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The Last Blood (Special Edition) (Blu-ray Review)

REVIEW OVERVIEW

The Film
The Video
The Audio
The Supplements
Overall

SUMMARY

After a religious figure is attacked by a terrorist group, an INTERPOL agent in Singapore must help the police find and protect five blood donors who share his rare blood type.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

The 1990 film The Last Blood, also known as Hard Boiled II, Police Protectors, and 12 Hours of Terror, is an over-the-top Hong Kong action film starring Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs) from director Wong Jing (Once Upon a Time in Hong Kong). When a Tibetan religious leader, the Daka Lama, is attacked by a terrorist group in Singapore, wounding the girlfriend of INTERPOL agent Bee (Lau) in the process — the only known person sharing the Lama’s rare blood type — Bee must help the local police find and protect five people that match their type. The story for The Last Blood is convoluted, but the action is as good as it gets, with fast-paced chases, balletic gunplay, and a charismatic performance from Lau. Wong does manage to infuse the film with some comedy, so it is not all grind it out, shoot from the hip, adrenalin – there is plenty of comedic relief.

The Video

The Last Blood hits Blu-ray for the first time from 88 Films in a 1.78:1 AVC 1080p encodement. The granularity is consistent but just a hint toward the noisy side. That said, the detail is crisp, and colors are rich, which is the transfer’s strongest asset. The colorful Daka Lama gowns and rich, golden accented statues stand out.

The Audio

The original Cantonese is provided in DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono and the original English dub is included in the same. This is not a great sounding mix, but as far as audio for a Hong Kong film goes, it gets the job done. The dialogue tends to clip a little and dynamics are narrow.

The Supplements

The only strong on-disc extra is the typically interesting and well-informed commentary by Frank Djeng. As always, 88 Films provides a package with gorgeous artwork and poster.

  • Audio Commentary with Hong Kong Film Expert Frank Djeng
  • English Trailer (1080p; 00:03:38)
  • Hong Kong Trailer (1080p; 00:04:12)
  • Stills Gallery (1080p; 00:02:19)
  • Limited Edition Slipcase
  • Limited Edition Poster
  • Reversible cover with new design by Sean Longmore and original Hong Kong art.

The Final Assessment

With a bit of a harebrained scenario, this film still manages to provide good performances, quick action and a solid transfer to Blu-ray from 88 Films.


The Last Blood (Special Edition) is out on Blu-ray October 10, 2023, from 88 Films.


  • Studio & Distributors: Impact Films Investment Limited | San Bo Film Distributions | 88 Films
  • Director: Wong Jing
  • Written By: Wong Jing
  • Run Time: 94 Mins.
  • Street Date: 10 October 2023
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Video Format: AVC 1080p
  • Primary Audio: Cantonese DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
  • Secondary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
  • Subtitles: English | English SDH
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After a religious figure is attacked by a terrorist group, an INTERPOL agent in Singapore must help the police find and protect five blood donors who share his rare blood type.The Last Blood (Special Edition) (Blu-ray Review)