Note: The film does depict a scene of sexual assault.
This is a very old-fashioned actioner. It feels almost ancient when even compared to say Jackie Chan’s work of the late 70s or even later era Shaw Brothers films. The film has all the standard tropes of these films of the time, a stranger comes into town (not Sammo), he’s trying to fulfill his obligation to a friend, the bad guys doing bad guy things… a tournament, racism towards Japanese, needless sexual violence, land grabs, melodrama a plenty, final showdown, and viola – done!
Sammo, in his all-too-brief appearance as a secondary bad guy, isn’t bad; in fact, he brings the sort of manic energy that his early work has to offer. Like his performance, his choreography (which was his primary role as action director on this one) is the bright spot in this film. The fights are tightly constructed and brutal, as Sammo’s action tends to be. The final fight is a particular standout here, with Yu-Chang (Tony Liu) facing off against the main baddie and his knife-wielding daughter.
One does wish that the film elevated itself beyond its B-movie/Programmer origins. That being said, The Manhu Boxer remains entertaining for the Sammo Hung-choreographed fight scenes.
Paper Marriage
Sammo Hung as the romantic lead… color me surprised and delighted. This has got a slightly less problematic Green Card vibe to it. Though Maggie Chueng mud wrestling could be considered slightly problematic (and was something that I never saw on my bingo card). Paper Marriage is a wildly entertaining cult gem of a film that makes so many hard turns it leaves your head spinning by the end.
Chueng plays Jade, who leaves Hong Kong for the greener pastures of Los Angeles, where her fiancé is waiting for her. The only problem is that both are without papers. He arranges a green card marriage to Bo (Sammo Hung), a down-on-his-luck man of many hats. When Jade’s fiancé leaves her because of gambling debts, both Bo and Jade must figure out a way to coexist if they’re not to be deported or worst yet … killed.
Paper Marriage is essentially three films mashed up into one less than 90-minute package. Part odd-couple rom-com. Part sports film. Part crime action comedy. The film should not work, but somehow manages to be the most charming piece of unexpected pop confection this side of the late 1980s. A film that revels in its sharp genre turns and the charms of both its stars. A film that has Dick Wei show up in the third act when most films at the time would have had him front and center in the first act.
It’s the kind of production that shot in Canada for LA and didn’t blink an eye. There is a charm to the film’s brazenness. There is something altogether charming about a film that uses the giant West Edmonton Mall and its indoor clipper ship as the setting for its climactic action scene. Bonus points for turning Maggie Chueng’s character from a dainty flower to a woman of action with no explanation other than to put her in the middle of the finale with Sammo.
If you’re attuned to its wavelength, Paper Marriage is a highly entertaining piece of comedic action mania.
It should be noted that this film is truly politically incorrect in many, many ways.
Shanghai, Shanghai
You know, when you see the name Corey Yuen as action director, you’re going to be in for something. Shanghai, Shanghai is no different. This 1930s era heroic bloodshed action film casts Yuen Bao as an idealistic young man who throws himself into the middle of a turbulent pre-war China. Sammo Hung plays a Don Corleone-style figure in a major supporting role who tempts Bao’s Little Tiger into a life of criminality. George Lam plays Big Tiger, the brother of Little Tiger, who’s a part of the British police force.
The film’s story takes wild detours into all of the issues of the era, with Colonialism, corruption, the rise of democracy, and communism playing their parts. The resulting story is sometimes in a wildly abbreviated and confusing mixture of action both gunplay, and martial arts. As clear and geographically sound as the action is by Yuen, the overall film is a bit of a mess. The main storyline of brothers at odds and a young man tempted by the dark allure of crime is completely lost until the very end.
Though make no mistake, the action delivers in the way that only a late 80s, early 90s HK Action film can. Shanghai, Shanghai is a dose of adrenaline-infused, inspired action set piece after set piece. One just wishes that there were thirty more minutes to flesh out all of the multitude of storylines the film decided to take on.
The Transfers
Note that all three films are 1080p HD presentations from brand new 2K restorations of the original Hong Kong theatrical cuts. Additionally, 1080p HD presentations from brand new 2K restorations of the extended international versions of The Manchu Boxer and Shanghai, Shanghai are included on a third separate disc.
The Manchu Boxer
The first and the least of the transfers. That isn’t a critique of the restoration work but the source material. The film material itself looks to be well-worn. The image is sharp, but the colors are a bit muted but one wonders if this is the original intent or an effect of the film materials themselves. As compared to earlier transfers, there is a night and day difference.
Paper Marriage
This transfer is excellently sourced 2K restoration. The handsome, clean, sharp image is free of any blemishes, scratches, or deficits. The black levels and contrast levels are perfectly rendered here.
