Overview: One of the Shaw Brothers Studio’s most prolific directors, Chang Cheh - or the Godfather of Hong Kong Cinema - is the filmmaker behind Five Deadly Venoms, Chinatown Kid and Boxer Rebellion.

Collected here are two films by this maestro of martial arts cinema that showcase his considerable talents at both ends of his career: The Magnificent Trio, produced when wuxia films ruled the Hong Kong box office in the mid-1960s, and Magnificent Wanderers, made at the height of the kung fu craze at the end of the 1970s.

In an early role that pre-dates his star-making turn in Chang’s The One-Armed Swordsman, Jimmy Wang Yu stars in The Magnificent Trio as swordsman Lu Fang, who - along with fellow warriors Yen Tzu-ching (Lo Lieh) and Huang Liang (Cheng Lui) - lends his martial arts prowess to a group of oppressed farmers when they kidnap the daughter of their local magistrate.

Then, in the kung fu comedy Magnificent Wanderers, the three nomads Lin Shao You (Fu Sheng), Shi Da Yong (Chi Kuan-chun), and Guan Fei (Li Yi-min) attempt to join Chinese patriots in their struggle against invading Mongol armies with the help of the wealthy Chu Tie Xia (David Chiang).

From straight-faced wuxia pian to farcical kung fu comedy, The Magnificent Trio and Magnificent Warriors display the full range of Chang Cheh, a filmmaker who sat in the director’s chair for over three decades. Eureka Classics is proud to present both films on Blu-ray for the first time in North America.

Blu-ray Verdict: First up is The Magnificent Trio (1966) where a wandering swordsman named Lu Fang is returning from battle and discovers that several farmers have kidnapped the local magistrate’s daughter. He sides with them after learning that this is an act of desperation to improve their low standard of living.

An early Chang Cheh film that already shows several of his signature style of tragedy and heroic bloodshed, there are some great bookending shots here that are shot outside as opposed to the studio lots used everywhere else - and that is a major plus for me.

There’s a lot of melodrama that appeared in movies of this era. Otherwise, it shares some similarity with chanbara in outlaw character design, fighting style (single slash kills the bad guys, but only slows down the good guys), social class, and themes of loyalty and duty to others being of more importance than oneself.

If you like Wang Yu swordplay flicks of this era, you’ll like The Magnificent Trio. Lo Lieh fans will see him in a morally ambiguous role. I recognize Wu Ma and Ku Feng but am unfamiliar with Cheng Lei. It isn’t Three Outlaw Samurai, but it is a good retelling with Chinese characteristics.

Next up is Magnificent Wanderers (1977) where millionaire Chu Te-Sa invests his considerable wealth into the rebel movement who are intent on usurping the ruling Mongol powers. His goals are impeded by a lack of support though and the supposed allies he has made in the town are merely eager to get their hands on his money.

During an attack where these craven ‘comrades’ flee, Chu befriends three con-artists who relish the chance to show off their fighting skills. The trio subsequently agree to help Chu in his quest to end Mongol rule and hatch a plan to destroy a major munitions dump.

It has to be said that Magnificent Wanderers is the Ishtar of kung fu comedies: proof that a starry cast and a big budget won’t get you laughs if your script is subpar.

In truth, it’s really not as bad as its rep. The stars all perform gamely and are likable enough. The fights are mildly diverting, if infrequent, but it’s just not all that funny all the time, and the film is so reliant on its humor that the whole thing can’t be seen as anything other than a low slung attempt to keep his tradition rolling.

That said, it is not all bad, as it took me a second viewing and a while to get into the vibe of Magnificent Wanderers but then I ended up highly enjoying it. Although some of the gags ran on past their expiry date, the HK comedy feels ahead of its time, albeit one, as noted, the humor can be very repetitive and not particularly funny at times.

Special Features:
Limited edition of 2000 copies
Limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju)
1080p HD presentations on Blu-ray from masters supplied by Celestial Pictures
Original mono audio tracks
Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release
New audio commentary on The Magnificent Trio by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist and filmmaker Michael Worth
New audio commentary on Magnificent Wanderers by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
Chang Cheh Style – new video essay by Gary Bettinson, editor-in-chief of Asian Cinema journal
PLUS: A limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Chang Cheh by writer and critic James Oliver

Official Purchase Link