Above the Law

(aka "Righting Wrongs" or "Zhi Fa Xian Feng")

directed by Corey Yuen
Hong Kong 1986

It’s easy to associate Hong Kong cinema with names like Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-fat, and John Woo. However, Hong Kong has long had a super-busy movie industry that rivaled Hollywood and Bollywood in sheer volume. What Hong Kong lacked in Hollywood money it made up with spectacular, real stunts.

Jackie Chan originally trained with a Beijing-opera troupe, so he’s really more of an acrobat than he is a martial-artist. Among his fellow troupe members was Yuen Biao, one of the youngest last students of Chan’s troupe before it disbanded. Biao joined Chan and Sammo Hung in the movie industry and became a star in his own right. His athleticism and daring was comparable to Jackie Chan’s, though he lacked Chan’s comic personality. Still, like Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao tried to succeed in international markets.

Above the Law (originally known in English as Righting Wrongs) was partially shot in New Zealand and features several American actors. In the movie, Yuen Biao plays a lawyer who becomes a vigilante, partly for justice and partly for revenge. Though the premise is a bit far-fetched, the fights and stunts are staged with gusto and conviction. Yuen Biao isn’t physically big, but he could brawl with the best of ‘em. Plus, Jackie Chan isn’t the only guy who does his own stunts.

Yunda Eddie Feng

Poster

Theatrical Release: 27 November 1986

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DVD Review: Genius Products - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Yunda Eddie Feng for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Genius Products Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:36:54
Video	1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.50 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	Dolby Digital 5.1 Cantonese Chinese, Dolby Digital 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 2.0 mono Cantonese Chinese
Subtitles	Optional English and Spanish
Features	Release Information: Studio: Genius Products Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1 Edition Details: • audio commentary by Bey Logan • interviews with Yuen Biao, Cynthia Rothrock, and Peter Cunningham • Alternate Endings • trailers DVD Release Date: 29 May 2007 keepcase Chapters 16

Comments:

Video:
Movies made in Hong Kong during the 1980s were not always placed under the best care, so Genius Products is to be commended for either finding or creating a nice-looking 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer for this movie. The picture has the expected faded colors, but it is otherwise sharp and free of debris. Given the expected market for the Dragon-Dynasty titles, I think that this is very respectable video.

Audio:
The new Dolby Digital 5.1 Cantonese Chinese mix does an excellent job of un-muffling the original mono track. The dialogue and effects sound fresh and lively, and there is a fair amount of surround-sound activity.

You can watch the movie with a Dolby Digital 5.1 English dub or the original mono mix in Dolby Digital 2.0 mono guise.

Optional English and Spanish subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
Upon loading, the DVD plays trailers for other Dragon-Dynasty DVDs.

Once again, Bey Logan contributes an informative and entertaining audio commentary to a Dragon-Dynasty DVD.

There are interviews with actors Yuen Biao, Cynthia Rothrock, and Peter Cunningham. The “Alternate Endings” selection lets you see some of the changes that were made after viewers got upset by what happens to the heroes. Finally, there are two trailers for the movie.

--Miscellaneous--
An insert advertises other Dragon-Dynasty DVDs.

- Yunda Eddie Feng

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