Anton van Beek, David Gelmini and James Whittington cast a critical eye over the very latest in Blu-ray and streaming releases, and a cult music album too!

TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN

(2024)4K UHD & Blu-ray (Zavvi exclusive)

Out now. CineAsia. Cert: 15

★★★★

Set in 1980s Hong Kong, this awkwardly titled martial arts actioner stars Raymond Lam as Chan Lok-kwan a scrappy refugee from the mainland who steals a bag of drugs from Sammo Hung’s triad boss Mr. Big, when the latter cheats him out of the fake I.D. card he needs in order to prevent himself from being deported. Fleeing Mr. Big’s goons, Low-kwan ends up taking refuge in the notorious Kowloon Walled City, where he is eventually taken under the wing of compassionate crime lord Cyclone (Louis Coo). Safe from Mr. Big, Low-kwan believes he has finally found the home he’s been searching for - until a secret from his past threatens to derail the fragile piece that exists between Hong Kong’s various criminal syndicates. The latest action blockbuster from Kill Zone 2 helmer Soi Cheang, Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In became Hong Kong’s second biggest grossing film of all time when it hit cinemas in May, 2024. It’s not hard to see why. Although the story initially looks like it may take a more realistically gritty look at life in Kowloon Walled City, any such notions are swiftly kicked into submission as the increasingly wuxiainspired action takes centre stage. And make no mistake, Soi Cheang and action director Kenji Tanigaki have put together a collection of the most awesomely nimble, gravitydefying, bone-crunching fights to grace the silver screen in a long time. Kudos, too, must go to the film’s astonishing production design. From the expansive CG exteriors to the claustrophobic (and jaw-droppingly detailed) studio sets, Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In does a fantastic job of bringing the epic fort-turnedslum to life again (the real Kowloon Walled City was demolished in the mid-‘90s), in the process creating a unique - but entirely believable -setting for the film’s spectacularly orchestrated mayhem. And the film doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to populating this world with fascinating supporting characters; if anything the myriad characters that populate the film are so interesting you almost wish you could spend even more time immersed in their world. An action-packed return to the (recent-ish) past, Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In may not sit well with those who prefer a little realism to their action. But if your idea of a good time is watching people punch each other through walls and defying the laws of gravity, then this is about as good as cinema gets.

Extras: ★★★

The Zavvi-exclusive 4K UHD and Bluray dual-format release of Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In replicates the same array of bonus features across both discs. These include eight brief behind the scenes vignettes (with a combined running time of around half-an-hour); an interview with the film’s protagonists (four minutes); deleted scenes (five minutes); a reel of behind-the-scenes clips (eight minutes); and three trailers. Packaged along the two discs is a 20page photo booklet. Disappointingly, while the film undoubtedly look pretty damn great in 4K, the lack of either HDR10 or Dolby Vision grades prevents CineAsia’s 2160p visuals from delivering a real knock-out punch.

AvB

WATERSHIP DOWN: LIMITED EDITION

(1978) 4K UHD Out now. BFI. Cert: PG

★★★★

The 1970s were a difficult time for Walt Disney Pictures. The studio was in flux following the death of Walt Disney in 1966 and none of the four animated features it released during that decade -The Aristocats (1970), Robin Hood (1973), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and The Rescuers (both 1977) - recaptured the magic of their iconic predecessors. Certainly, none of them had such a profound effect on audiences as a movie about little cartoon bunnies produced right here in good old Blighty towards the end of the decade.