Eureka Video UK Blu-ray Synopsis: After the massive success of the Once Upon a Time in China series, Jet Li moved away from period settings and started to focus on action films set in the modern-era, a decision that would make him an international icon and of the biggest stars in the history of Hong Kong cinema. In The Enforcer (aka My Father is a Hero) Li is an undercover police officer tracking down a notorious Hong Kong crime lord. Teaming up with his martial-arts prodigy son and a female officer (Anita Mui), together they lay down the law! In Dr Wai in “The Scripture with No Words” a down on his luck pulp fiction author (Li) lives vicariously through one of his characters, an Indiana Jones-esque adventurer searching for a mythical scripture. Then, in Hitman (aka Contract Killer), Li plays Tai Feng, a young assassin with a “sense of justice” who crosses paths with the “King of Killers” — a legendary vigilante with a huge bounty on his head. Eureka Classics is proud to present three of Jet Li’s most beloved action films on Blu-ray for the first time ever in the UK.

 

Eastern Heroes UK DVD Synopsis (HK Version): Showcasing once again the superb on screen fighting power of Asian Superstar Jet Li, Hong Kong box office smash 'Dr Wai' is set in the early Twentieth Century where Wai (Jet) embarks on an action packed quest in search of “The Scriptures With No Words”. Along with his trusty assistant Pao (Takeshi Kaneshiro) they encounter many obstacles on their way, including the lovely but deadly Yu Fung (Rosamund Kwan), a top agent for the Japanese who is attracted to Wai's boyish looks, and the lethal fighting skills of underworld gangster Ngai (Ngai Sing – 'Bodyguard From Beijing'), who falls prey to the scriptures and transforms into a powerful monster to confront Jet in the final showdown. Ching Siu Tung, director of such classics as 'A Chinese Ghost Story', 'The Heroic Trio' and its sequel 'The Executioners', weaves his stylish magic set against magnificent backdrops, delivering an epic action adventure in true Hong Kong style. There's also an excellent supporting role from the super villain Billy Chow ('Fist of Legend') and more – Watch out Indiana Jones, your Chinese cousin is on his way into town! (90 Mins)

 

Eastern Heroes UK VHS Synopsis (HK Version): Showcasing once again the superb on screen fighting power of Asian Superstar Jet Lee, Hong Kong box office smash 'Dr Wai' is set in the early Twentieth Century where Wai (Jet) embarks on an action packed quest in search of “The Scriptures With No Words”. Along with his trusty assistant Pao (Takeshi Kaneshiro) they encounter many obstacles on their way, including the lovely but deadly Yu Fung (Rosamund Kwan), a top agent for the Japanese who is attracted to Wai's boyish looks, and the lethal fighting skills of underworld gangster Ngai (Ngai Sing – 'Bodyguard From Beijing'), who falls prey to the scriptures and transforms into a powerful monster to confront Jet in the final showdown. Ching Siu Tung, director of such classics as 'A Chinese Ghost Story', 'The Heroic Trio' and its sequel 'The Executioners', weaves his stylish magic set against magnificent backdrops. In this version, the original director's cut, Jet Lee is the authorand main character of this epic story. With significant shifts in time and character as he and his companions re-write the narrative, audiences who have viewed the International Version will be able to enjoy a whole new perspective to this spectacular action adventure. (90 Mins)

 

Views: Released in the Philippines as Adventure King and Adventurer From China, Dr. Wai & The Scripture With No Words is a fun live-action comic book adventure that blends elements of Indiana Jones and The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, with the popular Chinese character of Wisely created by the prolific and late Ni Kuang. The film tells the tale of jovial adventurer Doctor Wai and his assistants, who are on the search for the legendary Scripture with no words; a mystical object that grants its user unlimited powers. At the same time, the Japanese army are intent on finding it for their own cause. After their paths cross, Wai meets Japanese woman Yu Fung and becomes so fascinated with her that he almost screws-up his mission!

 

After a huge fire destroyed many sets, some footage, and the spirits of everyone involved causing producer Wong Jing to walk out halfway through production, Dr. Wai & The Scripture With No Words went through some rewrites that saw it released in two versions. One would be the HK cut that saw new footage of modern-day scenes showing Jet playing a popular writer who is suffering from writers block due to an ongoing divorce. Along with the help of his two assistants, he puts his frustrations into the story using those around him as characters in his adventure (putting his wife as one of the main villains), in a bid to bring some closure to his troubles. These new scenes set in modern-day, were credited to Tsui Hark who was brought in to help tidy things up, and while it works for the most part (albeit for a few plot holes along the way) it makes the Hong Kong version bear some similarities to The Seventh Curse and Jackie Chan's The Myth to some degree. The second is the export version which eliminates any modern day footage and focuses on the 1930s footage, providing a solid Indiana Jones themed adventure movie that comes across much more entertaining in my eyes. Although they run for almost the same length, the international version delivers more unseen footage missing from the HK cut which includes more martial-arts action, melodrama, and light subplots – proving to be a stronger story overall to many who have seen them both. Filmed by Eastern Productions (the company set up by Jet Li and Corey Yuen Kwai) Dr. Wai would still fall under Wins Entertainment; the second title that Jet Li would make for them after My Father Is A Hero just prior to this, returning to make Hitman only a few years later. The film was directed by the legendary Tony Ching Siu Tung who had previously directed Jet in the epic Swordsman 2, and again many years later in the criminally underrated Sorcerer & The White Snake before going on to choreograph the star in the global box-office smash Hero alongside stars Donnie Yen, Tony Leung, and Maggie Cheung, and soon after again in The Warlords. Interestingly though, rumour has it that Ching showed much dissatisfaction for the project while on set, yet still managed to deliver a highly entertaining piece given how much trouble the production had.

