Overview: The Angry River marks a cornerstone moment in Hong Kong cinema - the first film ever produced by the legendary Golden Harvest studios, which would soon launch the careers of icons like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

Directed by Huang Feng (The Himalayan) and featuring fight choreography by a young Sammo Hung, this 1971 martial arts adventure introduced audiences to a new era of high-energy, emotionally charged kung fu storytelling.

Angela Mao (Invincible Eight), known worldwide as the Queen of Kung Fu, stars as Lan Feng, a courageous young woman on a desperate mission to find a cure for her gravely injured father. But danger lurks at every turn, as the very villains responsible for her father’s fate pursue her relentlessly. What follows is a whirlwind of acrobatic combat, breathtaking choreography, and fierce determination, as Lan Feng’s journey becomes a battle for justice and survival.

Visually striking and filled with dynamic set pieces, The Angry River set the tone for Golden Harvest’s groundbreaking approach to martial arts filmmaking - combining rich character drama with innovative fight design and a modern cinematic edge. Mao’s commanding performance established her as one of the era’s defining screen heroines, while Sammo Hung’s kinetic fight arrangements foreshadowed his future as one of Hong Kong’s most influential action legends.

This 88 Films Blu-ray edition brings The Angry River roaring back to life in a stunning 2K restoration from the original negative. Presented with an O-ring slipcase featuring new artwork by Aurelio Lorenzo, the set includes the remastered original Mandarin monaural soundtrack, optional English mono track, newly translated English subtitles, and an expert commentary by Asian cinema historian Frank Djeng.

Additional features include an image gallery, reversible sleeve with original Hong Kong poster art, and the original trailer - making this definitive release a must-own for fans of classic kung fu cinema.

Blu-ray Verdict: One of Angela Mao Ying’s earliest films and Golden Harvest’s first, The Angry River is a pretty good kung fu classic featuring choreography by Han Ying Chieh and Sammo Hung, as well as cameo’s from Hung himself, Jackie Chan and Lam Ching Ying. Featuring a strong cast (of its time), as well as the fresh-faced and wonderful Mao Ying, the film boasts some great swordplay and kung fu, nice locations, complimented by some tasty cinematography and great score.

A young Raymond Lui (Strife For Mastery) is one of many who tries to stop Mao Ying in her mission to help find a cure for her father. It’s this adventure that leads her into situations against old masters, evil swordsmen, and even a dragon. And of course, there’s the angry river itself.

While the majority of its older cast members were on the verge of retirement, the new bloods in Ying, Lui and Hung keep things moving with Golden Harvest allowing veteran director Huang Feng, a bit more freedom than other studios would have at that time. Feng would go on to work with Golden Harvest on a long list of projects, keeping Sammo Hung close by as star and action choreographer for the most of them, as well as Mao Ying as his lead.

I liked Mao Ying’s character in this also. She wasn’t yet the powerhouse kung fu queen as every other movie after this presented her as, but instead, plays a real, scared young woman who knows only a few moves and strives to stay alive, giving a great performance overall for such an early role. By the extensive and exciting end finale against Pai Ying (Royal Warriors), she is super-charged up and shows what she really can do.

The Angry River is as old school as it gets, but with new energy attached, it certainly does not bore. There are a few new tricks tried by the director and action team, and as a first film for Raymond Chow’s new studio (Golden Harvest), it’s close to a masterpiece still entertaining 50 years later. [I.A.]

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
O-ring slip case with new artwork by Aurelio Lorenzo
2K restoration from the original negative
Remastered original Mandarin monaural soundtrack
Newly translated English subtitles
Optional English Mono Soundtrack
Audio Commentary with Asian Cinema Expert Frank Djeng
Image Gallery
Reversible sleeve with original Hong Kong poster artwork
Original Trailer

Official Purchase Link

Official Trailer