Lady of Steel features one of my favorite fight sequences as its co-headlining stars - Cheng Pei-Pei and Yueh Hua - “fight” each other to determine just where their allegiances lie. The set design of this village is cool. From balancing on the top of a bridge to running on water and flying to rooftops, the battle is filled with elegance as both actors show off their graceful moves and decide to team up.
That’s right, Shaw Brothers Classics, Vol. 2 opens with a real banger!
Lady of Steel, directed by Ho Meng-Hua, might be a straight-ahead revenge flick, but it is filled with so many great action sequences that it proves to be consistently enjoyable and, with the one and only Cheng Pei-Pei in fine form, it’s time to get the gravity defying jumps and leaps on, my fellow wuxia enthusiasts!
It seems that I might be in the minority here, but I thoroughly enjoyed Ho Meng-Hua’s film, which sees Pei Pei teaming up with Yueh Hua to investigate her family’s murder some 20 years prior. Don’t worry. We see the murder in the opening sequence and it all happens because a bandit leader Han Shi-xiong (Huang Chung-hsin) wants what her family is delivering.
And now a young swordswoman named Fang Ying-qi (Pei-Pei) wants to join a gathering of the martial world’s leading warriors under the banner of Lord Xia (Fang Mien) and the Flying Dragon Clan. Ultimately, she wants her revenge, but when a fun-spirited beggar clan leader (Hua) and his band of merry men arrive on the scene, she discovers that the one responsible for the murder of her family is not done with his assassination attempts!
And he’s closer to her than ever before. 
With sharp choreography from Tang Chia and Lau Kar-Leung, Lady of Steel is one hell of a way to open the 1970s and this box set from Shout Studios, which comprises of 12 classic martial arts films from the famous Shaw Brothers' library, featuring some of their greatest stars Cheng Pei-pei (Come Drink With Me), Lo Lieh (King Boxer), Sammo Hung (Wheels On Meals), Ti Lung (A Better Tomorrow), and David Chiang (The Boxer From Shantung). Many of these films are debuting for the first time on Blu-ray. Get ready for some exciting thrills and chills as heroes meet villains in a duel to the death!
Co-starring Fang Mian, Lee Pang-Fei, Goo Man-Chung, Chiu Hung, Lee Wan Chung, Law Hon, Tung Li, and Lau Gong, Lady of Steel is Pei-pei’s show and her cunning abilities are on full display throughout as she “battles” beggars and invading Jin forces, among the betrayers in the Flying Dragon Clan.
And once Han Shi-xiong (Huang Chung-hsin) is revealed as the snake he is, a determined Fang must rely on her deadly sword skills to stop Han and restore her reputation.
Lady of Steel is a blast!
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - August 15, 2023
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; 12-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Cheng Pei-pei was Hong Kong's first and most celebrated queen of kung fu because her performances set all the standards for future female martial arts stars like Michelle Yeoh. Lady Of Steel is a high-plains-drifter adventure where Cheng Pei-pei plays a swordswoman on a mission: to find the bandits that killed her parents and save the country from foreign invaders.
Video
Presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, Lady of Steel gets its hands bloody and never once rinses its sword as beauty is birthed in this same blood, all with its audience in mind. The poetry on display comes through in the lush fields, the crispness of the interiors and the haunting exteriors, and the sudden violence which echoes throughout the film, including its big finale in which a lone figure takes down all manner of soldiers. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments of this epic adventure. The night and rain-drenched scenes included here are truly rich with layers and those tracking shots are glorious to behold in 1080p.
Audio
For this release, viewers get a satisfying uncompressed Mandarin mono audio. There are optional English subtitles.
Supplements:
Get ready for some exciting thrills and chills with these bonus features!
Commentary:
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This release features a fun commentary from Cult Film Critic Ian Jane, which is very informative for fans of wuxia.
Special Features:
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NEW commentary from Cult Film Critic Ian Jane
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Celestial Trailer
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: PG-13.
Runtime: 121 mins
Director: Cheh Chang
Writer: Cheh Chang; Kuang Ni
Cast: Jimmy Wang Yu; Chiao Chiao; Hsiang Chun Li
Genre: Acttion | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site:
Release Date:
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: June 13, 2023
Synopsis: Yu is a two-armed swordsman who is betrayed by a jealous rival, but initially seeks a life of simple pleasures until an accidental meeting with another patriot sets him back on the road to bloody, brutal vengeance.
