Heroic Trio (1992)
Director - Johnny To and Ching Su Tung
DVD Released by :Tai Seng
Player reviewed with : Malata DVD-N996
Receiver reviewed with : Sony 925
 
Features:
Interactive Menus
English Subtitles
Not enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs
Theatrical Trailer

Cantonese, Mandarin and English Language Tracks

Filmogrophies and Bios
Running Time : 87 mins.
DVD Released by : Universe
Player reviewed with : Malata DVD-N996
Receiver reviewed with : Sony 925
 
Features:
Interactive Menus
Theatrical Trailer
Cantonese and Mandarin Language Tracks
English, Chinese, and Bahasa Subtitles
Filmogrophies and Bios
Not enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs
Running Time : 88 mins.
Somebody is stealing babies from the local hospital. Police are baffled. It is up to the wife of a Hong Kong police detective to come to the rescue. As Wonder Woman (Anita Mui), she teams up with The Thief Catcher (Maggie
Cheung) to find that it is Invisible Girl (Michelle Yeoh) that is taking the babies to give to an evil Eunuch who wants an heir. Invisible Girl isn't evil by choice. The Eunuch has a power over her that keeps her from breaking free. It is only when Wonder Woman and Thief Catcher realize that they can't bring down the Eunuch without her help that Invincible Girl is able to free herself and help them fight the evil Eunuch.

The synopsis is brief because I don't want to ruin the story for those who haven't watched the movie yet. This is a classic film that is really a must for Hong Kong film fans. To start off, there are three wonderful actresses in this movie. Anita Mui, Maggie Cheung, and Michelle Yeoh all play their parts very well. Anita Mui also sings the title song which is incredible in itself and sets the tone for the movie. Anthony Wong makes an appearance as one of the Eunuch's servants. This movie is fun to watch and has several memorable moments. Maggie Cheung coolly whistles "London Bridge is Falling Down" while kicking ass. You will never hear that song again without thinking of Maggie Cheung getting off her motorcycle with a shotgun in her hand. Another great scene features Maggie Cheung running on telephone wires while the theme is cranked up. These are just two of the little parts that make the whole movie great to watch.

The two versions reviewed here are the Tai Seng and Universe DVD's. Both are uncut and have the original soundtracks. The Tai Seng version is out of print but can still be found on Ebay as well as some stores. The Universe version is unavailable from e-tailers based in North America due to Disney/Miramax owning the domestic rights but can still be purchased online from Hong Kong based e-tailers.

Tai Seng
Universe

Picture quality varies between the two versions. The Tai Seng version is a little dark but the colors are very good. The film print has some slight damage but nothing beyond some specks here and there. On a 27 inch TV the transfer looks good. The problem is that on a 47 inch TV, the image gets blocking and looks like some edge enhancement was used. It's watchable but not very good.

The Universe DVD uses a very similar print but it doesn't looks as clean as the Tai Seng version. The image is a little softer and the colors aren't as saturated. The transfer however, is much better than the Tai Seng version. On the 47 inch TV, the image held up as good as can be expected for a non-anamorphic title. There is more picture information that is viewable than the Tai Seng making that one look slightly cropped.

Tai Seng
Universe

The sound quality for the Tai Seng version is similar to their WING CHUN DVD. It comes only from the center channel speaker. The mixing is good and the dialogue is never overpowered by the music.

The Universe version has a mono soundtrack is just as good as the Tai Seng version. It also comes only from the front speaker and is mixed well.

When watching both versions I chose the original Cantonese track. The Tai Seng version also has an English dub and both have a Mandarin option.

Tai Seng
Universe

The Tai Seng DVD has yellow subtitles that appear on the image so you can zoom in on the picture if you have a widescreen TV. The spelling and grammar is well done and the subtitles are a good size. They also stay on the screen long enough to read.

The Universe version has white subtitles that are also on the image. There are few spelling and grammatical errors. They are easy to read and stay on the screen long enough to read.

Both feature removable subtitles and the Universe version also has Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) and Bahasa (Malaysia) subtitles.

Tai Seng
Universe

Both DVD's have some actor and filmmaker bios. The Tai Seng version has trailers for WING CHUN, THE EXECUTIONERS, and HEROIC TRIO.

The Universe DVD has trailers for CANNONBALL RUN 1 and 2, The EXECUTIONERS, and HEROIC TRIO.

Tai Seng
Universe
Between the two, I would recommend the Universe version. The transfer is better and you won't have to hunt down the Tai Seng version and pay more than you should on Ebay. The colors are nicer on the Tai Seng DVD but it just looks worse on bigger TV's. The sound is about equal between the two and the Tai Seng version lacks any features that might require a purchase.
Tai Seng
Universe

HEROIC TRIO is a great movie if you are fan of Hong Kong films. I really recommend this one. It's fun and the special effects can sometimes look like they came from an 80's horror movie. This is a must for fans of Maggie Cheung, Anita Mui, and Michelle Yeoh.