Out on Blu-ray on April 23, 2024, from Eureka Entertainment
When needed a masked hero comes to the rescue, facing off against his former colleagues from a supersoldier project of the past.
Written by Tsui Hark, Koan Hui, Teddy Chan, and Joe Ma, based on a comic book by Chi-Ming Pang, and directed by Daniel Lee, Black Mask is a very mid-1990s action film with a touch of classic fighting styles, flying stunts, and that specific style that feels more Tsui Hark than Daniel Lee. The influence of the co-writer is palpable throughout the film in its style, its fights, how the story moves through its paces, the performances, and more. Yes, it’s directed by Daniel Lee who does decently well with it, showing an affinity for fight sequences in his second directorial effort, but the influence of Hark is obvious.
The cast here is led by Jet Li who is basically the entire reason some gravitate to the film of course. Here, he’s in full form, fighting, kicking butts, taking names, making the film all about his character, making sure he gets the best of everything. And so, he does. This is very much a film written for Li and his skills, showcasing his fighting skills and allowing him to act a little bit here and there. Playing alongside him are Ching Wan Lau, Karen Mok, and Françoise Yip, all of whom do decent, solid work. Yip and Mok are particularly fun here. The cast as a whole is fun, clearly ready to do what the film requires, and down to have a fight when needed. This is a solid, fun cast, one that helps the film move past its 1990s aesthetic and mood.
The cinematography by Tony Cheung works for the story here, not exactly postcard work, but what the film needs here with its dated style but allowing the film to have its own look. The editing by Ka Tai Cheung, Ka-Fai Cheung, and Ettie M. Feldman is exactly what one would expect from a film with these folks behind it, with a multitude of fight scenes, and a ton of energy. The film is frenetic, it moves fast, it is what some would consider over-edited these days, it is a very 1995 film in that regard.
The release here from Eureka Entertainment has 4 different cuts of the film, the one of higher interest being the uncut Hong Kong version which is in 1080p here. The US version, the “original” US version, presented here is also in 1080p and shows the film as some will remember it. There is also another US cut with a different dub and a different soundtrack that is worth checking out. The 4th version available on the second disc, the Taiwanese cut of the film is the one most collectors will be after here, this version is the most complete in terms of footage inclusion, using all available footage and reinserting it in the film. The multiple versions alone make this 2-disc set worth checking out and grabbing for the collection. On top of these, the set has a bunch of extras including three brand new interviews and two brand new commentaries, but the most fun extra here is definitely the archival making of featurette. The release also comes with the original poster artwork, trailers, and newly translated English subtitles made for this release.