Dragon Fist Blu-ray Screenshots (Patreon)

[Note: My schedule got changed around this week so I'll have exclusives tomorrow]

Video

Dragon Fist's opening credits hold some of the worst imagery to grace this format. At times, it looks as if the film barely exists due to weird off-color spots and rotting grain. It's better once these pass, if still wildly imperfect. Restoration keeps the film stock clean, free of debris, dirt, or scratches. That's impressive. Flicker does become a bother near the midway point, black levels turning to an off-color orange, rapidly back-and-forth. Banding can intrude too.

Sadly, the mastering work still applies far too much digital processing, muddying wide shots into muddy blobs of indiscernible color. In close, this isn't as rough if still noticeable. Forget basic texture - that's gone, even behind what grain still exists and it isn't much.

Color reproduction, grading on a curve, is Dragon Fist's best asset, although even this sours from age. Primaries look faded, flat, and dry. Overblown contrast doesn't help, further washing out the limited remaining color. Black levels come and go as they please, sometimes firm, other times non-existent.

Audio

Seven (!) audio tracks are on offer. Four of them come uncompressed in DTS-HD - Cantonese (default), Mandarin, English, and Japanese theatrical Cantonese. The next trio offer compressed 5.1, Cantonese, Mandarin, and English on offer. Skip those. Their lackluster soundstages and exaggerations merely distract from the action.

None of these sport any impressive qualities. Dialog blows out, and the "borrowed" score never exhibits stable qualities. Treble wobbles and wanes. Age is a constant burden.