Get ready for three action-packed films from one of the greatest action/fight choreographers in the world, Yuen Woo-Ping (Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2; Kung Fu Hustle; The Matrix; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). These three thrillers have everything from good cops and bad cops to hand-to-hand combat, lots of shoot-outs, and a high body count. The all-star cast includes Donnie Yen (Ip Man, John Wick: Chapter 4), Simon Yam (Election, PTU), Jacky Cheung (Bullet In The Head), Cynthia Khan (Yes, Madam), Robin Shou (Mortal Kombat) and Michael Wong (Transformers: Age Of Extinction, City Hunter).
DISC ONE: TIGER CAGE (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono / 94 min.)
A team of cops get brutally exposed to violence after raiding a drug operation and discovering a link between a few members of the police force and an American crime syndicate dealing with drug trafficking.
DISC TWO: TIGER CAGE 2 (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono / 96 min.)
An ex-cop and divorce lawyer team up with a gangster to clear their names after getting involved in a dirty money scheme led by a vicious money launderer, who plans to expand his business and wipe out anyone who stands in the way.
DISC THREE: TIGER CAGE 3 (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono / 94 min.)
Two detectives chase down leads in a case that might bring down the biggest gang boss in the city.
For thoughts on The Tiger Cage Collection, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
The Tiger Cage Collection comes to Blu-Ray with three films spread over three discs. These films share a lot of the same qualities, so I will mostly be judging them in groups while pointing out noticeable differences when necessary. All three films have been presented in their original aspect ratios in their original and complete forms, with the first two films providing two cuts from which to choose (see the Special Features section). Every film is listed as coming from a 2K restoration courtesy of Fortune Star, and the quality is very pleasing. With each film afforded their own disc along with some supplemental features, compression artifacts are not an issue with this set. These films were previously released overseas last year by 88 Films, but we do not have that release to compare. Overall, these transfers knock it out of the park in terms of quality.
The handling of the color saturation proves to be one of the more worthwhile elements throughout this set with the palette suffused with natural colors that allow the landscapes and clothing to thrive. This set does not showcase any swings in color temperature that might be distracting. The transfer provides a great level of fine detail within the background elements. Whether it be the urban jungle or the more coastal locations of Tiger Cage 3, the environments provide a lot of visual majesty. All three films were made in pretty close succession to one another, and no one production stands out as notably better than the others. There are fleeting moments when the level of clarity dips a small bit, but this is more than likely concerned with how the film was originally captured or the state of the source elements.
With these new restorations, audiences are treated to transfers that showcase very little in the way of wear and tear throughout this set. Shout! also avoid instances of ugly compression artifacts and other major digital anomalies. The natural film grain appears to be resolved well without it appearing frozen or swarming. Black levels offer pretty great shadow detail, but it could likely be given slightly more depth. On another positive note, with this transfer you are not inundated by crush. Highlights also do not appear to showcase any blooming. With this being slightly more recent than some of the old school martial arts movies, these presentations have not been ravaged by time and poor preservation. These restorations are sure to be considered a treat for all who check them out.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray set presents all the films with DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio Mono tracks in their original Cantonese. There are also English dubs included for each film that are typically presented in lossless DTS mono. For our purposes, the original language track was viewed in full with some spot checking of some of the other tracks. Like the video side of the equation, the audio holds up much more favorably than some of the older martial arts titles we have checked out in recent years. While some minor deficiencies remain, these are all very good representations of this trilogy of films.
The score by and large provides the narratives with a palpable sense of energy that is showcased with a pleasing fidelity. You thankfully do not hear too much in the way of age-related wear or distortion. Dialogue comes through clearly even during heightened moments with only occasional loss of detail. The sound effects and environmental effects come alive within their sonic ambition. These films hold up about as well as you would hope. Shout! Factory has done a fine job. All the films included in this set have optional English subtitles provided.
