Eureka Entertainment: The Tattooed Dragon (1973) - Reviewed

Images courtesy of Eureka Entertainment

From the insanely prolific Hong Kong based film director Lo Wei, known for introducing the martial arts film careers of Bruce Lee with The Big Boss and Fist of Fury as well as Jackie Chan’s career following Lee’s death with New Fist of Fury, The Tattooed Dragon being released by Eureka Entertainment is one of two Wei films that same year to prominently star Jimmy Wang Yu in the lead role (the other being A Man Called Tiger also released by Eureka).  Working for Shaw Brothers competitor Golden Harvest whose catalog is slowly being worked through restoration efforts by Fortune Star, Wei wrote and directed The Tattooed Dragon with Shawscope regular Wang Yu starring alongside Sylvia Chang and James Tien.  Tracking Wang Yu’s transition from Shaw Brothers to Golden Harvest, the film comes from Eureka in a new 2K restored Blu-ray edition boasting plentiful extras and for collector’s a limited slipcase and collector’s booklet with writings by James Oliver.

 
The feared Tattooed Dragon trained martial artist played by Jimmy Wang Yu has a propensity for sticking up for the impoverished and dispossessed against evil wrongdoers and schemers until one morning he is hurt in a gang fight and takes refuge and recovery inside a farmer’s home managed by Koon-Kit (Samuel Hui) and his wife Ai-Chia (Sylvia Chang).  During his recovery, he begins to realize the villagers are under siege by the same gangsters that temporarily incapacitated him.  Commandeered by gangster Jun Lee Kwan (James Tien), they install a casino with the intention of luring the locals into gambling away all of their life savings and resources.  After one local man fritters away the deeds to his wife and family’s house who promptly commit suicide fearing impending hardships, the titular Tattooed Dragon has a renewed sense of purpose in doing all he can to shut down the nefarious casino and its purveyors.

 
A straightforward martial arts action-revenge piece that decries the exploitation and swindling of the poor for an ill pursuit of stolen wealth, The Tattooed Dragon is largely a showcase for former Shaw Brothers stalwart Jimmy Wang Yu’s abilities outside of the Shaw Scope umbrella.  The resulting film featuring a bevy of wild set pieces and action fighting scenes that defy the eyes and senses manages to be thrilling and fun while staying within the confines of the subgenre and without veering into exploitation.  Despite some gore here and there and a devastating allusion to familial suicide, this is one of the more user-friendly Golden Harvest offerings that will absolutely garner your undivided attention with its choreography and period detailed sets.  Lensed in handsome scope 2.35:1 widescreen by Police Story cinematographer Yiu-Tsou Cheung with a subtly thrilling original score by The Way of the Dragon composer Joseph Koo, the hand-to-hand combat battles are augmented by the stylistic flourishes with stunning use of the dolly tracking shot and the time-honored tradition of fast telephoto zoom-ins to close-ups.

 
Released on Blu-ray for the first time anywhere in the world, The Tattooed Dragon on Eureka disc features both the original Mandarin audio track as well as an English dub, two new audio commentaries by Frank Djeng, Mike Leeder and Arne Venema and a discussion piece entitled Here Be Dragons moderated by martial arts expert Wayne Wong.  Limited to 2,000 copies, Eureka’s release of this intermediary period of actor Jimmy Wang Yu switching film companies, it represents a strong antidote to the usual Shaw Brothers fare.  Giving viewers a kindred but altogether different experience and fans another facet of Jimmy Wang Yu, it stands out as a fun and entertaining bit of historical fiction action escapism.  Eureka’s disc is splendid and newcomers as well as trained Hong Kong action disciples will relish in this wonderful, comprehensive home video release.

--Andrew Kotwicki