Chatter around the Hong Kong cinema fandom frequently circles the enduring legacy of the stalwarts within the celebrated Yuen Clan and bevy of stars formerly known as “the Seven Little Fortunes”. Within the shared filmographies of the two entities therein lies The Champions, Brandy Yuen’s feature directing debut which opened in 1983, starring Yuen Biao whose resumé came lined heavily with decades of experience on the screen in smaller roles that increased over time, including a handy set of hits starring the actor.
Biao is joined by Cheung Kwok-keung, Dick Wei, Moon Lee, and Eddy Ko for the story of a young farmer named Lee Tong (Biao), whose skirmish with the vindictive family of a wealthy socialite during what should have been a friendly contest, finds him on the run with the help of his elderly Uncle (Ko). After escaping to Hong Kong and now lost with no money after being swindled, Lee becomes in roads with Fanny (Lee), a surreptitious lottery ticket sales girl, and her brother, Suen (Cheung Kwok-keung) – the latter being the result of a chance meeting where Suen is convinced that Lee’s phenomenal kicking power could make him a valuable soccer asset for upcoming tryouts.
Lee’s resolve here is tenaciously tested upon trying out for team led by the highly venerated Football King (Wei) whose celebrity – and ego to match – are almost instantly threatened by Lee’s arrival. Bullied and mistreated by his fellow teammates along with King, it’s not until a major game reveals something more nefarious in the works apart from King’s malfeasant behavior toward Lee. The result is a tenacious journey through football for a young rookie player who wants nothing more than to care for his ailing uncle and excel at his potential, all while in a sport that is plagued by raw deals, gambling, and unyielding temptation.
Indeed, The Champions is another in the history books that’s as light-hearted and energizing as they come when it comes to Hong Kong films of the era. The limber and lithe stylings of the Yuens’ and their stunt coordination go hand in hand especially when showcasing the feats of their starring actor and honorary Yuen Clan member, with a number of tricks packaged into the narrative that would leave you wondering just how many takes some of these moments took.
The action certainly expands a time or several when it comes time for Biao’s character to throwdown, in scenes all signature to the requisite fight scene work akin to Hong Kong fandom appeal, wire stunts and fire stunts included. The inevitable showdown between Biao and Wei is an excellent treat that brings Biao’s character full circle against that of the villainous Football King. The ending results in somewhat of a grisly demise but it’s all played out handsomely and in expectant Hong Kong comedy fashion.
There are a total of four different versions of The Champions on this single Blu-Ray, visually similar but all with different audio features. Three of them are in Cantonese – one with the original Mono audio, and another with a newly restored Cantonese audio, as well as a Japanese iteration with a new score for its distributors. The fourth treatment has the requisite English-dubbing that fans in North America can also find available on Well Go USA’s streaming service, Hi-YAH!, in addition to the film’s Cantonese version.
Indeed, the soccer aspect of the film is a key highlight of the two audio commentaries, the first of which comes by way of F.J. DeSanto and Frank “fuck the term ‘soccer'” Djeng. New factoids about the film are shared by Djeng delving into the film’s performance ranking during its October 1983 release in Hong Kong and its award standing, as well as trivia about co-stars Cheung and Lee, to start. DeSanto opens up with comparisons and references to classics like Dragon Lord and The Young Master for the film’s Kung Fu movie formula in its approach to sports cinema, and highlights a few of filmmaker Stephen Chow’s influences.
These are just a few morsels in the early parts of their commentary which bode a promising listen, as well as from stewards Mike Leeder and Arne Venema. One topic of interest was the film’s setting with one commentor from the tracks suggesting the film was set in the 1960s. The film’s Japanese theme was another point of interest by Leeder who also talks about the film’s idiomatic title translation “football crazy,” and also highlights which actor it was who sung the film’s Japanese theme song, in English, at that.
The commentaries alone are more than enough, but the special features do continue with Venema spotlighting the historical Hong Kong celebrity football team in CFK Presents “Superstar Football HK,” talking up its founders, and star-studded line-up, and ultimately going into who he would pick as his “all-time, all-star squad”. The single disc also includes a 14-minute video interview with film producer and industry expert James Mudge who discusses all things The Champions, especially its standing during the ever-fluctuating Hong Kong film industry.
Bookending the special features is the Japanese release trailer, and the original Hong Kong trailer, with the rest of the assets leaving collectors of this package with an ample mouthful. Included are two trading cards with the characters of Biao and Wei and their player stats, as well as a 22-page pamphlet with excerpts by Jamie Oliver, about the film, its history with respect to the creative trajectory of director Yuen, and its lasting impact as one of the more unsung titles of Hong Kong action movie history. It all comes packaged in a slip cover with a case that entails a reversible jacket for its decour, illustrating both the authentic Hong Kong promo art, as well as the ink from Eureka.