Shanghai, Shanghai
They saved the best for last. The transfer for this film is flawless. The image is sharp and without defects. The color reproduction pops off the screen. The image’s slight grain structure ensures the transfer retains that 35mm cinematic look at all times. Bravo to Eureka for their beautiful restoration work on this film.
The Extras
They include the following;
New audio commentary on The Manchu Boxer with East Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist & filmmaker Michael Worth
New audio commentary on Paper Marriage with genre cinema experts Stefan Hammond and Arne Venema
New audio commentary on Shanghai, Shanghai with Frank Djeng and producer/writer F.J. DeSanto
Happily Ever After – new interview with Paper Marriage director Alfred Cheung
Trailers
Disc One:
The all-new audio commentary on The Manchu Boxer with East Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist & filmmaker Michael Worth opens with his credentials before diving into the film. Some of the details include the literal translation of the title; the release, and the box office success of the film; the fact that the film was made in Mandiran, and the reasons for this; the filming locations in Korea the production used; the fact the film used snippets of a Pink Floyd song; a discussion of the career and work of star Tony Liu; the work and careers of dual composers Fu-Yung Chou and Zhou Lan-Ping; the work and career of screenwriter Szeto On who wrote over 250 films; the time period the film takes place in China; the work here of actor and fight choreographer Sammo Hung – including his contributions here as fight choreographer; a larger discussion of the career and work of director Wu Ma; a larger discussion of the various action set pieces and choreography and the style of fight work and the reasons why the work was stylistically performed the way it was; discussion throughout the commentary track about the various actors and their work here and throughout their career – keep your notes app open, you’ll want to write some of the films down; and much more.
The all-new audio commentary on Paper Marriage with genre cinema experts Stefan Hammond and Arne Venema begins with the duo imitating the opening music for the iconic Golden Harvest logo. Some of the details include the literal translation of the title – and its Cantonese translation; the release date of the film, and the box office success of the film; the formation of Bo Ho films – Sammo Hung created in the wake of issues with producer Raymond Chow; the films that Bo Ho Films made beyond Paper Marriages; the other production companies that Hung was a part of; a larger discussion of the career and work of star Sammo Hung; the voice actor that Sammo Hung used in this film; a discussion of the career and work here of director Alfred Cheung; a great discussion of the Sammo Hung American TV series Martial Law; the career and work of actress Maggie Chueng; a discussion of Sammo Hung’s famous family and their history; a larger discussion of shooting Canada for Los Angeles – and the history of HK films being made in the country; a larger discussion of the actors that appear in the film; a larger discussion of the various crew members that worked on the film; a larger discussion of some of the cultural norms that are jokes in the film that would be lost on a non-Chinese or non-HK Audience; and much more.
Happily Ever After: Alfred Cheung discusses Paper Marriage (21:32) – In this all-new interview with Paper Marriage director Alfred Cheung, he begins with how he got into the industry. Cheung goes into how Paper Marriage came together with the studio offering him a project with Sammo Hung starring; shooting in Edmonton and the Mall – and stories from the shoot and the differences between shooting in HK and shooting in Canada; the collaboration between he and Hung for the action scenes and how that worked with the post-production in Canada with a Canadian editor; and much more.
The Manchu Boxer Trailer (3:52)
Paper Marriage Trailer (3:25)
Disc Two:
The all-new audio commentary on Shanghai, Shanghai with Frank Djeng and producer/writer F.J. DeSanto opens with their respective credentials and the fact that this is their 35th commentary track together, before diving into the film. Some of the details include the literal translation of the title – also its connection to Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon; the release, and the box office success of the film; the production recycled sets from Jackie Chan’s Miracles; the fact this was made for Lunar (Chinese) New Year – a huge time of year for film in HK/China; a discussion of the various vocie actor that dubbed the actors some of which were not the stars normal voice actors; why 1930s Shanghai is so popular a setting in HK films; the work here of actor/star Sammo Hung and what makes this film unique in this era; the development of the project itself; using sets from Project A Part 2 in addition to the sets from Miracles; the work and career (not just as a director) of director Teddy Robin; a larger discussion of historical facts that give context to the era in which this film takes place; a larger discussion of the various locations that the production used; discussion throughout the commentary track about the various actors and their work here and throughout their career – keep your notes app open, you’ll want to write some of the films down; and much more.
Shanghai, Shanghai trailer (3:22)
Disc Three:
The Manchu Boxer Extended Cut (92:53) – In Mandarin with English Subtitles. No option for the English Dub.
Shanghai, Shanghai Extended Cut (93:24) – In Cantonese with English Subtitles. No option for the English Dub.
The Final Thought
Eureka Entertainment has delivered a wonderful set showcasing the varied work and career of Sammo Hung. Highly recommended!!
