New on home video, September 13-26

Lots of screen fighting action is arriving on Blu-ray and DVD in the U.S., U.K. and Hong Kong. This week and last have produced 20 titles, of which, highlights include Michael Jai White’s prison brawler BLOOD AND BONE, Shaw Brothers kung fu classic THE SHADOW BOXER, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, and numerous Blu-ray releases of Hong Kong favorites SHAOLIN SOCCER, HERO, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, IRON MONKEY, and DRUNKEN MASTER 2.

A WORLD WITHOUT THIEVES (DVD – Palisades Tartan UK)

“Bo (Andy Lau), a master pickpocket, and Li (Rene Liu), a femme fatale grifter are partners in crime and passion. The couple swindles their way across China until one day Li suddenly decides to call it quits. It is at this crossroad in their lives and relationship that they run into Fu Gen (Wang Baoqiang), a naive and wealthy peasant in a train station and begin a journey that will alter their fates forever.”

Features: Mandarin audio. English subtitles.

BLOOD AND BONE (DVD – Sony Pictures)

“Ex-con Isaiah Bone (Michael Jai White) is the new force in LA’s underground street fighting scene. When he takes down the reigning champ, the local mob boss wants to enter Bone in a series of high-stakes international matches. Bone’s refusal sets off an explosive showdown between two powerful enemies with everything at stake.”

Features: Audio commentary with director Ben Ramsey, actors Michael Jai White, Dante Basco and Michelle Belegrin, and Cinematographer Roy Wagner. “Breaking the Mold: Behind the Scenes of Blood and Bone.”

BODYGUARD: A NEW BEGINNING (DVD – Lionsgate)

“Leung, a man of unrivaled loyalty, has given his life to protecting Wong, a powerful leader of an elite Chinese underground society. When asked to travel overseas and guard a young woman whose identity is secret, he learns that if her secret were to be exposed it would result in the demise of an entire regime. Protecting her proves to be the easy part of this assignment when he discovers that Wong’s son has been lying to his father in an effort to overthrow his reign. Now, the fate of Wong’s dynasty is riding on the betrayal of his son, and the destiny of a nation has landed in the hands of Leung.”

CRANK 2: HIGH VOLTAGE (Blu-ray/DVD – Lionsgate UK)

Lionsgate brings this raunchy and outrageous action sequel from creators Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor to the U.K. on Blu-ray and DVD. “You can’t keep a good man down. Jason Statham is back as Chev Chelios – this time to retrieve his stolen heart (that’s right, he’s running on battery power). High-octane and truly electrifying!”

FOUR DRAGONS (DVD – Lionsgate)

“This gripping tale, action-packed with relentless and brutal martial arts scenes, begins in 1881 as Chinese immigrants flood a mining valley eager to find their fortune. Contrary to their expectations, what they encountered was a lethal gang of betrayed brothers on a mission of vengeance. To fight for the honor of the people, one man must unleash the ancient art of Wushu. His actions cause the FOUR DRAGONS to engage in an epic battle in which only one side can win…and only one hero can emerge as the greatest martial artist of all.”

ESSENTIAL ART HOUSE: THRONE OF BLOOD (DVD – Criterion)

“One of the most celebrated screen adaptations of Shakespeare into film, Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood reimagines Macbeth in feudal Japan. Starring Kurosawa’s longtime collaborator Toshiro Mifune and the legendary Isuzu Yamada as his ruthless wife, the film tells of a valiant warrior’s savage rise to power and his ignominious fall. With Throne of Blood, Kurosawa fuses one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies with the formal elements of Japanese Noh theater to make a Macbeth that is all his own—a classic tale of ambition and duplicity set against a ghostly landscape of fog and inescapable doom.”

Features: New high-definition digital transfer, Audio commentary by Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck, Original theatrical trailer, New essay by Stephen Prince, Two alternative subtitle translations: a new version from renowned Japanese-film translator Linda Hoaglund, and Kurosawa expert Donald Richie, Notes on subtitling by Linda Hoaglund and Donald Richie, New and improved English subtitle translation, Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition.

HERO (Blu-ray/DVD – Miramax/Walt Disney UK)

“Master filmmaker Quentin Tarantino presents HERO — starring martial arts legend Jet Li in a visually stunning martial arts epic where a fearless warrior rises up to defy an empire and unite a nation. With supernatural skill … and no fear … a nameless soldier (Jet Li) embarks on a mission of revenge against the fearsome army that massacred his people. Now, to achieve the justice he seeks, he must take on the empire’s most ruthless assassins and reach the enemy he has sworn to defeat.”

