The Champions

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Review added by
Jitendar Canth

Before Shaolin Soccer, there were The Champions
Certificate: 18
Running Time: 92 mins
Retail Price: £22.99
Release Date: 2024
Content Type: Movie

Synopsis:
Sports, action and comedy collide in Golden Harvest’s The Champions, the precursor to Shaolin Soccer from the first family of Hong Kong martial arts cinema: the inimitable Yuen Clan!

Lee Tong (Yuen Biao, Dreadnaught) is a young farmer who has grown up in an isolated rural community. When an indiscretion lands him in hot water, he leaves his home in the countryside and heads for the big city – where he meets Suen (Cheung Kwok-keung, Eastern Condors), a street footballer who recognises Tong’s talent for the beautiful game and encourages him to try out for a pro team. But Tong’s first chance at footballing glory is scuppered by a rivalry with the narcissistic King (Dick Wei, Project A), who relegates the newcomer to cleaning up after his teammates. But having discovered a love for football, Tong soon accepts an offer to join a rival team – and the stage is set for a final confrontation with King on the pitch.

Written and directed by Brandy Yuen (In the Line of Duty III) and featuring action choreography by Yuen Shun-yi (The Miracle Fighters) and Yuen Chun Yeung (Armour of God), The Champions is a sporting underdog story filtered through some of the greatest minds in the history of Hong Kong action cinema. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time ever from a brand new 2K restoration!

Special Features:
Limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling [2000 copies]
Brand new audio commentary by East Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) & F.J. DeSanto
Brand new audio commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
Brand new interview with filmmaker and critic James Mudge
Brand new featurette by CFK looking at the 1987 Hong Kong celebrity football / soccer team that featured a number of Hong Kong legends including Jackie Chan and Andy Lau
Reversible sleeve featuring original poster artwork
Trailer
A limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by James Oliver [2000 copies]