Release Date: August 21st, 1976 (theatrical) / June 6th, 2022 (blu-ray)
Run Time: 1 hour 44 minutes 25 seconds
Region Code: B (locked)
Picture: 1080p (2.35:1 aspect ratio)
Sound: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0, Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0
Subtitles: English
Slipcover: Yes
Digital Copy: No
Starring: Jackie Chan, Jimmy Wang Yu, and Chu Feng
Written by Ku Lung
Directed by Lo Wei
Rating: BBFC: 15 (martial arts violence)
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Poster
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What's It About?
Known as “Killer Meteors”, local hero Mei Xing He (Jimmy Wang Yu) is invincible due to his ‘secret weapon’. However, when his services are sought by another powerful figure, Hua Wu Bin (Jackie Chan), he finds himself drawn into the deadliest challenge of his life.
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Film Review
I could not get into this film at all. I found it lifeless and boring. I didn't care about anything that happened to any of these characters and wished that the film would just end. The fight scenes are some of the worst I have ever seen in a Hong Kong film. They are slow and cumbersome and by the numbers. Thankfully, Jackie Chan was only two years away from breaking out with SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW, so there's always that to think about. I can see why no one was paying attention to Jackie Chan when he made films like THE KILLER METEORS. This was such a waste of time.
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Video/Audio
88 Films says that this transfer is from a brand new 2K scan of original film elements, and that may be true, but it is one of their weaker efforts. It looks like 88 Films has applied some light DNR to the picture which results in the actors looking kind of waxy. It is really bad during the opening scene, but it gets a bit better once the film gets going. There is still a decent amount of detail to get out of the picture with hair being the standout. Colors are decent as well. This is not the most colorful picture out there, so set your expectations low. Blacks are crushed throughout, which is something that happens with a lot of 88 Films' older martial arts films. The newer the film, the less black crush is present. This is probably the best this film will ever look and it isn't all that bad.
English and Mandarin are the languages for this release and each of them get mono and 5.1 tracks. The mono is the way to go as the 5.1 tracks add useless foley work. The mono tracks sound great.
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Extras/Packaging
Audio Commentary by Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
Theatrical Trailer (4m 21s, HD, 2.35:1)
THE KILLER METEORS comes packaged very nicely from 88 Films. The slipcover features brand new artwork from R.P. "Kung Fu Bob" O'Brien, which looks really nice. The overall color for the slipcover is purple which makes it stand out from the other martial arts films in my collection. The blu-ray case features reversible artwork with the Kung Fu Bob artwork on one side and the film's original theatrical poster on the other side. Inside the case, you will find a folded poster featuring the two artworks from the blu-ray case as well as a 32-page booklet with an essay, "When Jackie Goes Bad: Rumble in Hong Kong and The Killer Meteors" by Matthew Edwards, which is a great read.
The disc is REGION B (locked)
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Overall
THE KILLER METEORS is one of the worst martial arts flicks I have ever seen and is definitely in the Top 5 Worst Jackie Chan films. It is so bad. The blu-ray fares a little bit better with average picture but great audio. The commentary from Mike Leeder and Arne Venema is a must. Skip this release unless you are trying to get all of Jackie Chan's or Jimmy Wang Yu's films on blu-ray.
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Extras
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Film
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Packaging
 Blu-ray Review + Screenshots + Packaging Shots){kind=link}
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