Review of Odd Couple, The

Introduction

For a brief moment of sheer silliness, I placed this disc into my player expecting, no hoping for a Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon Kung Fu movie. It wasn`t to be though, although it`s nice of Bey Logan to console those who bought the wrong DVD by mistake on his commentary. This Odd Couple is strictly a Kung Fu comedy of the old school, made in 1979 and starring Sammo Hung and Lau Kar-Wing (credited here as Bruce Lau) as the odd couple of the title.

Sammo Hung stars as the King Of Sabres, Lau Kar-Wing as the King Of Spears, aged martial artists peerless in their chosen fields, and who nurse a long standing rivalry with each other when it comes to just which discipline is the better. Once a year, they face each other in a battle to prove who is the most skilled, and each time the fight results in a draw. Feeling that their familiarity with each other is restricting them from fighting with absolute skill and freedom, they alter the condition of the contest. Each will take a student, and impart their knowledge. These students, unfamiliar with each other will be able to fight without restraint, proving once and for all which is better, the Sabre or the Spear. The King Of Sabres finds a headstrong market trader, one who shows promise with a blade, but who is reluctant to take instruction. He has to use his wits and a hefty dose of reverse psychology to convince young Stubborn Wing, also played by Lau Kar-Wing, to learn how to wield a sabre. Meanwhile the King Of Spears has found a willing student in ferryman Ah Yo (a youthful Sammo Hung), and pretty soon is converting his skill with a pole to mastery of the spear. Now it`s just a matter of engineering a contest between the two. Trouble lies ahead though, for while Spear and Sabre are engrossed with training their students for the competition, a sinister figure from the path stalks them both, eager for vengeance.

Video

The Odd Couple comes with a 2.35:1 transfer from Hong Kong Legends that looks absolutely glorious. It`s clear and colourful throughout, there`s no print damage to speak of and the cinematography is a sheer delight. The only problem would be the occasional scene that loses something in focus, but this is rare. If only other films of this vintage could get such splendid treatment.

To go with the excellent image quality, there is plenty of martial arts action to appreciate, wonderful choreography and some great sight gags. It is a Kung Fu comedy of the old school and as such its visual qualities are paramount. Fortunately this disc does the film justice in that respect.

Audio

The sound on the other hand is not exactly going to set your speakers alight, but given a film that is over 25 years old, originally with a mono soundtrack and the dialogue added in post production, the DD 5.1 Cantonese and English soundtracks presented here are only positive. I listened to the original Cantonese track, finding the English dub a painful experience. The dialogue is clear throughout, but the surrounds are used only for ambience, leaving the film a pretty front-focussed affair. Having said that, there were moments that the rears came to life, especially during the climactic action sequences, but these moments actually sounded out of place, as the speakers hadn`t been used thus earlier in the film.

Features

Hong Kong Legends have got the presentation of their releases down pat by now, and The Odd Couple once again is exemplary proof of their skill and professionalism when it comes to showcasing their films.

The animated menus are dynamic, and well implemented, with the menu choices simply placed and uncomplicated, after the initial burst of action when you insert the disc. The transitions between menus stay short and unobtrusive.

There are two interviews on this disc:

Master And Student is a 26-minute interview with Director and Star Lau Kar-Wing, presented anamorphically as is everything else on the disc, in Cantonese with English subtitles. He talks about his career in general and working on The Odd Couple in particular. It`s also interesting to hear his opinion on the differences between the old Hong Kong movie industry and the cinema as it is today.

Natural Born Killer lasts 28 minutes and is an interview with The Odd Couple`s villain, Leung Kar-Yan, once again conducted in Cantonese. He tells of how Bruce Lee inspired him and how he got started in the business, as well as some of the dangers of the Hong Kong film industry.

There are two trailers, the UK and the original theatrical trailer.

No HKL disc would be complete without a commentary from Bey Logan. Once again he provides an informative, eloquent and passionate commentary to the film that is a joy to listen to. He can fill in the background to a film and explain cultural references that can enhance the viewing experience. Once again there are no subtitles, but as Bey Logan speaks clearly throughout, they aren`t missed as much as they would be on other commentaries.

Also on this disc, you`ll find trailers for other HKL and Premier Asia titles.

Conclusion

The Odd Couple is another classic slice of Kung Fu comedy, ideally packaged by those nice people at Hong Kong Legends. It`s one of those films where the story is hardly as relevant as the action and the comedy, but what story there is nicely told, the rivalry between the aged masters and the training of their students. These films wouldn`t be complete without a sense of danger, an opponent worthy of the name, so the final third of the movie is devoted to the return of the masters` nemesis, who in the intervening years has trained himself up to be a suitable match for the two. It`s contrived, a little clumsily shoehorned into the script, but this isn`t the kind of film where you care about the intricacies of plot or nuances of dialogue.

The action sequences are stunningly choreographed and photographed. There are skilful and dance-like fight sequences, the obligatory training sessions, and a climactic fight that tops all that has come before in the film. It`s a tried and trusted method of filmmaking that hits all the right spots. Similarly, with Sammo Hung in the cast, you can expect more than your fair share of comedy and The Odd Couple doesn`t disappoint in this respect either, featuring a delightful turn from Dean Shek as the idiosyncratic Mr Rocking, although the buck toothed Potato is overdoing the oddball characters just a tad. As you`ll hear in the commentary and the interviews, The Odd Couple comes from a period when actors had to perform their own stunts, had to be skilled in the Martial Arts they portrayed as well as be incredibly fit. This is the kind of film where you can clearly see the actors face through the action sequences, they perform thirty or forty moves before a camera cut, and as an added bonus, they can act too. It`s a whole different discipline and it`s not a cliché in this case to say they really don`t make them like this anymore.

The Odd Couple is a fun ninety minutes of Kung Fu shenanigans, nicely packaged by HKL and with some substantial extras. You`ll know exactly what you get if you buy this disc, but that should be no reason to dissuade you.