Actor, writer, director Lau Kar-Leung is a staple of the Shaw Brothers Studio as evidenced by projects like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978), The Shadow Boxing (1979), The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter (1984), and Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985). Of course, Lau would work with other studios on projects like Tiger on the Beat (1988), Twin Dragons (1992), and Drunken Master II (1994). Lau’s work with Shaw remains highly regarded for its pivotal contributions to martial arts cinema. Now, through 88 Films’s 88 Asia Collection, a first-time U.S. release of Lau’s 1983 action comedy The Lady is the Boss (掌門人) is coming available, though with scant bonus materials and extras.
Having lost the land for their school to the government for a road project, Wah Chiang Martial Arts School’s Master Yun (Lau) establishes a new location and awaits the arrival of Grand Master Wah Chiang from the United States to officially approve the space. However, the Grand Master doesn’t arrive, he sends his daughter, Chan Mei Ling (Kara Wei Ying-Hung), in his stead to officiate and organize the opening. But Mei Ling doesn’t just bring Grand Master’s approval, she also brings that specific U.S. influence that turns away from tradition, resulting in sweeping changes coming to the Wah Chiang Marital Arts School; changes that get Mei Ling in over her heard with the local Triad; changes that require Master Yun to demonstrate why sometimes the old ways are best.
You’re most likely here for one of two typical reasons: you either (a) enjoy what 88 Films does and want to know more or (b) you know the film and want to get a sense of the release. We’re going to start with the packaging before shifting to the on-disc presentation and wrapping up with thoughts on the film itself. What follows is based on the retail review copy provided by MVD Entertainment Group.
As is common these days, The Lady is the Boss is accompanied by an O-ring slipcover with the total design mimicking the front and back of the actual release liner. The slipcover is of the usual slim paper, so it will provide minimal protection to the plastic case while not taking up too much additional space when kept on while stored on your shelves. Do note that the liner is reversible with the front being a new design and the back based on the original Hong Kong art. In both cases, where you get optional designs for which version you display on the front, the back liner is consistent. The disc itself contains a smaller version of the new design as the disc art.
In terms of bonus materials, I can confirm that it includes a feature-length commentary track from frequent collaborator Frank Djeng, as well as a 14-minute featurette titled “Sam Ho on Lau Kar-leung” in which Sam Ho chats with Frédéric Ambroisine about the multi-hyphenate creator. Additionally, while the official MVD site has stated that there are a limited-edition set of four collectors’ art cards included with the release, the 88 Films site does not. I have confirmed via the MVD Entertainment Group rep that there was a change late in production to switch from the art cards to a reversible poster with the new art on one side and the Hong Kong art on the other. At the time of this writing, neither the 88 Films nor the MVD site include a mention of the poster, but I suspect that will change soon.
As for the on-disc presentation, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, frankly. Keep in mind that this is an HD transfer from the original negative, not a 4K transfer and not a restoration. There’s no included information as to how the HD edition was created beyond the mention of the original negative, so it’s difficult to discern the process of creation. For the most part, the video looks good, with no visible wear or trauma on the print. Where there are issues with the video speaks more to Cho On-Sun’s (The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter; Human Lanterns) cinematography which contains a heavy soft focus in several scenes (Mei Ling drinking beer with the five central students and the promotional fight in the public space as two examples) than it does the transfer. The use of such a visual style was common in the period and can be seen in other Hong Kong titles. The audio, however, seems to red-line quite a bit in the sole 2.0 Cantonese mono track. This is mostly with dialogue and is most notable with Mei Ling than any other character, whereas the combat sounds, foley work, and score are much cleaner on the ears. Without knowing how the transfer was made, it’s more difficult to pin-point whether the issue is built-in to the original negative, due to storage issues that damaged the negative, or if it occurred during the transfer creation process. It’s not enough to put one off watching the film, but it’s worth noting.
Released in 1983, The Lady is the Boss arrived just before the “girls with guns” subgenre of Hong Kong action really kicked off with Yes, Madam! (1985), the first of the In the Line of Duty series. This means that Mei Ling is treated much as an obstacle for Master Yun and less as the central figure. By presenting her in this way, The Lady is the Boss becomes as much a film about the conflict between modernity and tradition as it is East vs. West at a time when Hong Kong was still under British control (until 1997). From the costumes Mei Ling is put in to the performance by Wai, Mei Ling represents the American disregard for foreign cultures, presuming that the best way to do anything is the American Way. It’s a smart technique by writers Lau (My Young Auntie), Lee Tai-Hang (Legendary Weapons of China) and, Huang Pa-Ching (Shaolin and Wu Tang) as it creates a character that the audience can root for as one of their own, but who they can still hold enough disdain for so they can laugh when the zaniness of Mei Ling’s choices start catching up with her (first with the counter-culture youth she brings in to the school and then with the conflict against Lung-Wei Wang’s Big Boss of the local triad). The film is, ultimately, fine. The character-driven conflict is more weighty than one would expect from an action comedy, especially in the sequence involving the prostitutes that Mei Ling is teaching, angering Big Boss, but the stunts are smart, engaging, and frequently cleverly staged. The gags themselves are more physical-comedy centric, but the sight gag that places Shaw Brothers canonically within this narrative universe is fun, too. That said, if you were to watch this solely for the stunt work, you wouldn’t leave disappointed, especially considering their choreography from Lau, King Lee King-Chu (The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter), and Hsiao Ho (Yes, Madam!; Eastern Condors).
One of the best ways to appreciate the action stories of today and to understand the work done to achieve something like Ballerina (2025), Brave Citizen (2024), The Old Guard (2020), The Villainess (2017), Le Femme Nikita (1990), and so many others, you need to go backwards to see the changing tide of cinema. With 88 Films releasing the four-film set for In the Line of Duty in 2023, as well as the Inspector Wears Skirts individual films that same year, offering The Lady is the Boss provides another opportunity to look back on female-centered action, for all the good and the bad representation that’s included. Just make sure to keep your expectations in check, should you opt to snag this upon release.
The Lady is the Boss Special Features:
- HD Transfer from the original negative in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray Presentation
- 2.0 Cantonese Mono with newly translated English subtitles
- Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng
- Sam Ho on Lau Kar-leung by Frédéric Ambroisine (13:56)
- Trailer
- Stills Gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original Hong Kong art
- Reversible fold-out poster
Available on Blu-ray March 25th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official 88 Films The Lady is the Boss webpage.
To purchase, head to the official MVD Entertainment Group The Lady is the Boss webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews
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