 

If Jet Li and Rosamund Kwan's on-screen chemistry seemed quite natural, it would, of course, be down to their time spent together playing the leading characters of Tsui Hark's epic Once Upon A Time In China 1, 2 & 3 – with the pair returning to the roles of Wong Fei Hung and Aunt Yee soon after this on Once Upon A Time In China & America from director Sammo Hung. In fact, their relationship in this production was so convincing that word reached Jet Li's wife – popular actress Nina Li Chi – who quickly arrived on set threatening him with a divorce due to the rumours. As one of the villains of the piece, and love interest, depending on which version you are watching I suppose, Kwan impresses as the sword and whip wielding Japanese boss impressing in her action scenes and, as always, with her performance. While in the 1930s, her character runs a torture chamber that sees her Japanese soldiers abusing and testing on their Chinese prisoners. It's a scene very similar to that seen in the brutal Men Behind The Sun movies, although definitely not as shocking, with the international version offering more scenes from this part of the movie. It's worth noting that Rosamund would return for another Wisely inspired story about 6 years later, this time alongside Andy Lau, in the Wong Jing and Andrew Lau sci-fi action flick, Wesley's Mysterious Files (which definitely wasn't as entertaining as this one). Both are joined by a great supporting cast including the gorgeous Takeshi Kaneshiro, who had worked with Ching Siu Tung on his debut film Heroic Trio 2: Executioners, going on to join forces with him later again in the epic House Of Flying Daggers and The Warlords – once again alongside Jet Li. The lovely Charlie Yeung completes their trio of friends in her second film with Jet after the fun High Risk, although her third with Takeshi after Fallen Angels and Young Policemen In Love, before starring together one last time in Downtown Torpedoes with rumours that the pair had been dating for a period of time. While they both star as Jet's co-writers in the modern-day scenes of the Hong Kong version, they prove to be just as enjoyable as his adventurous sidekicks in the other, getting in on the action and comedy – including one lengthy scene that sees Takeshi and Jet trying to pass as flirtatious ladies attending a ball...

 

Once again, Jet Li gets to go up against some regular adversaries in the shape of the great Billy Chow and Colin Chou! Although he had been hard at work in the Hong Kong film industry for a number of years already, Billy really only got to face-off against Jet in 1994 when he starred as the brutal General in the brilliant Fist Of Legend. He would return with Li for a rematch in High Risk the following year to give yet another kick-ass performance, although this time with a wildly comedic tone in place. However, their time spent on Dr. Wai would be their third and final role together – placing Billy back in the role of a Japanese fighter, albeit as the right-hand man to Rosamund Kwan's character. Still, it doesn't stop him from getting in on the action which he always delivers so damn well. Unlike Chow Bei Bei, fellow Sammo Hung Stunt Team member Colin Chou/NgaiSing, had a bit of a healthier working relationship with the wushu superstar having first starred with Jet Li in the amazing Kung Fu Cult Master, decent Bodyguard From Beijing, and the fantastically action-packed, My Father Is A Hero. The pair would later join forces again in the epic Ronny Yu film Fearless, with Chou later facing off against him and Jackie Chan in The Forbidden Kingdom and later again with Jet in Badges Of Fury. On a side note, and regarding his big Hollywood role in the hugely successful Matrix movies, it is said that Colin only took on the role of Seraph after Jet Li turned it down – which wasn't a terrible decision in my opinion.

 

While the modern scenes of the Hong Kong version certainly offer some entertainment, it would be the original footage of the 1930s that delivers all the action. Here, Ching offers plenty of gravity-defying wire-fu action that sees Jet battle ninjas, sumo wrestlers, Japanese warriors, and a fellow adventurer (Colin Chou) who has been possessed by a demon that leads to both of them using flaming whip-swords as weapons while they fight! I would say that his action here is more akin to the fantasy wuxia seen in Jet's films such as Once Upon A Time In China and Tai Chi Master, with beautiful hand-to-hand combat blended with plenty of insane comic-book style moves that sees any and all stars flying through the air, using wild weapons, or sending someone three times their size spinning through a wall. It's all very inventive, with the Hong Kong version probably coming across better with today's audience in allowing such wild action to be seen as part of a fictional story – but I just love it regardless. It's certainly not the first Hong Kong movie to ask the audience to suspend their disbelief for 90 minutes, and it fits the tone of the things wonderfully. With that, I think it's only fair to say that Dr. Wai & The Scripture With No Words proves to be a highly enjoyable action-comedy adventure, and although not perfect, is a different kind of Jet Li period piece that's packed with some amazing action sequences, exciting fight choreography, great model work, hilarious comedy moments – including a runaway steam train pushing a man in a bathtub – and some wonderfully captured moments of cinematography courtesy of Tom Lau (cinematographer of many Jet Li films), including its memorable scenes on the legendary Great Wall of China which look better than they have ever done before, thanks to this new 2K restoration from Eureka Video!

 

Overall: No matter which version, Dr. Wai & The Scripture With No Words is a fun live-action comic-book adventure that delivers some fun fight scenes, silly comedy, and plenty of entertainment!

 

Eureka Video Blu-ray Extras: 2K Restoration, HK and International Versions, Audio Commentary with Mike Leeder & Arne Venema (HK Version), Audio Commentary with Frank Djeng (International Version), Trailer

 

Eastern Heroes DVD Extras: Deleted Scenes from International Version, Jet Li Biography, Cast & Crew Filmographies, Photo Gallery, Trailer

 

Eastern Heroes VHS Trailers: None

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Get your copy HERE

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Watch my unboxing video for this Eureka Video release HERE

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Watch my video retrospective on this film HERE