Now available from Eureka Entertainment
This set explores the work of Chang Cheh within the “Magnificent” universe where he directed the two included films: The Magnificent Trio and Magnificent Wanderers.
The first film here is The Magnificent Trio from 1966, one where a swordsman joins peasants in their fight against the tyrannical land owner they are fighting, albeit in a questionable manner at first. The film here shows the adventures of this swordsman along with a few locals he befriends. The film is written by Chang Cheh based on a 1964 script by Keiichi Abe, Hideo Gosha, Eizaburô Shiba, and Gin’ichi Kishimoto. Of course, it is directed by Chang Cheh. Here, the film is a decent watch, entertaining and fun. The film feels like it belongs on the filmography for Chang Cheh who has done a ton of films with uneven results. The Magnificent Trio is one of the better ones he has done, gathering a solid cast, showcasing fun stunts, having good fighters showcasing their talents. It’s a fun and entertaining film that works well with films such as the films from the Shaw Brothers.
The second film in this double-bill set is Magnificent Wanderers from 1977. Here the film follows a man who was conned out of assets by locals who then teams up with wandering cn artists. Their skills soon come to be of great help when they meet Mongols during their travels. Written by Yung-Chang Li from a story by Tzu-Nan Chiang, and of course directed by Chang Cheh, this entry is a boatload of fun. The fights are entertaining and dynamic, the skills shows are fantastic, and the story mostly work. The film isn’t perfect and has a few story issues here and there which were not fixed while filming so they come from the writers as much as the director really, but they are somewhat easily forgotten due to the way the fights go and how fun they are to watch. Most folks coming to these films these days are likely more interested in the fights, the stunts, and the martial arts skills than they are in getting a deep and researched story. The cast here is a good, the pace on point, and the fights solid, so it’s an easy watch.
As for this new release of these two films, the transfers used by Eureka Entertainment are good and make for an easy time getting into the stories. The audio quality is good if not particularly spectacular. The extras include the now-expected newly translated subtitles of course, a new audio commentary on each film, and the highlight of the set: Chang Cheh Style, a video essay on the director and his career.
Overall, the main attractions here are the films themselves which are fun and entertaining, mostly light storytelling that works decently well. Folks comes to these films for the fights, the martial arts, the stunts, and the cast just hitting each other over and over, this set delivers on this and then some.