NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: 88 Films Blu-ray (March 2022): 88 Films have transferred Mar Lo's Monkey Kung Fu to Blu-ray. It looks very solid with only a few inconsistencies. It's relatively clean, bright and quite crisp and the occasional softness appears to be inherent in the production. Interiors are a shade duller. The 1080P transfer is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. There is depth throughout and I find it a pleasing HD presentation.  

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On their Blu-ray, 88 Films use linear PCM dual-mono tracks (24-bit) in the original Cantonese and an optional English language DUB. Monkey Kung Fu is filled with action sequences. While most of the effects are typically hollow with 'whoosh' and whiplash-like sounds - it does have that genre charm of audio excess. The score is by Yung-Yu Chen (The Human Goddess, The Ghost Lovers, Black Magic 2, The Mighty Peking Man, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, The Five Deadly Venoms) sounding clean while supporting the period and genre effectively. 88 Films offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' / 'B' Blu-ray.

The 88 Films Blu-ray offers a commentary by Kenneth Brorsson and Phil Gillon of the Podcast On Fire Network. They discuss the extensive fight scenes in the film, the performers, director, Shaw brothers, the genre, choreography etc. One of them has an accent that is not always discernable but I appreciate the information they were imparting - these are obviously true-blue fans who really know their stuff. Stunting Around is a 1/4 hour interview with choreographer Tony Leung Siu-hung imparting his recollections of the film, his older brother and there is also a trailer. The package has a 24-page booklet with a length essay by Andrew Graves and plenty of photos. There is also a fold-out, double-sided, poster.

Mar Lo's Monkey Kung Fu is pretty fun - especially the English DUB translations - and focuses on a story about discipline, maturity and self confidence. It's good natured and enjoyable. I appreciate the infusion of the female characters, but some of the, many, fight scenes are quite long if that appeals to you. Certainly not Shaw's best but a nice example of the genre. The 88 Films Blu-ray has strong a/v, a commentary, booklet and more. It's a complete package for this film's debut in the format. Completists should consider this a positive digital entry into their libraries.

Gary Tooze