Video  2.5 of 5

The Legend of Drunken Master stumbles onto Blu-ray with a stunted, stilted 1080p/VC-1 transfer that has more problems than this weary reviewer can stomach. While it handily overpowers the film's previous home video releases -- particularly its fugly 2001 US DVD -- that isn't saying much. Skintones are often either lifeless or flushed, its palette is muddy and monochromatic (with only a few splashes of still-dull color to brighten the mood, courtesy of Anita Mui's wardrobe), and contrast, while artificially boosted (a technique responsible for a bevy of issues all its own), is somewhat underwhelming and indistinct. More distressingly, detail is at the mercy of the film's original print, fifteen years of dust and grime haven't left it in the best of shape, countless flecks and scratches appear, and an inconsistent grain field plagues the proceedings. "Soft" doesn't even begin to describe what fans will encounter in its more problematic scenes: edges border on spongy, image clarity is all over the place, and noise reduction undermines what few fine textures manage to claw their way onto the screen. Sharpness and high definition sparkle occasionally abound during daytime scenes, but falter anytime the lights go out. Moreover, while artifacting, aliasing, and edge enhancement are thankfully nowhere to be found, a fairly proficient technical transfer is merely the dingy lining to this rather bleak cloud.

Based solely on scene-for-scene comparisons to the 2001 DVD, the Blu-ray edition of The Legend of Drunken Master will surely please its fair share of fans. It even injects some much-needed value into this Blu-ray release. However, anyone who has the slightest expectation of watching a definitive transfer is sure to be disheartened by the results.


Audio  3 of 5

Longtime Drunken Master fans hoping to unearth a lossless presentation of the film's original Cantonese audio will have to continue searching. The Legend of Drunken Master includes an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track but, unlike its Ultimate Force of Four Collection brethren, doesn't offer any Cantonese language track, lossy or otherwise. Frankly, it isn't a crushing blow. Not only is the film's original Cantonese audio itself a dubbed mix, it doesn't feature the vocal talents of its stars. Oddly enough, the only place you can hear Jackie Chan deliver his own performance is and has always been via the film's English dub.

To that end, the TrueHD track delivers in part, but ultimately fails to rejuvenate its ailing source. It's loud, sure, but it lacks subtlety and prowess. While dialogue is certainly clear and prioritized -- so much so that it actually enhances the film's comedy -- it ranges from overblown to overbearing, leaving some lines to flounder amidst the bass-heavy action and others sounding hollow, unnatural, or both. Likewise, LFE output is brisk and bold, but a bit one-note, fusing every punch, kick, and shattering table with the same chop-socky whumps and thooms. Again, whether that appeals to you will depend on how amusing you find the mix's limitations to be when paired with Chan's comedy. Alas, directionality is problematic and contrived, rear speaker activity is sparse and obvious, and pans are as subtle as Wong's drinking problem. Still, despite all of its issues, the Blu-ray edition's lossless track is technically sound and doesn't suffer from any debilitating mishaps that I'd attribute directly to Miramax or Disney's treatment of the film.