Search - Wing Chun [Widescreen] on DVD

Movie Release: 1994 DVD Release: 02/24/1998 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: Cantonese, English, Mandarin Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 33 mins Studio: Image Entertainment Members Wishing: 6 Genres: Action, Martial Arts, Action Comedy

Wing Chun is a martial-arts film with an unusual feminist bent, inspired by a true historical figure. In 19th-century China, a pack of bandits attacks a remote village, attempting to kidnap a beautiful young widow named Charmy. However, they are foiled by Yim Wing Chun, a local tofu-shop owner who also happens to be a fearsome fighter; she defeats the thieves nearly single-handedly. This infuriates the evil bandit leader, who turns his full forces against the town in an effort to recapture Charmy. As if this weren't trouble enough, things become even tougher for Wing Chun when her childhood sweetheart, now also a martial-arts master, arrives in town after an absence of many years. On his return, he immediately falls in love with Charmy, mistaking her for Wing Chun -- and mistaking the real Wing Chun for a man. These farcical manueverings provide the backdrop for numerous fight sequences, which are filled with astoundingly acrobatic choreography skillfully performed by Hong Kong action star Michelle Yeoh. Especially notable is the final showdown between Wing Chun and the bandits, which proves once and for all it's not the size of the weapon, but the way that you use it. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Michelle Yeoh - Yim Wing Chun
Donnie Yen - Leung Pok To

As these things go, the DVD edition of Wing Chun isn't bad, although it isn't perfect, either. The image is letterboxed, with an aspect ratio of 1.80:1, so you don't miss a thing, although crispness and color are occasionally wanting. Still, nighttime scenes -- of which there are quite a few -- are readily visible and distinctive. The image occasionally appears somewhat pixellated, and despite the letterbox presentation, the subtitles appear over the image itself. Subtitling is in English only, and audio tracks include English, Cantonese (in which the movie was filmed), and Mandarin. The Chinese audio is stereo and the English dub is in mono. The sound is balanced enough, although occasionally the score threatens to overwhelm the dialogue. The DVD starts playing the film by default, press "Menu" for audio and subtitling options. Goodies include capsule biographies of Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen, Norman Tsui, and Yuen Woo-Ping, as well as trailers for several films, mostly other kung-fu fantasy flicks from the early '90s. ~ Genevieve Williams, All Movie Guide