One of the pinnacles of Hong Kong cinema’s 1990s golden age, the
Once Upon a Time in China series set a new standard for
martial-arts spectacle and launched action star Jet Li to
international fame. It brings to vivid life the colorful world of
China in the late nineteenth century, an era of immense cultural
and technological change, as Western imperialism clashed with
tradition and public order was upended by the threats of foreign
espionage and rising nationalism. Against this turbulent
backdrop, one man—the real-life martial-arts master, physician,
and folk hero Wong Fei-hung—emerges as a noble protector of
Chinese values as the country hurtles toward modernity. Conceived
by Hong Kong New Wave leader Tsui Hark, this epic cycle is not
only a dazzling showcase for some of the most astonishing action
set pieces ever committed to film but also a rousing celebration
of Chinese identity, history, and culture.
SIX-BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION COLLECTOR’S SET FEATURES
* 4K digital restorations of Once Upon a Time in China and Once
Upon a Time in China II and III, and new 2K digital restorations
of Once Upon a Time in China IV and V, all presented with their
original Cantonese theatrical-release sound mixes in uncompressed
monaural or stereo
* Alternate stereo Cantonese soundtracks for Once Upon a Time in
China and Once Upon a Time in China II, featuring the original
theatrical sound effects, and monaural Cantonese soundtrack for
Once Upon a Time in China III
* Once Upon a Time in China and America (1997) in a 2K digital
transfer, featuring 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio and monaural
Cantonese soundtracks, along with a stereo Mandarin track with
the voice of actor Jet Li
* New interviews with director Tsui Hark, Film Workshop cofounder
Nansun Shi, editor Marco Mak, and critic Tony Rayns
* Excerpts from audio interviews with Li conducted in 2004 and
’05
* Deleted scenes from Once Upon a Time in China III
* Documentary from 2004 about the real-life martial-arts hero
Wong Fei-hung
* From Spikes to Spindles, a 1976 documentary about New York
City’s Chinatown featuring uncredited work by Tsui
* Excerpts from a 2019 master class given by martial-arts
choreographer Yuen Wo-ping
* Archival interviews featuring Tsui and actors John Wakefield,
Donnie Yen, and Yen Shi-kwan
* Behind-the-scenes footage for Once Upon a Time in China and
Once Upon a Time in China and America
* Making-of program from 1997 on Once Upon a Time in China and
America
* Trailers
* New English subtitle translations
* PLUS: An essay on the films by critic Maggie Lee and an essay
on the cinematic depictions of Wong by novelist Grady Hendrix
ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA
1991 • 134 MINUTES • COLOR • MONAURAL • IN CANTONESE WITH ENGLISH
SUBTITLES • 2.39:1 ASPECT RATIO
Writer-producer-director Tsui Hark’s sprawling vision of a
changing nineteenth-century China begins with this riotously
entertaining epic, a blockbuster hit that cemented Jet Li’s
status as the greatest martial-arts superstar of his generation.
Li displays his stunning, fast-yet-fluid fighting style as the
legendary martial-arts teacher and doctor Wong Fei-hung, who,
with a band of loyal disciples, battles a host of nefarious
forces—foreign and local alike—threatening Chinese sovereignty as
British and American imperialists encroach upon the Mainland.
Once Upon a Time in China’s breathtaking blend of kung fu,
comedy, romance, and melodrama climaxes in a whirlwind s vs.
fists finale that is also a thrilling affirmation of Chinese
cultural identity.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA II
1992 • 112 MINUTES • COLOR • MONAURAL • IN CANTONESE WITH ENGLISH
SUBTITLES • 2.39:1 ASPECT RATIO
Having chronicled the social upheaval wrought by Western
influence in the opening chapter of the Once Upon a Time in China
series, Tsui Hark turned his attention to the perils of unchecked
nationalism in his sensational follow-up, the rare sequel to
equal the dizzying highs of the original. Jet Li returns to the
role of Wong Fei-hung, who here takes on the diabolical White
Lotus Sect, a virulently xenophobic cult whose anti-foreigner
sentiments unleash a wave of destructive violence. Fellow
martial-arts icon Donnie Yen dazzles in a star-making turn as
Wong’s nemesis, who faces off with the hero in a battle royal
that showcases the kinetic brilliance of revered Hong Kong action
choreographer Yuen Wo-ping.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA III
1993 • 112 MINUTES • COLOR • STEREO • IN CANTONESE AND MANDARIN
WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES • 2.39:1 ASPECT RATIO
Jet Li’s third outing as the storied martial-arts hero Wong
Fei-hung in the Once Upon a Time in China films is an
exhilarating celebration of Chinese culture peppered with a dash
of international espionage. This time around, Wong travels to
Beijing, where he finds himself drawn into the intrigue
surrounding an epic lion-dance competition, spars with a Russian
rival for the affections of his beloved Thirteenth Aunt (Rosamund
Kwan), and fights to foil a foreign plot to assassinate the
real-life Chinese diplomat Li Hongzhang. The eye-popping
lion-dance set pieces—which combine vibrantly colored,
fire-breathing pageantry with martial-arts mayhem—rank among the
most visually spectacular achievements of the series.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA IV
1993 • 101 MINUTES • COLOR • MONAURAL • IN CANTONESE WITH ENGLISH
SUBTITLES • 2.39:1 ASPECT RATIO
Though it picks up the narrative thread where the previous
installment left off, Once Upon a Time in China IV introduces a
new director, action choreographer Yuen Bun, and star, Vincent
Zhao, who takes over the role of Wong Fei-hung from Jet Li. Once
again, foreign skulduggery and a violent nationalist group—in the
form of the fierce women warriors known as the Red Lantern
Sect—swirl around a magnificent lion-dance competition, with Wong
caught in the fray. Toning down the comedic and romantic elements
of the first three films in favor of almost wall-to-wall kung-fu
action, the fourth entry is the leanest and meanest of the
series, highlighted by a gravity-defying fight atop a field of
collapsing, domino-like planks.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA V
1994 • 101 MINUTES • COLOR • MONAURAL • IN CANTONESE WITH ENGLISH
SUBTITLES • 2.39:1 ASPECT RATIO
Tsui Hark returned to the director’s chair for the rollicking
comedic adventure Once Upon a Time in China V, in which the
indomitable hero Wong Fei-hung (Vincent Zhao) tangles with a band
of ruthless, finger-removing pirates who are exploiting the
political chaos created by the invasion of foreigners in order to
terrorize the Chinese coast. The fist-and-foot kung-fu set
pieces—including a showstopping, gold-hued melee set in a
warehouse of pirate treasure—are plentiful, but Tsui ups the ante
by introducing acrobatic play to the proceedings, infusing
this furiously entertaining crowd-pleaser with a bracing jolt of
John Woo–style bullet ballet mayhem.