Special Features
DISC ONE: The Tiger Cage
- Cantonese Cut (1:32:46) and English Cut (1:33:34)
- Audio Commentary (English Cut): David West, Critic and Author of Chasing Dragons: An Introduction To The Martial Arts Film, provides an informative commentary track which focuses largely on the director and the ensemble, how this film fits into the career of Yuen Woo-Ping, his relationship to the genre, the state of martial arts films at the time, analysis of the plot, the film’s release history and more that is worth a listen.
- An Apex Predator – Interview with Actor Vincent Lyn: A new 18-minute interview with the actor in which he discusses this film as his debut, how he got involved in the project, memories of Yuen Woo-Ping, the work of Donnie Yen, his experience at the premiere of the film and more.
- A Tiger’s Tale – Interview with Frank Djeng of the New York Asian Film Festival: A new 20-minute piece with Djeng with martial arts film expert in which he gives rich details about the creative figures associated with the film, how this first entry compares to the remainder of the trilogy, the controversies around some of the performers and more.
- Trailer: This disc provides the Original Theatrical Trailer (3:23) and the English Trailer (4:46).
- Additional Shots from the Taiwanese Cut: This disc provides 36 seconds of material included in the Taiwanese cut.
DISC TWO: Tiger Cage 2
- Hong Kong Cut (1:36:18) and Malaysian Cut (1:36:19)
- Audio Commentary (Hong Kong Cut): Critic and Author David West provides a solid commentary in which he discusses the career of Donnie Yen, how this film functions as a follow-up to Tiger Cage, the “girls with guns” subgenre, Hong Kong politics, the state of Hong Kong cinema at this time and more.
- Clawing A Living – Interview with Action Choreographer Bill Lui: A 30-minute interview with the choreographer in which he discusses how he got into the movie industry, the shift in style when it came to stunt work, working with Yuen Woo-Ping, the different fighting styles of the performers, the background of certain sequences and more.
- Hunting High and Low – Interview with Academic and Author Victor Fan: A nearly 19-minute piece with the expert in which he discusses the history of Hong Kong cinema, trends and the place of star power, the combination of different martial arts forms and more.
- Original Theatrical Trailer The four-minute original theatrical trailer is provided here.
DISC THREE: Tiger Cage 3
- Audio Commentary: Critic and Author David West provides another nifty commentary in which he discusses how this film fares compared to the others in the trilogy, the careers of the various cast and creative figures, the legacy of the film, the state of Hong Kong cinema at this time and more.
- A New Wave of Violence – Interview with Critic James Mudge: A 20-minute piece with the critic in which he discusses “heroic bloodshed” and its place in Hong Kong cinema, key films that represent the form, the work of Yuen Woo-Ping, the work of Donnie Yen, the trends in Hong Kong cinema and more.
- Inventing An Icon – Critic Ricky Baker Discusses The Emergence of the “Heroic Bloodshed” Term: Another eight-minute discussion in which the critic discusses the introduction of “heroic bloodshed” into Hong Kong cinema, his history with the term, how Hong Kong cinema was opened up more to the rest of the world and more.
- Trailers: This disc provides the Original Theatrical Trailer (3:48) and the English Trailer (4:01).
- English Credits: A three-minute video which presents the opening and closing credits in English.
Final Thoughts
The Tiger Cage Collection is a very entertaining trilogy of crime films which keeps things relatively fresh by giving each entry its own unique identity. Yuen Woo-Ping brings a very dynamic energy to these films, and he is matched by the commitment of his very talented cast. The final entry is a bit weaker than the other two, but even it delivers some very memorable sequences that make it worthy of a watch. Shout! Factory has bundled these three films together into a Blu-Ray collection featuring a great A/V presentation and a terrific array of special features. If you appreciate Hong Kong crime cinema, you will have a blast here. Highly Recommended
The Tiger Cage Collection will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on May 9, 2023.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Shout! Factory 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.