly and Sword) respectively, these two movies are packed full of Hong Kong-style action sequences, thrills, and spills, and provide an explosive prelude to what would eventually become a quadrilogy of martial arts thrillers.

For thoughts on The Long Arm of the Law Parts 1 & 2, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/ZKxNTPdeCv4?si=FX_4ZvU5ZRpKnIg_&t=1239]

Video Quality

The Long Arm of the Law and The Long Arm of the Law Part 2 come to Blu-Ray courtesy of 88 Films with two films spread over two discs. These films share many of the same qualities, so I will mostly be judging them as a pair while pointing out noticeable differences when necessary. Both films have been presented in their original 1.85:1 aspect ratios in their original and complete forms from a 2K restoration. Both of these transfers look fantastic throughout with The Long Arm of the Law looking slightly deficient when it comes to the 16mm source of the covert shooing on mainland China that just so happened to be illegal. Given the limitations, you can forgive them for a few moments not being perfectly clear. With each film afforded its own disc along with some supplemental features, compression artifacts do not show up as an issue with this set. Overall, these transfers bring these films to life in an ideal manner. 

Color saturation is consistent throughout this set with the palette suffused with natural hues which do not exactly pop, but present them quite evenly. The transfer provides a great level of fine detail within the background elements. Thanks to these new restorations, audiences are treated to transfers that present very little in the way of wear and tear throughout this set. They also avoid instances of egregious compression artifacts and other major digital anomalies. The black levels offer lovely shadow detail, but there are moments where it could dig even deeper. Crush never shows up as an issue in these darker moments. Highlights hold firm and do not appear to show evidence of any blooming. The natural film grain is resolved well without it appearing frozen, clumpy, or swarming. There are brief moments when the level of clarity ebbs and flows, but this is more than likely concerned with how the film was originally captured or the state of the source elements. 88 Films has done well here.  

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray set presents The Long Arm of the Law with the original Hong Kong version in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio in Cantonese, as well as the Export Version with an English dub in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio. The Long Arm of the Law Part 2 comes with the original Hong Kong version in LPCM 2.0 in Cantonese, as well as the Export Version with an English dub in LPCM 2.0.

For our purposes, the original language tracks were viewed in full with some spot-checking of some of the other tracks. The audio holds up very well with only some minor inconsistencies. Dialogue comes through clearly even during kinetic moments with only occasional loss of detail. Sound effects and environmental elements come alive within every unique location. The score provides the narratives with a welcome sense of energy that is showcased with a pleasing fidelity. There is not much evidence of age-related wear or distortion, but some elements sound a touch thin. 88 Films has done an admirable job with these features. All the films included in this set have optional English subtitles provided. 

Special Features

DISC ONE: The Long Arm of the Law

• Hong Kong Cut (1:46:03) Export Version with Classic English Dub (1:45:09)

• Audio Commentary: Hong Kong Film Expert Frank Djeng provides an informative commentary track that discusses the unexpected success of the film, how it fits into the careers of the creatives involved, the subtle touches that underscore the Chinese and Hong Kong differences in the film, the state of crime films at the time, analysis of the plot and more that is worth a listen. 

• Family Business – An Interview with Michael Mak: A 16-minute interview with the director of the sequel in which he discusses how the production came to be, the direction of Johnny Mak, the docu-drama style of the shoot, his contributions to the film, the stunts in the film, shooting on the mainland, and more. 

• From Hong Kong Police to Big Circle Gangs – An Interview with Scriptwriter Philip Chan: A 29-minute interview with the writer in which he discusses his work in the Hong Kong police force, getting his start in the Hong Kong film industry, getting involved with The Long Arm of the Law, the inspirations for the story, the challenges of production, and more. 

• A Conversation with Action Director Billy Chan and Scriptwriter Philip Chan: A 37-minute interview with the pair in which they discuss the talents of Johnny Mak, the small details that were included in the script to keep production moving quickly, the portrayal of women in the film, and more. 

• An Interview with Johnny Mak: A ten-minute archival interview is provided in which the director discusses his hesitation to direct around this period, the unique qualities of the characters, the place of crime in his life, the walled city, and more. 

• Theatrical Trailer: The five-minute trailer is provided for the film. 

• Booklet: This release comes with the multi-page booklet featuring the essay “The Long Arm of the Law Saga” by Tom Cunliffe which dives deep into the series. 

DISC TWO: The Long Arm of the Law Part 2

• Hong Kong Cut (1:30:19) Export Version with Classic English Dub (1:27:23)

• Audio Commentary: Hong Kong Film Expert Frank Djeng provides an illuminating commentary track that discusses the loose continuity between the film, the takeover in direction by Michael Mak, how this film fits into the careers of the creatives involved, analysis of the plot, the shooting locations, cultural elements that may be unfamiliar to westerners and more.

• Bringing The Action – An Interview with Director Michael Mak: A 25-minute interview with the director in which he discusses the development of the sequel, why they decided not to bring back characters from the first installment, the influences of classic films, the stunts in the film, and more. 

• Man of Action – An Interview with Co-Star Ben Lam: A 16-minute interview with the star in which he discusses getting his start in the Hong Kong film industry, his work with marital arts, getting involved with The Long Arm of the Law series, working on Jackie Chan’s team, the challenges of production, and more. 

• An Offer You Can’t Refuse – An Interview with Scriptwriter Philip Chen: An eight-minute interview with the writer in which he discusses his hesitation to work on the sequel, the inspirations for the story, the lack of soul in the follow-up, and more. 

• The Iron Fist of Crime – An Interview with Stuntman Stephen Chan: A 25-minute interview is provided in which the stuntman discusses his prowess in martial arts, getting involved with the Long Arm of the Law series, the different positions of power on set, the most difficult scenes to film, and more. 

• Trailers: This disc provides a Hong Kong Trailer (3:33) and an English Trailer (1:40). 

• Foldout Poster

Final Thoughts

The Long Arm of the Law and The Long Arm of the Law Part 2 are a decent pair of films that may lose a bit of potency in the second outing, but they tend to impress by and large. The performers do a really good job of making you care about how things turn out and question if any one person is completely good or bad. The filmmaking prowess behind the camera is essential to elevating these productions to greater heights. 88 Films has bundled these two films together into a Blu-Ray collection featuring a grand A/V presentation and a terrific array of special features. If you enjoy Hong Kong crime cinema, be sure to add this to your collection. Recommended

The Long Arm of the Law and The Long Arm of the Law Part 2 will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on December 12, 2023. 

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

Disclaimer: 88 Films and MVD Entertainment have supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.