IRON MONKEY (Blu-ray – Miramax)

“With sensational, nonstop martial arts excitment supplied by the acclaimed choreopgraher of THE MATRIX and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, IRON MONKEY is the spirited tale of a mysterious and mythical Chinese legend. In a desperate and unjust land, where government corruption rules the day, only one man — known as the Iron Monkey — has the courage to challenge the system and fight back. Under the shadow of night, in the silence before dawn, he fights to give hope to the poor and oppressed. Although no one knows his name or where he comes from, his heroism makes him a living legend to the people … and a wanted man to the powers that be! Presented by Quentin Tarantino — don’t miss the exhilarating action adventure that critics everywhere have called one of the greatest martial arts films of all time!”

KNIGHTS OF BLOODSTEEL [TV] (DVD – RHI Entertainment)

“In a faraway time, in the world of Mirabilis, the most valuable element is an empowering, magical ore called Dragonsteel. It has caused a new “Gold Rush” in the mining town Black Roc Keep, drawing the attention of Dragon-Eye, an insurgent who needs the ore for world domination. Enlisted to stop him is the Malcolm Sternad’s Order of the Bloodsteel Knights—a motley but brave band of elves, dwarves, humans, and goblins who have vowed to uphold peace in Mirabilis, whatever the price.”

MR. TIM: MUAY THAI FIGHTER (DVD – Ham Juk International TW)

“Tim is the son of a Thai boxing camp owner. Tim’s father has an enemy who is plotting to take over the Thai boxing camp. Therefore, he dares Tim’s father to a duel between their sons. The winner will become the new owner of the Thai boxing camp. Tim’s father wants Tim to train hard so that Tim can win his enemy’s son. However, Tim wishes to be a singer rather than a boxer. Therefore, he leaves home and tries to realize his dream. He meets Jintarah who also has dreams of becoming a singer. After much trouble, Tim’s father finally finds Tim and begs him to fight in order to save his boxing camp. Tim is faced with the difficult option of choosing between his dream and filial piety for his father.”

Features: Thai audio. English and Chinese subtitles.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA (Blu-ray – Kam & Ronson)

Jet Li stars in director Tsui Hark’s epic re-imagining of the Wong Fei-hung legend which kicked off a series of sequels. At the turn of the 20th century during a time of great upheaval in China, Hung Fist master and patriot Wong Fei-hung struggles to contain the growing threat of foreign intervention and corruption. This kung fu drama features the wire-enhanced action direction of Yuen Woo-ping and co-stars Yuen Biao, Rosamund Kwan and Jacky Cheung.

Features: Cantonese, Mandarin Thai audio. English, Chinese, Thai subtitles.

SEA WOLVES (DVD – Joy Sales)

Hong Kong “girls with guns” actioner starring Simon Yam and Cynthia Khan. “A Philippine freighter moors at Hong Kong, Gary on board assaults the Customs Officers making a routine inspection and escapes ashore. Then a series of homicides occur near the pier. Inspector Yang is ordered to investigate the case and she links it with Gary. Yang tries to trap Gary but the police also arrest the Captin’s brother John on the spot. Yang subsequently discovers Gary to be suffering from amnesia and trends of violence but in fact, it is framed up by the mate of the Philippines pirate ship, Keung, who is the real culprit. Meanwhile, Gary regains his memory from the tattoos on the backs of himself and John, and with the clues given her by them, Yang smashes the real culprits.”

SHAOLIN SOCCER (Blu-ray – Optimum Releasing UK)

“Dedicated Shaolin practitioner Sing (Stephen Chow) is determined to re-unite his brothers to apply the ancient art of Shaolin to a modern sport. With the help of ex-football champion, Fang, the group of unlikely footballers are whipped into shape and train hard to earn a place in the National Football Tournament. The brothers battle their way through the rounds with unusual moves such as “Iron Head” and “Hooking Foot”, getting closer and closer to the ultimate challenge of the National final. It is here that they will face Team Evil – the most ruthless team ever assembled.”

Features: Cantonese and English audio. English subtitles.

THE 13TH WARRIOR (DVD – Walt Disney)

Based on Michael Crichton’s novel “Eaters of the Dead,” this film stars Antonio Bandaras as an Arabic man in the 10th century who is exiled from his homeland in the Middle East and ventures north where he encounters Vikings and assists them in combating a man-beasts known as the Wendol. This is a re-issue of the film on DVD and comes with a digital copy.

