The Champions (1983)

Sports, action and comedy collide in Golden Harvest's The Champions, the precursor to Shaolin Soccer from the first family of Hong Kong martial arts cinema: the inimitable Yuen Clan!

Lee Tong (Yuen Biao, Dreadnaught) is a young farmer who has grown up in an isolated rural community. When an indiscretion lands him in hot water, he leaves his home in the countryside and heads for the big city - where he meets Suen (Cheung Kwok-keung, Eastern Condors), a street footballer who recognises Tong's talent for soccer and encourages him to try out for a pro team. But Tong's first chance at glory is scuppered by a rivalry with the narcissistic King (Dick Wei, Project A), who relegates the newcomer to cleaning up after his teammates. But having discovered a love for soccer, Tong soon accepts an offer to join a rival team - and the stage is set for a final confrontation with King on the pitch.

Written and directed by Brandy Yuen (In the Line of Duty III) and featuring action choreography by Yuen Shun-yi (The Miracle Fighters) and Yuen Chun Yeung (Armour of God), The Champions is a sporting underdog story filtered through some of the greatest minds in the history of Hong Kong action cinema. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time ever from a brand new 2K restoration!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• 1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration
• Original Cantonese audio and optional English dub tracks (original mono presentations)
• Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release
• Brand new audio commentary by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
• Brand new audio commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
• Brand new featurette by CFK looking at the 1987 Hong Kong celebrity football / soccer team that featured a number of Hong Kong legends including Jackie Chan and Andy Lau
• Andrew Heskins on The Champions – brand new interview with film critic Andrew Heskins (eastern Kicks)
• Reversible sleeve featuring original poster artwork
• Trailer