Saga of the Phoenix - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Saga of the Phoenix



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
Oh my goodness, I don’t think I ever imagined we’d see Saga of the Phoenix come over here domestically any time soon, but I guess 88 films decided to pull it off (and seemingly also may be releasing the Peacock King, which is the predecessor to this one). Most people who imagine Yuen Biao think of his work with Sammo Hung making classic Kung-fu films for us during the golden age of Hong Kong cinema. But in the late 80s he decided to star in a completely different role as a magical monk intent on keeping a demoness safe from evil in the sequel to Peacock King.

Ashura (Gloria Yip), maiden of hell and holy virgin of the underworld has been captured by Buddhist monks and sentenced to spend eternity inside of a giant Buddha statue as penance for her crimes of using her magic on Earth against humans. Having been forced into her role as maiden of hell, Ashura begs the Abbott for mercy and asks that he allow her to live out her life in the sun, rather than in the shadowy belly of the statue. After intervention by the monks Master Peacock and Lucky Fruit (Abe Hiroshi), the Abbott decides to allow Ashura some clemency, gifting her 7 days to live in the world of the humans and enjoy what time she has left before her imprisonment is final.

Sending Master Peacock and Lucky fruit to keep an eye on her, Ashura is set out into the world for her one week vacation. But the thing is, Hell isn’t through with Ashura yet, as the Concubine of Hell (Ngai Suet) is looking to consolidate Hell’s power structure, and needs Ashura’s magical abilities to do so. Sending her minions after Ashura, the Concubine looks to absorb the young demon’s powers with her own and take over before the monks can stop her. Of course there’s plenty of fighting, magical power battles galore, and a little “Mac and Me” style imp that could be the key to everything.

Saga of the Phoenix is absolutely bonkers, and the perfect example of co-director Lam Nai Choi’s (Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky) absolutely gonzo take on Hong Kong cinema. The film takes the same characters (though some are recast) from Peacock King and makes the story crazier and full of even more practical effects and wire-fu fighting. The one downside to this production is that they took what made Peacock King great and turned it into a kids movie, complete with a puppet sidekick named Tiny Ghost, and a slight tonal change that makes Ashura even more saccharine sweet than she was before. I personally prefer the darker and more serious tone of Peacock King, but Saga of the Phoenix is weirdly likable in its own right.

The history behind Saga of the Phoenix is almost as bizarre as the story itself, as it was one of the few hybrid films between Hong Kong’s Golden Harvest productions and the Japan’s Toho (most known for the Godzilla films), which means we have a few Japanese actors in the film as well, including famed actor Shintaro Katsu and Abe Hiroshi.

While I won’t ever say Saga of the Phoenix is a stone cold classic or anything, it is as bizarre and off the wall as Gloria Yip’s The Cat (which 88 films did a few months back), and anything with Gloria Yip is a plus in my book. The first half is a bit awkward and child like, but once Tiny Ghost is possessed by the Concubine of Hell and turns evil things pick up quickly. Yuen Biao and Abe Hiroshi do well with the high flying martial arts, and even only a few minutes of Shintaro Katsu is time worth spending. It may not be perfect, but Saga of the Phoenix feels like drug fueled nightmare, with just enough fun involved to make it entertaining.




Rating:

Not Rated by the MPAA




4K Video: Video:

Sporting a brand new 2K remaster and restoration, Saga of the Phoenix looks pretty good for a low budget Hong Kong film. The colors are rich and vibrant, with the bright red of Ashura’s robes really standing out. The opening sequence (which was shot on location in Nepal) is a bit hazy, but once the monks and Ashura get to Hong Kong to track down the little imp things clear up nicely. Like usual, browns and grays can dominate the overall color grading, but primary shades (again, Ashura’s robes, or the Demons green claws) all pop nicely. Grain is a bit inconsistent, which is normal for 80s Hong Kong films, but detail levels remain high (a bit too high, as you can see the obvious wires for the flying sequences, and a few of the background objects are very obviously props). Overall this is a VERY nice transfer that holds up well.







Audio:

The LPCM Monorail track isn’t going to blow your skirt up, but it does a solid job all things considering. Vocals are crisp and clean, with just a little bit of harshness around the edges, and a rather nice sense of depth to it. Music is thinner than I’d LIKE, but overall comes through cleanly as well. Being that this is a mono track, don’t go in expecting bass and surround usage. This is as simple and utilitarian as a track can get, while still sounding impressively full for it’s audio style.









Extras:

• LIMITED EDITION RIGID SLIP CASE WITH NEW ARTWORK BY SEAN LONGMORE
• LIMITED EDITION 40 PAGE PERFECT BOUND BOOK
• LIMITED EDITION PREMIUM ARTCARD
• BRAND NEW 2K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL NEGATIVE
• REMASTERED ORIGINAL CANTONESE MONOAURAL SOUNDTRACK
• NEWLY TRANSLATED ENGLISH SUBTITLES
• AUDIO COMMENTARY BY FRANK DJENG (NY ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL) AND F.J. DESANTO
• ALTERNATE JAPANESE FOOTAGE
• IMAGE GALLERY
• ORIGINAL TRAILER

Final Score: ​

Lam Nai Choi and Lau Shut-Yue come together to direct a really bonkers, and slightly watered down sequel to the infamous Peacock King that is a bit of an acquired taste. I’m a huge fan of really crazy flicks, so it appeals to me, but fans of more traditional Hong Kong cinema and Yuen Biao fans may be a bit off put by the bizarre nature of the flick. That aside, 88 films did a solid job with the new transfer, and the really nice packaging elevate this from your standard collector’s edition. Very solid watch for a niche audience and a real surprise for the unitiated.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Yuen Biao, Gloria Yip, Hiroshi Abe, Loletta Lee
Directed by: Ngai Choi Lam, Sze-Yu Lau
Written by: Yiu-Ming Leung, Tsui-Wah Wong, Makoto Ogino
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: Cantonese: LPCM 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH, English
Studio: 88 Films
Rated: NR
Runtime: 94 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: December 16th, 2025

Recommendation: Fun Watch