Release Date: January 15th, 1992 (HK Version) / April 9th, 1999 (US Version) / September 18th, 2023 (blu-ray)
Run Time: 1 hour 44 minutes 29 seconds (HK Version) / 1 hour 29 minutes 1 second (US Version)
Region Code: B (locked)
Disc Count:
Picture: 1080p (2.39:1 aspect ratio)
Sound: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (Alternate Cantonese Mix), Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (Home Video Mix), English DTS-HD Master Audio (HK Version) / English Dolby Digital 5.1 (US Version)
Subtitles: English
Slipcover: Yes (hard slip box)
Digital Copy: No
Starring: Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Teddy Robin Kwan, James Wong, Sylvia Chang, Kirk Wong
Written by Barry Wong, Tsui Hark, Joe Cheung, Wong Yik, Teddy Robin
Directed by Ringo Lam, Tsui Hark
Rating: BBFC: 12 (moderate violence, sex references, language)
Getting to see these classics, some more than others, on the big screen was a thrill. I saw all of the Jackie Chan films except for SUPERCOP (for some reason) in the theater and always had fun with them. TWIN DRAGONS was no different. The film is great. Having two Jackie Chans adds a of comedy to the film and that is saying a lot as Chan's films are usually wall-to-wall comedy. I remember my father laughing really hard at the scene where Chan has to be a conductor. The film is also really well directed by Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark. The action is top notch with some really great stunts.
Picture: 1080p (2.39:1 aspect ratio)
Sound: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (Alternate Cantonese Mix), Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (Home Video Mix), English DTS-HD Master Audio (HK Version) / English Dolby Digital 5.1 (US Version)
Subtitles: English
Slipcover: Yes (hard slip box)
Digital Copy: No
Starring: Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Teddy Robin Kwan, James Wong, Sylvia Chang, Kirk Wong
Written by Barry Wong, Tsui Hark, Joe Cheung, Wong Yik, Teddy Robin
Directed by Ringo Lam, Tsui Hark
Rating: BBFC: 12 (moderate violence, sex references, language)
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Poster(s)
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What's It About?
On holidays in Hong Kong, Mrs Ma gives birth to identical twins. A criminal in the same hospital attempts to escape, taking one of the twins hostage. The child is lost during the confusion and Mr and Mrs Ma return to New York with one child. Years later, John Ma is a famous conductor and pianist, unaware that his twin brother "Boomer" is a mechanic/race car driver/bodyguard in Hong Kong. When John travels to Hong Kong to give a concert, the twins get caught up in each other's business, about which they are anything but experts.
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Film Review
Despite TWIN DRAGONS being released in 1992 in Asia, it wasn't given a wide release in the States until 1999 (it played in L.A. but was a very limited release). After the success of RUMBLE IN THE BRONX in the States, New Line Cinema and Dimension Films bought up the rights to a bunch of Chan's films, some classics, others newer. Dimension released the most in the theaters with SUPERCOP (POLICE STORY III: SUPERCOP), OPERATION CONDOR (ARMOUR OF GOD II: OPERATION CONDOR), LEGEND OF DRUNKEN MASTER (DRUNKEN MASTER II), and TWIN DRAGONS (it kept its name, probably because it wasn't a sequel). They also released PROJECT A 1 and 2 (again no name change) as well as OPERATION CONDOR 2: THE ARMOUR OF GOD (yes, while OPERATION CONDOR is a sequel to THE ARMOUR OF GOD pretty much everywhere else in the world, the first film was marketed as a sequel in the US).
Getting to see these classics, some more than others, on the big screen was a thrill. I saw all of the Jackie Chan films except for SUPERCOP (for some reason) in the theater and always had fun with them. TWIN DRAGONS was no different. The film is great. Having two Jackie Chans adds a of comedy to the film and that is saying a lot as Chan's films are usually wall-to-wall comedy. I remember my father laughing really hard at the scene where Chan has to be a conductor. The film is also really well directed by Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark. The action is top notch with some really great stunts.
I do want to talk about the effects for a second. Obviously, they used all different types of effects to put two Jackies on the screen. You can tell in certain scenes when the two Chans share the screen but otherwise, they are very impressive. I would even say that they are better than the effects used to put two Jean Claude Van Dammes onscreen in DOUBLE IMPACT. Some of those effects were bad even back then.
