Brothers Five, directed by Lo Wei, is a definite early high water mark for the Shaw Brothers as the production design is absolutely through the roof and the locations are far and wide, making this violent story a beautiful canvas for a whole lot of bloodletting which is Wei’s specialty.
And the fight sequences - of which there are many as Yen-lai (Cheng Pei-Pei) sets out to reunite the five Kao brothers to take down the evil Lung Chen-feng for the murder of their father - are so numerous and eye-exhausting that a rewatch (or two) is necessary for a total appreciation.
While Pei-Pei is entirely watchable on her own as she slices and dices through an army of bad dudes, the point in this revenge flick is to assemble a team; all recognizable by a long scar on the backs of their hands and then to kick some serious ass. And what a team she assembles, too.
Brothers Five, which brings together Kao Wei the Valet (Yueh Hua), Kao Hao the Blacksmith (Chin Han), Kao Chih the scholar (Chang Yi), Kao Yung the bodyguard (Kao Yuen), and Kao Hsia the thief (Lo Lieh) against the ruthless Lord of Teng Long Manor, is a wall-to-wall action sequence, with little bits of dialogue sprinkled in along the way to the gruesome manor, which is overrun with criminals and cutthroat hooligans. 
Choreographed by Sammo Hung (he was 18 years old at the time and also has a cameo) and Simon Chui Yee-Ang, the action film is an incredible round of brutality as the team assembled - especially when they come together to form the invincible five tigers stance - uses their mastered weapons and their teamwork skills to mow down one bad ruffian after another.
Brothers Five, which is housed alongside 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.
Voltron who?! Brothers Five hits hard.
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
Years before he was to become famous for directing Bruce Lee in Fist Of Fury and Jackie Chan in New Fist Of Fury, Lo Wei teamed with superstar swordswoman Cheng Pei-pei (Come Drink With Me) for this action thriller of brotherly love ... and death. She stars as Yen Lai, the one woman who can reunite the Kao brothers to rid the Teng Lung Manor of killers – as well as take revenge for their father's murder.
Video
Presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, Brothers Five 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 team of reunited brothers 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 tracking shots are glorious to behold in 1080p.
Audio
For this release, viewers get a satisfying uncompressed Mandarin original mono audio. There are optional English subtitles which are new translations.
Supplements:
Get ready for some exciting thrills and chills with these bonus features!
Commentary:
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This release features two new audio commentaries: one from Hong Kong critic James Mudge and another from Film Historian Brian Bankston. Both are highly informative in their treatment of the film.
Special Features:
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NEW Audio Commentary By James Mudge, Hong Kong Film Critic At easternKicks
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NEW Audio Commentary By Film Historian Brian Bankston (Cool Ass Cinema Blog)
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Celestial Trailer
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 105 mins
Director: Wei Lo
Writer: Wei Lo; Kuang Ni
Cast: Pei-Pei Cheng; Han Chin; Yi Chang
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site:
Release Date: March 26, 1970
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: June 13, 2023
Synopsis: A young woman sets out to reunite feuding brothers to take out a gang of killers who have murdered their father.
