Plot: What’s it about?
Cao Le (Jackie Chan) has just run his own girlfriend out of the palace, even though she carried his child and was the love of his life. But don’t brand him as a mean person just yet, as he chased her off with good intentions, as it saved her life, to be sure. You see, a band of bandits was headed toward the palace and had she not left, she would have been among those slain by the Killer Bees, as the bandits were known. These invaders killed almost all of the people found within the palace area, but somehow, Cao Le managed to be a survivor of the assault. The leader of the Killer Bees is Chin Chang Yin, a woman who was scarred by Le’s father as a child and now, she wants revenge in a blood soaked fashion. Although he has survived, Le now faces the harsh reality that his girlfriend and unborn child roam somewhere out there, unaware of his motivations and more to the point, his endless love for them. With Chin Chang Yin taking a personal interest in his quest, can Le somehow be reunited with his true love?
Although it is nice to see some older Jackie Chan films released to DVD, especially with new remastered anamorphic transfers, that doesn’t mean all of them are worthwhile. As fans of his should know, he made a lot of dull, low rent films toward the start of his career, but even so, some great gems remain behind also. To Kill with Intrigue is a Chan film made in 1977 and while is not that great, it is well worth a look for fans of his work. I mean, if for no other reason, it stands out because he is beaten like a drum throughout the picture, whereas we’re used to seeing him on the other side of that coin, to be sure. The story is better than most martial arts films, but is also quite dark for most of the duration, so don’t expect an uplifting experience, especially toward the start of To Kill with Intrigue. As per usual in Chan’s films, you’ll see some cool action scenes, but here Chan uses more wires than we’re used to, though it is not too bad. I also like how we see some kick ass female warriors, as they spice up the action more than a little. All in all, a decent movie than Chan fans should look into, especially in this new remastered edition.
Video: How does it look?
To Kill with Intrigue is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The print looks worn and the image is sometimes soft, but given the age & nature of this film, I am pleased with the overall results here. I mean, it looks bad at times and never looks too good, but this movie will never look pristine, even if a full restoration was undertaken, as the materials simply lack the substance to be brought back. It could look much better with a cleaning effort, but the version here is widescreen and looks solid, a nice improvement over previous editions.
Audio: How does it sound?
As with most of their recent remastered Jackie Chan releases, Columbia has included an English dub option, but also a Cantonese track. The results are as should be expected from the material, which means worn at times, but still more than acceptable. So yes, this is an older, low budget Asian film and that’s obvious, but the audio remains clean and clear enough, all things considered. You’ll notice some aged spots and flaws to be sure, but in the end, I’d assume this is about as good as To Kill with Intrigue can sound. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
