Any Jackie Chan fan knows that the action star did some of his best and most legendary works in the 80s and 90s. Known for his ability to improvise and perform incredibly elaborate stunts on cue, the actor showcased a lot of his acting range in 1985’s Heart of Dragon. The story centered around a cop who will do anything to protect his brother after getting tangled in a life-threatening situation. North American Blu told Collider the classic movie is getting a 2K re-release next month, and we can now share with you the exclusive trailer and what bonus material the Blu-ray edition will feature.
Heart of Dragon is a landmark movie in Chan’s career, not only because it represents one of the titles that helped him break through to cinema audiences worldwide, but also because it marks one of his best collaborations with Sammo Hung, who plays his onscreen brother. Hung and Chan were childhood friends and braved the Hong Kong movie industry together, and they worked side-by-side on several projects.
Heart of Dragon Is a Cinema Classic You Must Watch
The Heart of Dragon re-release is a treat to fans of Chan’s body of work, with a 2K restoration that invites you back into the action, and bonus material that makes the Blu-ray edition a must-have to both Jackie Chan and action cinema fans. The special features also include the theatrical and Japanese cuts of the movie, as well as the original Cantonese and English mono audio tracks on both cuts. You’ll also get to see archive interviews with stars Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, as well as a brand-new audio commentary with Frank Djeng & FJ DeSanto on the extended cut of the movie.
Directed by Hung and Fruit Chan, Heart of Dragon is considered a Hong Kong action cinema jewel, and one of the titles that allowed room for Jackie Chan to lean into a more dramatic performance, since it’s a lot more serious than other titles the actor has starred in. The movie was a standout at the 1986 Hong Kong movie awards, in which it was nominated for five categories including Best Director (Hung), Best Actor (Chan), and Best Action Choreography. The screenplay was written by Barry Wong (Hard Boiled).
Discover What Bonus Features You'll See in The Heart of Dragon Blu-ray Edition
Here’s the bonus material you’ll find in the Heart of Dragon Blu-ray special edition:
- 2K restoration from the original negative by Fortune Star
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of the 91-minute Hong Kong Theatrical Cut and the 99-minute Extended Japanese Cut via seamless branching
- Original lossless Cantonese and English mono audio on both cuts, plus Mandarin on the Theatrical Cut and Cantonese with alternate score on the Extended Cut
- Optional English subtitles for both cuts
- Brand new commentary by Frank Djeng & FJ DeSanto on the Extended Cut
- The Making of The First Mission and The First Mission: Pre-Release Event, two extended featurettes made to promote the Japanese release by Shochiku
- Archive interview with star Jackie Chan
- Archive interview with star Rocky Lai
- Two archive interviews with director/star Sammo Hung
- Archive interview with cinematographer Arthur Wong
- Alternate English credits as The First Mission
- Trailer gallery, including the ‘music video’ trailer by Su Rui
- Image Gallery
- - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Gilbey
- - FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing by Dylan Cheung and David West
Heart of Dragon becomes available on North American Blu and their streaming service Arrow on April 11. You can watch the thrilling re-release trailer below:
Check out the official synopsis here:
Tat (Chan) is a hotshot cop with more stress than he can bear: if he's not on the verge of getting beaten up on his day job, he's looking out for his intellectually delayed brother Dodo (Hung), who needs constant supervision in case his naïve, kind nature gets taken advantage of. Tat wants nothing more than to escape his obligations and see the world; but when Dodo accidentally winds up in the line of fire, Tat must run into danger and make the ultimate sacrifice to save his brother.