Incredible Kung Fu Mission: Technical Notes

Technical Notes Technical Notes:
Incredible Kung Fu Mission
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    by Tony Mustafa



SIGHT
THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION is presented in the film’s original aspect ratio of 2.35.1. Contrary to prerelease information, the DVD does not feature 16x9 enhancement. But this is still a killer transfer, as far as old school standards go. The source material is so good that you have to wonder what sort of treasure trove Crash Cinema stumbled onto here. Its a major revelation that prints of this quality still exist. The image is perfectly delineated with utmost clarity and depth. The print exhibits no dirt, scratches, or other blemishes. Grain, which is a major issue with old school releases is barely noticeable here. Colors are rich and bright, with a full range of hues (greens, browns, blues, olives, etc.) that never bleed into one another. The black levels are calibrated to absolute perfection. There are no DVD authoring or compression errors in sight. The intricate battle scenes are presented fully intact with no zooming or scanning. You get the full impact of Robert Tai’s busy fight choreography. Even though the promised 16x9 enhancement is not present, our hat goes off to Crash Cinema for releasing their best looking transfer yet. I imagine the other releases in the Pagoda Films Collection look just as good.

SOUND
Crash Cinema presents THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION in Dolby Digital Mono 2.0. This is a superior mono sound mix with none of the problems that plague VHS tape--no crackles, pops, or background noise. The highs and lows span the frequency range for a crisp and clear presentation. The martial arts sound effects exhibit depth and clarity, just don’t expect true stereo fidelity (because this is still just mono). The true weak spot of THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION is the weak English dubbing. Though synched fairly well and easily audible in the soundtrack, the Australian and UK accents are sometimes ridiculous. Like almost all of John Liu’s films, the score sounds like a rehash of an old Spaghetti Western film. The sound effects, dialog, and music are seamlessly integrated for a superior Dolby Digital Mono 2.0 mix.

FEATURES
When I write reviews, I can usually skip right over the Extras section, because no companies include any worthy extras beyond a trailer, a Rap video, or an off-the-mark commentary track. Crash Cinema’s Pagoda Films Collection challenges me to explore their disc, and here is what I discovered:

The Extras menu contains a Photo Gallery with 14 color captures from the film. Another menu option here is Production Notes, a brief textual presentation about the filming of THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION. There is a Trailer menu with two slickly-edited homemade trailers for THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION, and Crash Cinema’s other Pagoda Films release, CANTONEN IRON KUNG FU (both trailers are shown in widescreen). From the Extra Fight Scenes menu, you can view a long fight scene from the Angela Mao vehicle, MOONLIGHT SWORD AND JADE LION. The other bonus fight is from the early Shaw Brothers epic, KING BOXER. Both clips are presented in widescreen as well. And finally, there is a well-researched Biography and Filmography section, that covers the careers of the higher profile stars like John Liu, Alexander Lo Rei, and Robert Tai. So while the extras are not overwhelming, they are well done and certainly more pleasing than DVDs from other companies.

CONCLUSION
Crash Cinema kicks off their Pagoda Films Collection with the perfect blend of characterization, intrigue, and superb martial arts action. The DVD gets a huge thumbs up just for the transfer alone, and the addition of the thoroughly entertaining extras put this one in a class by itself. This is just the first Pagoda Films release from Crash Cinema, and quality-wise and quantity of extras is even ahead of their usual high standards. This makes for exciting speculation for future Pagoda releases, which are bound to even get better over time. This initial wave of Crash Cinema’s Pagoda Films Collection are not perfect, but right now they set the standard.




    by Kung Fu Cinema
    www.KungFuCinema.com

TECH NOTES:
90 min. This letterboxed print is in great shape. Part of the film does contain a bit of white speckling, but the image is sharp with vivid colors. The English dubbed audio track is campy and fun, while the quality is above average. The soundtrack steals from an unnamed spaghetti western score which works well with the story. Extras include biographies and filmographies of John Liu, Alexander Lo, and Robert Tai, plus film notes, all of which are provided by Brian Cleary of DVDCult.com. Other features include a slick looking interactive menu, a gallery of images taken directly from the film print, and trailers. Overall, this is one of Crash's best releases yet!



    by Crash Cinema/Pagoda Films



Crash Cinema in association with Video Transfer Incorporated is proud to present The Pagoda Films Premium Collection, 15 classics from the golden age of Hong Kong Action filmmaking. These fifteen films feature some of the biggest names in the history of motion picture making, but the most exciting aspect of this new venture is the film quality. All of the films in this series are newly digitally remastered from the finest 35mm prints available and will be shown in the widescreen aspect ratio. Add to the mix special features and tons of cool extras like Cast Biographies, Bonus Fights, Film Gallery, Trailers, Interactive Menu Screens, Filmographies and more, and you’ve got the greatest hard hitting, fast kicking, fist flying action ever packed into one collection! With the zenith of quality extras and other features, The Pagoda Films Premium Collection is set to please everyone, from the most avid of collectors to the most recent HK Action enthusiasts.
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