BE CAREFUL: no-one’s safe as long as the evil kung-fu masters of the Qi Sha clan terrorise the land. Can they be stopped? The authorities have placed a spy in their ranks, but the clan – and their mysterious, unknown leader – won’t go down without a fight. Or several… Barely pausing to catch its breath between brawls, To Kill A Mastermind was produced by Hong Kong’s legendary Shaw Brothers studio and features the astounding acrobatics and mind-blowing martial arts skills that make their films so special. Long unavailable, and famously difficult to see, 88 Films are proud to present this essential rediscovery in a beautiful new Blu-ray edition.

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Video Quality

To Kill A Mastermind receives its first domestic release ever on Blu-Ray 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. While there are some instances when you can see the limitations of the source, fans should largely be pleased with how nice this looks in HD. The transfer does not reveal signs of heavy filtering or DNR which allows it to maintain its organic appearance. There are fleeting moments when the grain field spikes and the image quality is not as brilliant, but this is not a consistent issue.

The transfer provides agreeable color saturation on display with just a slight push towards a yellow. For the most part, hues make a good impression in the ornate production design and costumes. Fine detail is in good shape as you delight in subtle facets of these craft elements in such clarity. This transfer has eradicated much of the wear and tear, and the film does not succumb to any egregious instances of compression artifacts. There are momentary shots that skew very soft which likely links back to the quality of the source elements. 88 Films has treated this with respect.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with an LPCM 2.0 Master Audio mono track in the original Mandarin with optional English subtitles. As is typical with this era of Shaw Brothers, the overall soundscape has a somewhat narrow quality to it, but it is not a huge detriment to your enjoyment. Dialogue is distinguishable throughout the film with little in the way of sibilance. The score maintains a consistent fidelity with no unforgivable instances of age-related wear and tear. The track can sound a bit harsh in the upper registers, but this is once again a minor inconvenience. The many fight scenes in the film are brought to life with a nice presence with punches landing with force. 88 Films has done a fine job of presenting this film in the best quality possible.

Special Features

Stills Gallery: A 40-second collection of stills from the film.

Four Postcards

Final Thoughts

To Kill A Mastermind is in line with what you expect from a martial arts movie from this era. The best thing this outing has going for it is a consistent assembly line of action set pieces that show some intricately executed fight choreography. There is also a mystery element to the whole endeavor that works well enough even if it never fully commands your attention. The film moves at a swift pace and never leaves you checking your watch. It’s a perfectly solid Shaw Brothers effort, and sometimes that is all that you need. 88 Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a good A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. Recommended

To Kill A Mastermind 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.