Three of Sammo Hung’s earliest and best films are collected in this stacked Blu-ray set released by Eureka.
The Films
The Manchu Boxer
Note: The film does depict a scene of sexual assault.
This is a very old-fashioned actioner. It feels almost ancient when even compared to say Jackie Chan’s work of the late 70s or even later era Shaw Brothers films. The film has all the standard tropes of these films of the time, a stranger comes into town (not Sammo), he’s trying to fulfill his obligation to a friend, the bad guys doing bad guy things… a tournament, racism towards Japanese, needless sexual violence, land grabs, melodrama a plenty, final showdown, and viola – done!
Sammo, in his all-too-brief appearance as a secondary bad guy, isn’t bad; in fact, he brings the sort of manic energy that his early work has to offer. Like his performance, his choreography (which was his primary role as action director on this one) is the bright spot in this film. The fights are tightly constructed and brutal, as Sammo’s action tends to be. The final fight is a particular standout here, with Yu-Chang (Tony Liu) facing off against the main baddie and his knife-wielding daughter.
One does wish that the film elevated itself beyond its B-movie/Programmer origins. That being said, The Manhu Boxer remains entertaining for the Sammo Hung-choreographed fight scenes.
Paper Marriage
Sammo Hung as the romantic lead… color me surprised and delighted. This has got a slightly less problematic Green Card vibe to it. Though Maggie Chueng mud wrestling could be considered slightly problematic (and was something that I never saw on my bingo card). Paper Marriage is a wildly entertaining cult gem of a film that makes so many hard turns it leaves your head spinning by the end.
Chueng plays Jade, who leaves Hong Kong for the greener pastures of Los Angeles, where her fiancé is waiting for her. The only problem is that both are without papers. He arranges a green card marriage to Bo (Sammo Hung), a down-on-his-luck man of many hats. When Jade’s fiancé leaves her because of gambling debts, both Bo and Jade must figure out a way to coexist if they’re not to be deported or worst yet … killed.
Paper Marriage is essentially three films mashed up into one less than 90-minute package. Part odd-couple rom-com. Part sports film. Part crime action comedy. The film should not work, but somehow manages to be the most charming piece of unexpected pop confection this side of the late 1980s. A film that revels in its sharp genre turns and the charms of both its stars. A film that has Dick Wei show up in the third act when most films at the time would have had him front and center in the first act.
It’s the kind of production that shot in Canada for LA and didn’t blink an eye. There is a charm to the film’s brazenness. There is something altogether charming about a film that uses the giant West Edmonton Mall and its indoor clipper ship as the setting for its climactic action scene. Bonus points for turning Maggie Chueng’s character from a dainty flower to a woman of action with no explanation other than to put her in the middle of the finale with Sammo.
If you’re attuned to its wavelength, Paper Marriage is a highly entertaining piece of comedic action mania.
It should be noted that this film is truly politically incorrect in many, many ways.
Shanghai, Shanghai
You know, when you see the name Corey Yuen as action director, you’re going to be in for something. Shanghai, Shanghai is no different. This 1930s era heroic bloodshed action film casts Yuen Bao as an idealistic young man who throws himself into the middle of a turbulent pre-war China. Sammo Hung plays a Don Corleone-style figure in a major supporting role who tempts Bao’s Little Tiger into a life of criminality. George Lam plays Big Tiger, the brother of Little Tiger, who’s a part of the British police force.
The film’s story takes wild detours into all of the issues of the era, with Colonialism, corruption, the rise of democracy, and communism playing their parts. The resulting story is sometimes in a wildly abbreviated and confusing mixture of action both gunplay, and martial arts. As clear and geographically sound as the action is by Yuen, the overall film is a bit of a mess. The main storyline of brothers at odds and a young man tempted by the dark allure of crime is completely lost until the very end.
Though make no mistake, the action delivers in the way that only a late 80s, early 90s HK Action film can. Shanghai, Shanghai is a dose of adrenaline-infused, inspired action set piece after set piece. One just wishes that there were thirty more minutes to flesh out all of the multitude of storylines the film decided to take on.
The Transfers
Note that all three films are 1080p HD presentations from brand new 2K restorations of the original Hong Kong theatrical cuts. Additionally, 1080p HD presentations from brand new 2K restorations of the extended international versions of The Manchu Boxer and Shanghai, Shanghai are included on a third separate disc.
The Manchu Boxer
The first and the least of the transfers. That isn’t a critique of the restoration work but the source material. The film material itself looks to be well-worn. The image is sharp, but the colors are a bit muted but one wonders if this is the original intent or an effect of the film materials themselves. As compared to earlier transfers, there is a night and day difference.