TWIN DRAGONS is a very fun Jackie Chan film. He commits to the dual role with a gusto and he plays off of himself surprisingly well. The film has an all-star cast including cameos from the likes of John Woo, Lau Kar-leung, Eric Tsang, and Kirk Wong. I would watch the Hong Kong version first as it is the most complete but the US version is pretty good too.
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Video/Audio
Presented in the film's original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, 88 Films has done right by TWIN DRAGONS in the A/V departments. Many were scared that this would have been the same DNR'd mess that was released in France and Germany but this is not that mess. Well, it is but it isn't. It is because it is the same scan but it isn't slathered with the same DNR that those other releases had. This means there is a nice layer of grain that gives the picture a much more film like appearance. Colors are strong and blacks are deep.
I listened to the English dub for this review as I wanted to see how different this track and the one Dimension Films made for their release and I have to say that I like the Dimension dub more. I compared this English track with the Cantonese tracks and the English track sounds a bit fuller than any of the Cantonese tracks but they sound really good as well.
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Extras/Packaging
Audio Commentary with HongKong Cinema Experts Frank Djeng and F. J. DeSanto
Dimension Films Version (1h 29m, HD, 2.39:1) I LOVE that 88 Films included this version of the film as this was how I saw the film for the first time when it was released in 1999. I complained that they didn't include the US version of Armour of God II: Operation Condor on their blu-ray of that film as it was the version that a lot of people saw first. I honestly think this version is better and has a snappier pace.
Interview with Actors Tung Wei and James Ha (13m 51s, SD, 1.78:1) Cantonese with English subtitles
Scene from the Japanese Version (23s, SD, 2.39:1) Cantonese with English subtitles
Taiwanese Deleted Scenes (1m 3s, SD, 1.66:1) Cantonese with English subtitles
Archive EPK Q&A (2m 50s, SD, 1.33:1) This is a short piece where Jackie is asked a question from someone on the phone. Both the question and answer are pretty standard. This was done during promotion for the American release in 1999.
Archive Jackie Chan Interview (20m 47s, SD, 1.33:1) Done on the set of Twin Dragons
Archive Behind the Scenes Footage (25m 21s, SD, 1.33:1) This consists of fly-on-the-wall footage shot during the making of the film.
Hong Kong Trailer (2m 49s, HD, 2.39:1)
English Trailer (2m 26s, HD, 2.39:1) I was a little disappointed this wasn't the US release trailer.
Japanese Trailer (1m 35s, SD, 1.78:1) The film is called just Twin Dragon without the "S". In Japanese with Japanese subtitles
Japanese TV Spot (31s, SD, 1.33:1) In Japanese with Japanese subtitles
UK VHS Trailer (1m 22s, SD, 2.39:1) This thing is cropped, probably from a 1.78:1 or so to a 2.39:1)
English Opening/Closing (9m 9s, SD, 2.39:1)
TWIN DRAGONS is brought to us from 88 Films and they have gone all out for this release. There is a Hard Box outer casing like the ones that 88 Films has released before like THE ICEMAN COMETH, SNAKE AND CRANE ARTS OF SHAOLIN, and DRAGONS FOREVER. The front artwork is a newly commissioned piece from artist Sean Longmore, who did the artwork for a bunch of 88 Films releases including RIGHTING WRONGS, THE SEVENTH CURSE, and the TIGER CAGE TRTheGY. THe man does great work and this artwork is no different.
Inside the b,ox you will find a double wide blu-ray case that houses the single blu-ray disc along with four postcards. There is also a 80-page booklet with two essays about the film: "The Twins Effect: How to Double a Dragon" by Thorsten Boose and "Twin Dragons, Duel Personas: Jackie Chan's Bridge Between the 80s and 90s" by Paul Bramhall. The first essay covers the effects used to bring two Jackies to the same scene while the other essay the before and after of TWIN DRAGONS. These essays are peppered with screenshots from the film, poster art, and other info about the film.
The blu-ray features more art from Mr. Longmore and is REGION B (LOCKED)
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Overall
TWIN DRAGONS is a very fun Jackie Chan film that tries to do something different and gives us two Jackie Chans. Not all the jokes land but the fight scenes are amazing, as usual. This is definitely one of the better 90s Jackie Chan films.
Again, 88 Films gives us a worthy Jackie Chan release. Picture and audio quality is the best out there and the special features give us a lot of behind the scenes stories. The packaging is beautiful to behold and the booklet is nice and informative. Jackie Chan fans will eat this release up.
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Extras/Menus
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Film
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Packaging
 Blu-ray Review + 1080p Screenshots + Packaging Shots){kind=link}
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