This surprisingly funny and acclaimed martial arts comedy, is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray Disc. Hong Kong’s renown comedy director, Stephen Chow, put together a visually pleasing and altogether hilarious 99 minute feature in “Kung Fu Hustle.”

This release, put together by Sony Pictures on Blu-Ray format, expands on the visual appeal of the movie with full 1080p and uncompressed digital audio. The feature is in Chinese with English subtitles, but English and French and French subtitles are also available. Special features include cast and crew commentary, which is good if you’re wondering about some of the effects and martial arts elements. Stephen Chow gives an interview with Ric Meyers in another segment, and crews take us behind the scenes in a featurette. There are also deleted scenes, bloopers and outtakes for those that can’t get enough.

Blu-Ray and HD-DVD have been slower in taking off, especially since the industry’s hopes for an HDTV “revolution” this holiday season went mostly unfulfilled. If you shelled out the dollars for a high-def system, make sure you save some room for a home theater receiver and at least a 5.1 or better sound system. Audio can be as important as video in an HD system, so don’t go to your local discount store just because they have a “home audio in a box” system for $29.95. “Hustle” in Blu-Ray next generation format provides one of the best experiences you can get at home.

If you already have Blu-Ray, individual movie prices have started to come down since the first of the year. You should be able to grab this one for $20 or less, and if you’re a martial arts fan, you don’t need to be told that this one is for you

About The Author

John Guilfoil is the editor-in-chief of Blast: Boston's Online Magazine and the Blast Magazine Network. He can be reached at [email protected]. Tweet @johnguilfoil.

Leave a Reply