There are few surround effects, with some music and effects being directed to the rear channels. The original soundtrack would have been mono, and the lack of this original soundtrack as an option is as usual an irritation, not that there is anything particularly wrong with the remix. The default audio track is Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1, and there is an optional English dubbed soundtrack in the same configuration. The disc is RSDL-formatted with the layer change placed at 70:06 in the middle of a scene. These are well timed, with no spelling errors or grammatical problems, and are in a good-sized font. Grain levels are satisfactory, though again in some of the darker sequences the grain is more pronounced. The only significant artefact is some edge enhancement, which is not so noticeable during the action sequences because of the rapid movement. There seems to be some low level noise present. The colour comes across well, though flesh tones are a little on the brown side and blacks are not always pure. There are a few night sequences that suffer slightly as a result. Contrast levels are acceptable, but there is some loss of detail in shadows.
There is not much in the way of fine detail but I suspect that such detail was not present in the original material. The transfer is quite sharp and clear, with a good level of detail. This is a very good transfer with only a few minor problems.
The film is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.75:1, close to the original 1.85:1. It is enjoyable if you are in an undemanding mood, but I suspect that on repeated viewings I would be using the fast-forward button on the remote a lot.ĭon't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration. I had seen this film before under the title Operation Scorpio, a name which does not fit the film. The fighting scenes and the training sequences at the restaurant come across best. The school looks like a C-grade Hollywood producer's backyard. Unfortunately the film moves in fits and starts with a few lame comedy sequences, and also seems to sag when Yuk Su is training at the body-building school. The period setting is also well captured. Won Jin is very athletic and his character is less evil than one would expect in a typical genre piece, his only motivation being to protect his father (who is the evil one). Both are quite extraordinary, and though Leung was getting on in years (he was almost 60 when the film was made) he is still remarkably fit and agile. This is a fairly innocuous martial arts film lifted above the ordinary by the talents of martial arts veteran Lau Kar Leung and the lesser-known but highly talented Korean fighter Won Jin. Yuk Su's ability to combine the disciplines he has learned, strength and martial arts techniques, will be critical when he and his uncle have to face up to the slave traders, in particular the head slaver's son Sonny ( Won Jin), who has a move like a scorpion (hence the title). Yuk Su seeks to learn martial arts from a powerful body-builder ( Frankie Chin), but soon realises that his uncle is a martial arts expert who teaches him a form of kung fu cookery. He does manage to rescue a girl from a slave trader and together with his father they hide in the restaurant of his uncle ( Lau Kar Leung). However in reality all he can do is draw. Yuk Su ( Chin Kar-lok) is a young man who daydreams about being a hero. If you create a user account, you can add your own review of this DVDĪudio Commentary- Bey Logan (Hong kong Film Expert)Įnglish Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)