Paper Marriage
This transfer is excellently sourced 2K restoration. The handsome, clean, sharp image is free of any blemishes, scratches, or deficits. The black levels and contrast levels are perfectly rendered here.
Shanghai, Shanghai
They saved the best for last. The transfer for this film is flawless. The image is sharp and without defects. The color reproduction pops off the screen. The image’s slight grain structure ensures the transfer retains that 35mm cinematic look at all times. Bravo to Eureka for their beautiful restoration work on this film.
The Extras
They include the following;
Disc One:
The all-new audio commentary on The Manchu Boxer with East Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist & filmmaker Michael Worth opens with his credentials before diving into the film. Some of the details include the literal translation of the title; the release, and the box office success of the film; the fact that the film was made in Mandiran, and the reasons for this; the filming locations in Korea the production used; the fact the film used snippets of a Pink Floyd song; a discussion of the career and work of star Tony Liu; the work and careers of dual composers Fu-Yung Chou and Zhou Lan-Ping; the work and career of screenwriter Szeto On who wrote over 250 films; the time period the film takes place in China; the work here of actor and fight choreographer Sammo Hung – including his contributions here as fight choreographer; a larger discussion of the career and work of director Wu Ma; a larger discussion of the various action set pieces and choreography and the style of fight work and the reasons why the work was stylistically performed the way it was; discussion throughout the commentary track about the various actors and their work here and throughout their career – keep your notes app open, you’ll want to write some of the films down; and much more.
The all-new audio commentary on Paper Marriage with genre cinema experts Stefan Hammond and Arne Venema begins with the duo imitating the opening music for the iconic Golden Harvest logo. Some of the details include the literal translation of the title – and its Cantonese translation; the release date of the film, and the box office success of the film; the formation of Bo Ho films – Sammo Hung created in the wake of issues with producer Raymond Chow; the films that Bo Ho Films made beyond Paper Marriages; the other production companies that Hung was a part of; a larger discussion of the career and work of star Sammo Hung; the voice actor that Sammo Hung used in this film; a discussion of the career and work here of director Alfred Cheung; a great discussion of the Sammo Hung American TV series Martial Law; the career and work of actress Maggie Chueng; a discussion of Sammo Hung’s famous family and their history; a larger discussion of shooting Canada for Los Angeles – and the history of HK films being made in the country; a larger discussion of the actors that appear in the film; a larger discussion of the various crew members that worked on the film; a larger discussion of some of the cultural norms that are jokes in the film that would be lost on a non-Chinese or non-HK Audience; and much more.
Happily Ever After: Alfred Cheung discusses Paper Marriage (21:32) – In this all-new interview with Paper Marriage director Alfred Cheung, he begins with how he got into the industry. Cheung goes into how Paper Marriage came together with the studio offering him a project with Sammo Hung starring; shooting in Edmonton and the Mall – and stories from the shoot and the differences between shooting in HK and shooting in Canada; the collaboration between he and Hung for the action scenes and how that worked with the post-production in Canada with a Canadian editor; and much more.
The Manchu Boxer Trailer (3:52)
Paper Marriage Trailer (3:25)
Disc Two:
The all-new audio commentary on Shanghai, Shanghai with Frank Djeng and producer/writer F.J. DeSanto opens with their respective credentials and the fact that this is their 35th commentary track together, before diving into the film. Some of the details include the literal translation of the title – also its connection to Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon; the release, and the box office success of the film; the production recycled sets from Jackie Chan’s Miracles; the fact this was made for Lunar (Chinese) New Year – a huge time of year for film in HK/China; a discussion of the various vocie actor that dubbed the actors some of which were not the stars normal voice actors; why 1930s Shanghai is so popular a setting in HK films; the work here of actor/star Sammo Hung and what makes this film unique in this era; the development of the project itself; using sets from Project A Part 2 in addition to the sets from Miracles; the work and career (not just as a director) of director Teddy Robin; a larger discussion of historical facts that give context to the era in which this film takes place; a larger discussion of the various locations that the production used; discussion throughout the commentary track about the various actors and their work here and throughout their career – keep your notes app open, you’ll want to write some of the films down; and much more.
Shanghai, Shanghai trailer (3:22)
Disc Three:
The Manchu Boxer Extended Cut (92:53) – In Mandarin with English Subtitles. No option for the English Dub.
Shanghai, Shanghai Extended Cut (93:24) – In Cantonese with English Subtitles. No option for the English Dub.
The Final Thought
Eureka Entertainment has delivered a wonderful set showcasing the varied work and career of Sammo Hung. Highly recommended!!
Eureka Entertainment’s Blu-ray Edition of Triple Threat: Three films with Sammo Hung is out December 9th.
Share this:
Like this:
Discover more from The Movie Isle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.