4 star restoration of a fun and exciting heist movie.
Originally released in 1976, A Queen’s Ransom (also known as Ingterbatiis written and directed by Shan-Hsi Ting (Magnificent 72, No One Can Touch Her). It is presented here in a limited edition O-card slipcase, following a 2k restoration courtesy of Eureka Classics.
It is available to own on Blu-ray in the UK from 27th May 2024.
“May 1975 was also a busy time for the Royal Hong Kong Police, as they prepared to welcome the visit of Queen Elizabeth II. The security problems were immense and were compounded by the influx of refugees.”
It’s 1975 and in Hong Kong, refugees are flooding over the border from neighbouring countries, following the end of the Indo China War. One such refugee is a young Cambodian Princess (Angela Mao – When Taekwondo Strikes, Hapkido and Lady Whirlwind), who arrives at a remote farm complete with her a large quantity of her country’s gold reserve. There she befriends Ducky (Dean Shek – Drunken Master, A Family Affair), the nephew of the land owner.
Meanwhile in the city, a young woman, Jenny (Tanny Tien Ni – The Wild Ones, Edge of Darkness) has approached the police with some disturbing information. Queen Elizabeth is due to make an historical royal visit any day now and she has caught wind of a possible assassination plot. Police chief Gao (Ko Chun-Hsiung – Retreat of the Godfather) and officer Chiang (Charles Heung – Fatal Bet, Casino Raiders) are quick to investigate.
What they are up against is an international team of skilled mercenaries, contracted by an Irish Republican, George (George Lazenby – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Man From Hong Kong) and his sultry sidekick Black Rose (Judith Brown – The Big Doll House). This team includes Jimmy (Jimmy Wang Yu – Beach of the War Gods, One Armed Boxer), a guerilla warfare expert, Chan Lung “Mango” (Peter Chan Lung – Encounter of the Spooky Kind), a Filipino sharp shooter and Ram (Bolo Yeung – Bloodsport, Enter the Dragon), a Thai boxing champion as well as diving and explosives experts. Why does he need all these diverse skills and what is their true motivation?
“No, no, I don’t need no practice. I’m a brilliant sharp shooter. Just one shot will be enough. Long live the queen.”
A Queens’ Ransom is a very enjoyable watch. It features some excellent fight sequences, provided by the numerous martial arts experts who star. It is a Golden Harvest film, although slightly more political in tone than most of their films, as it was intended to cash in on the trend of the time.
This is a very good restoration, the picture is crisp and clean and it sounds good too. It’s especially good to see the archive footage of the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, just as exciting today as it must have been back then.
This is a great release and well worth adding to your Golden Harvest collection.
“These bright lights. These wealthy streets. These are a criminal paradise and she’s the Queen of it all. Does she know that?”
A Queen’s Ransom is available to own on UK Digital Platforms and Blu-ray from 27th May 2024.
| Director | Shan-Hsi Ting |
| Genre | Action, adventure, crime, |
| Starring | Jimmy Wang-Yu, Angela Mao, George Lazenby, Ko Chun-Hsiung, Charles Heung |
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