THE LEGEND OF DRUNKEN MASTER (Blu-ray – Miramax)

Jackie Chan teams up with legendary kung fu action director Lau Kar-leung for this sequel to Chan’s first blockbuster hit, DRUNKEN MASTER (1978). It was their comic-tinged answer to the wire-fu craze that was sweeping Hong Kong in the early 1990s. Chan portrays a mischievous version of kung fu folk hero Wong Fei-hung as he gets caught up in efforts by Chinese loyalists to stop foreigners from smuggling precious artifacts out of the country. Widely regarded as having Chan’s last great screen fighting performance, the film features blistering martial arts action with minimal wire use and memorable performances from Lau Kar-leung, former Shaw Brothers leading man Ti Lung and the late, great entertainer Anita Mui.

Features: English audio (no Cantonese audio).

THE SHADOW BOXER (DVD – Image Entertainment)

“Skilled shadow boxer Ku Ting hides his skills by working as a construction worker, but his corrupt boss and his conceited son are tied to brutal gangsters. When the thugs assault his girlfriend, Ku Ting has no choice but to use his teachings to show his enemies what it takes to keep justice in line. An extraordinary display of martial arts mastery, THE SHADOW BOXER is legendary worldwide as the most famous and final starring role for real-life shadow boxing champion Chen Wo-fu, who died before its release at the age of 24 and whose role here has drawn comparisons to James Dean.”

Features: Mandarin audio. English and Spanish subtitles.

THE ULTIMATE FORCE OF FOUR [ THE LEGEND OF DRUNKEN MASTER / HERO / IRON MONKEY / ZATOICHI] (DVD – Miramax)

These films are bundled together into one Blu-ray set, although they can also be purchased separately. DRUNKEN MASTER is the only one out of the bunch that does not come with an original language option. Also, these are still the same versions Miramax originally released in theaters with various edits, additions and cut footage. Purists will want to look to future Blu-ray import versions or stick with their DVD imports.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (Blu-ray/DVD – 20th Century Fox)

Fox unleashes standard and “Special Edition” DVD releases alongside a Blu-ray edition. “Heroic Hugh Jackman breathes the fire into Wolverine (Miami Herald) with a vengeance! This pulse-pounding action thriller sinks razor-sharp adamantium claws into the mysterious origins of Logan/Wolverine: his epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed/Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), and the ominous Weapon X program that unleashes his primal fury. Along the way, Wolverine also encounters legendary new mutants, including Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Gambit (Taylor Kitsch). Youll go berserker for this deeper, darker, more-spectacular-than-ever chapter of the X-Men saga!”

Features (on Blu-ray and Special Edition DVD versions): Trailers, audio commentary by director Gavin Hood, audio commentary byproducers Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter, “The Roots of Wolverine: A Conversation with Stan Lee and Len Wein,” “Wolverine Unleashed: The Complete Origins,” deleted and alternate scenes.

UNIVERSAL SOLDIER (Blu-ray – Optimum Releasing UK)

“Non-stop adrenaline pumped action, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as genetically enhanced fighting machines, regenerated from dead American soldiers. A team of elite soldiers are used by the government to fight terrorism, with exceptional physical capabilites, they seem to be the perfect soldiers. But behind their existence there is a secret; they are not human, but regenerated machines, created from the bodies of soldiers killed in the Vietnam war made possible with advanced genetic engineering. But chaos emerges when two of the soldiers, Private Luc Devreux (Jean Claude Van Damme) and Sgt. Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren) begin to regain their memory – and a violent feud that should have died years ago is reborn as the soldiers return to their last mental state prior to their deaths.”

ZATOICHI (Blu-ray – Miramax)

Blu-ray edition of Takeshi Kitano’s 2003 take on popular chambara character Zatoichi the blind swordsman. “Inventive and bold, this film shines with pristine picture and theater-quality sound on Blu-ray Disc(TM). In an empire ruled by fear, the people’s only hope is the ultimate weapon: Zatoichi (Takeshi Kitano) — a blind, nomadic samurai whose sword has made him a hero and whose courage has made him a legend. Determined to help the desperate residents of a village, Zatoichi seeks justice through revenge. It’s a wildly entertaining film that’s even more brilliant in Blu-ray(TM) High Definition.”

Next Week:

• BILLY JACK (Blu-ray – Image Entertainment)
• BLADE COLLECTION (DVD New Line)
• BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE (DVD – Eins M&M Co. KR)
• KUNG FU CYBORG: METALLIC ATTRACTION (DVD – Mei Ah HK)
• ON HIS MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE (DVD – Hua Yu HK)
• STEVEN SEAGAL COLLECTION (DVD – Warner Home Video UK)
• THE ULTIMATE MATRIX COLLECTION (DVD – Warner Home Video UK)