Yes, Madam! (Blu-ray Review)

REVIEW OVERVIEW

The Film
The Video
The Audio
The Supplements
Overall

SUMMARY

When two bumbling crooks end up with evidence of a murder, it falls to the relentless and hard-fighting female detectives from Hong Kong and the UK to find them, get the evidence, and arrest the perpetrator.

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Yes, Madam! Blu-ray (Eureka Entertainment)

Yes, Madam! marks the starring role debut for Michelle Yeoh. The 1985 police actioner features Yeoh as the diligent Inspector Ng who begins a pursuit of the dangerous crime boss Tin (James Tien Chun) after he puts a hit on his accountant who was working with the police.

When Tin’s accountant is killed the crime is caught on camera. The bumbling criminals Aspirin (Mang Hoi) and Strepsil (John Sham Kin-fun) have possession of an incriminating piece of microfilm that can implicate Tin. Ng is joined in her pursuit of Tin by Scotland Yard’s Carrie Morris (Cynthia Rothrock also in her film debut). Chases and fights ensue including a big showdown in the finale that has both Yeoh and Rothrock showing off their martial arts bone fides. Although the film is not the easiest to follow given its labyrinthine subplots and heavy dose of comedy it spawned a slew of sequels including A Serious Shock! Yes Madam!

The high-octane action sequences are what drive this film and director Corey Yuen, who would go on to direct The Transporter, knows how to direct engaging action sequences. The comedic elements in Yes, Madam! like the two less-than-sharp criminals holding the microfilm evidence makes for a well-rounded experience.

  • Michelle Yeoh in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Michelle Yeoh in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Michelle Yeoh in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Michelle Yeoh in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Michelle Yeoh in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Michelle Yeoh in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Michelle Yeoh in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Cynthia Rothrock in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Michelle Yeoh in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Cynthia Rothrock in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Cynthia Rothrock in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Cynthia Rothrock in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Michelle Yeoh in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Michelle Yeoh in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Cynthia Rothrock in Yes, Madam! (1985)
  • Yes, Madam! Blu-ray (Eureka Entertainment)
  • Yes, Madam! Blu-ray (Eureka Entertainment)

The Video

Yes, Madam comes to Blu-ray from a new 2K restoration framed at 1.85:1 in an AVC 1080p encodement. For a Hong Kong film shot on 35mm from 1985 this new restoration looks incredible. Grain structure is natural and yields a lot of texture and detail. Black levels waver a bit and there is some film softness that creeps in but the overall image looks organic and satisfying.There is natural, vibrant color reproduction and no major issues with DNR or ringing.

The Audio

The original mono Cantonese soundtrack is provided in the original theatrical mix and the home video mix, and both are in LPCM 2.0 mono. An English dub is provided in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. If you want to watch the film with the original-language track, my recommendation would be to use the home video track. Even on my really good home theater the theatrical mix sounded more muddled than the home video mix, which was clearer and a bit fuller. The English dub had a reasonable 5.1 mix given the era the film was from. It opens the soundstage up and makes it sound beefier as well.

The Supplements

As always, the commentators Eureka have assembled here for the audio commentary tracks do bang-up jobs. Frank Djeng brings his usual inside and cultural knowledge to the table in the audio commentary with Michael Worth who offers his insider knowledge on Hong Kong cinema as well. Mike Leeder and Arne Venema provide their usual friendly and conversational commentary while including lots of info. Eureka also includes interviews and a whole other version of the film intended for export.

  • Limited Edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork (First print run of 2000 copies only)
  • A Limited-Edition collector’s booklet (First print run of 2000 copies only) featuring new writing by James Oliver
  • Export Version with English Mono (Classic Dub) (1.85:1; 1080p; 01:27:33)
  • Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng & Michael Worth
  • Audio Commentary by Mike Leeder & Arne Venema
  • Cynthia Rothrock on Yes, Madam (1080p; 00:20:13)
  • Cynthia Rothrock Select-Scene Commentary (1080p; 00:12:18)
  • A Conversation with Mang Hoi (1080p; 00:15:33)
  • Michelle Yeoh Interview (Archival) (1080p; 00:15:04)
  • Battling Babes (Archival Featurette) (1080p; 00:10:23)
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (1080p)
  • UK Home Video Trailer (1080p)

The Final Assessment

Yes, Madam! is a fun feature role debut for Michelle Yeoh. Yeoh is still doing her thing to this day. One can see Yeoh’s magnificent performance in the recent Everything Everywhere All at Once to see that Madam! was no flash in the pan. Eureka Entertainment’s Eureka Classics label have provided a gorgeous 2K restoration of Yes, Madam! on Blu-ray.


Yes, Madam! is out on Blu-ray in the UK 12 December 2022, from Eureka Entertainment


  • Rating Certificate: UK:18
  • Studios & Distributors: D & B Films Co. Ltd. | Eureka Entertainment
  • Director: Corey Yuen
  • Written By: James Clouse | Barry Wong
  • Run Time: 93 Mins.
  • Street Date: 12 December 2022
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Video Format: AVC 1080p
  • Primary Audio: Cantonese LPCM 2.0 Mono Theatrical Mix | Cantonese LPCM 2.0 Mono Home Video Mix
  • Secondary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
  • Subtitles: English
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When two bumbling crooks end up with evidence of a murder, it falls to the relentless and hard-fighting female detectives from Hong Kong and the UK to find them, get the evidence, and arrest the perpetrator. Yes, Madam! (Blu-ray Review)