In the ’90s, no one could top what the Hong Kong film industry was doing with action pictures. Everything they innovated became staples of modern action during the 2000s. They did it first and arguably the best. They birthed action stars like Jet Li, Chow Yun-Fat, and Jackie Chan. Filmmakers like John Woo, Tsui Hark, and Ringo Lam would eventually come to Hollywood and try to make their marks there. Corey Yuen was one of those directors as well and helmed the massive action hit The Transporter (2002) with Jason Statham and Shu Qi.
In 1997, he helmed Hero, the remake of the Chang Cheh classic, Boxer from Shantung, with Japanese heartthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro and his old pal from the Peking Opera days, Yuen Biao. 88 Asia Collection has brought the film to Blu-ray and taken me back to a time when my taste in film was really taking shape.
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Ma Wing Jing (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and his big brother Ma Tai Chueng (Yuen Wah) move to Shanghai in order to make their fortune at the end of the Qin Dynasty. They find themselves becoming friends with the top mobster, Tam See (Yuen Biao). When See is in trouble, Wing Jing saves his life and is given a nightclub in return for saving him. Unfortunately, Tam See isn’t the only one who wants the territory and another gangster tries to move in. When Wing Jing and Tam See get in a situation where they’re being surrounded by mobsters and corrupt police, they’ll have to use every bit of skill they have to fight their way to the top.
Hero is a fantastic action film. Corey Yuen is also a brilliant and talented filmmaker who doesn’t get the credit he deserves. It’s a throwback to what the Shaw Brothers were doing in the ’70s with updated action that never fails to wow and thrill the audience. Kaneshiro is great in the lead but never count out Yuen Biao, who always seems to steal the thunder. He was never appreciated in the same way guys like Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung were. He’s a dynamic performer and really shines in this. He, Yuen, Chan, Hung, and co-star Yuen Wah all trained together in the previously mentioned Peking Opera, and when these fellas work together, they always bring out the best in one another.
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There are plenty of bonus materials, including a slipcase featuring artwork by the prolific Kung Fu Bob, a Mandarin soundtrack with newly translated English subtitles, audio commentary with Asian cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, a Hong Kong Trailer, an English Trailer, alternate shots from the Taiwanese release, and reversible sleeve with the original artwork.
I love this film, I love Corey Yuen, and I love everything 88 Films/88 Asia are doing by bringing these classics into the modern age for new audiences to discover.
