MAGIC CRYSTAL is part of our Vinegar Syndrome Archive collection, celebrating forgotten cinematic oddities from the video store era. This collection was inspired by our own brick & mortar video stores, with locations in Bridgeport, CT; Aurora, CO and soon to come Toronto, ON!
Unique to this line, each hand numbered limited edition release will come fitted in a specially designed, bottom loading VHS inspired slipcase, while also including a double-sided poster.
These releases will ONLY be available on our website and at participating indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them. This slipcase edition (designed by Tony Stella) is strictly limited to 5,000 units and may (but probably not) be followed by a standard edition in the future.
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Andy Lo and his comedic sidekick, Pancho, are freelance special agents who are called in by the Hong Kong police department when they have a mission that needs to be kept "off the books." One day, Andy receives a letter from a former colleague in need of help and, together with Pancho and Andy's young nephew, Bin Bin, heads to Greece on a secret mission masquerading as a vacation. After Andy's colleague is killed, Bin Bin accidentally ends up with a suitcase that contains a magical talking crystal. Soon, a group of KGB agents, lead by the sadistic Karov, are after Andy and his family in an attempt to retrieve this mysterious artifact. With the help of two Interpol Agents, Andy must stop the KGB and uncover the secret behind the magic crystal before it's too late.
MAGIC CRYSTAL is best described as an "everything but the kitchen sink" Hong Kong actioner, directed by the always outrageous, Wong Jing. Featuring elements of sci-fi, adventure, comedy, and of course kung-fu, MAGIC CRYSTAL remains one the most unique martial arts movies of the 80s, due to its blending of genre elements combined with some truly impressive martial arts choreography. Featuring one of Hong Kong's most famous stars, Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers), in one of his early leading roles, as well as a who's who of international martial arts actors, including America's Cynthia Rothrock (Righting Wrongs), Hong Kong's Max Mok (Once Upon a Time in China 2), and Australia's Richard Norton (China O'Brien), as well as comedic performances by Kien Shih (Enter the Dragon), Taiwanese child star Bin Bin, and the director himself, Wong Jing, as Pancho. Vinegar Syndrome Archive is proud to present MAGIC CRYSTAL for the first time on Blu-ray in the U.S., newly scanned and exclusively restored for this release by Vinegar Syndrome from the original camera negative, and complete with all the martial arts mayhem one could ask for including a show-stopping fight scene between Cynthia Rothrock and frequent co-star Richard Norton.
directed by: Wong Jing starring: Andy Lau, Cynthia Rothrock, Pak-Cheung Chan, Man Cheung, Bin Bin, Wong Jing, Richard Norton 1986 / 95 min / 1.85:1 / Cantonese & English Mono
Additional info:
Region A Blu-ray
Newly scanned & restored in 2K from its 35mm original camera negative
Presented in its original Cantonese language soundtrack with newly translated English subtitles, along with a English language dub track
Brand new and exclusive commentary track with film historians Frank Djeng and Ric Meyers
“Just Don’t Kill Me” - a brand new interview with actress Cynthia Rothrock
“Bin-Bin on Magic Crystal” - a brand new interview with actor Wen “Bin Bin” Chao-Yu
16-page booklet with an essay by Erica Schultz
Original trailer
Double-sided poster
Reversible sleeve artwork
Newly translated English subtitles
Overall rating: 4.6697893 / 5 from 427 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
Magic Crystal, part of the Vinegar Syndrome Archive collection, is celebrated for its unique blend of sci-fi, adventure, comedy, and martial arts. Customers praise the film's fantastic fight choreography, great acting, and top-notch packaging. The release is highly acclaimed, with many noting it as one of the best they've ever owned. The Blu-ray features a newly scanned and restored transfer, English subtitles, and exclusive commentary.
"This is a beautiful VSA release, I love the slipcover, it's a great transfer and has a few nice special features." — Zachary S.
"Great packing, a good transfer and movie." — Robert E.
"Great transfer, wild movie, great packaging!" — Robert C.
Reviews
Fun!
"This is a fun one. A lot going on. Unique. Worth checking out."
— John M. (5/5)
Magic Crystal
"Great HK actioner with the immortal Cynthia Rothrock & Richard Norton (the main Chinese star of this film, Andy Lau, is actually not a martial arts guy but the fights are handled seamlessly). Some good interviews with Rothrock. Worth checking out for any fan of HK movies in general, or of those actors in particular."
— Jacob P. (5/5)
Magic Crystal
"Magic Crystal is a light, family-friendly fantasy adventure that leans more on charm than depth, delivering a simple but colorful story about good versus evil. The film’s biggest strength is its playful tone—there’s an earnest, almost nostalgic quality to its characters and world that makes it easy to watch, especially for younger audiences. While the plot is fairly predictable and the humor can feel a bit dated at times, it still manages to hold attention with its whimsical setting and clear moral center. It’s not a standout in the genre, but it has a certain low-stakes, comforting appeal that makes it enjoyable if you’re in the mood for something uncomplicated and cheerful."
— Neal L. (5/5)
Jarring tonal shift halfway through the movie, but it’s a blast!
"As a Chinese American kid who grew up in the 80s, this movie was a lot of fun for me to revisit. I grew up watching mostly these types of Hong Kong action martial arts movies, since that’s what my parents were into growing up, so watching it as an adult really brought back memories and it still holds up. First of all, the artwork on the cover is amazing, I love the art style. And the heavy-duty hard slipcase is a great throwback to the VHS era. For the transfer, it’s never looked better as the clarity is very impressive, especially since I’ve only seen this on VHS. And the colors look great with all the magical neon effects. It’s great to have a definitive way of watching this film."
— Tommy L. (4/5)
Top tier martial arts, bizarre E. T. plot
"Some of the best martial arts I've maybe ever seen in a movie. Seriously, top tier. Also, a bit of a dogshit plot. Not sure entirely what was happening here, other than people kicking ass, and some glowing green rock with an extended "finger". Loved this, even if it really made no sense. Andy Lau, Cynthia Rothrock, and Richard Norton were all awesome. Could watch scenes of them fighting forever."
— Jesse B. (4/5)
The best Magical Rock film
"Awesome Hong Kong cinema. Whatever I thought this movie was going to be wasn't it and that's a good thing. Perhaps the greatest children's film about martial arts and magic. Great cast in this one and I was never bored while watching it. Awesome release all around."
— Drake D. (5/5)
Really good
"I wasnt expecting to enjoy this quite as much as I did. Its great! Fun fight choreography, fast paced, completely whacky, and quite funny at times. Highly recommended."
— David R. (5/5)
Magic Crystal
"The Amblin vibes are off the charts! I didn’t know exactly what to expect with this and was delighted by how fun and zany it got, while still having fantastic action choreography. If there are more movies in this vein, please point me in the direction!"
— Philip M. (5/5)
Non-stop action
"This rips from beginning to end with pretty much non stop fights and action. Andy Lau and Cynthia Rothrock are both great. Banger cover art from Tony Stella to round out a great package."
— Jon B. (5/5)
HK Classic!
"Magic Crystal is one of those family/action films that you can enjoy on a boring afternoon, not saying this film is bad or anything. The story of the magic crystal is rather odd, but once you get into it, you'll start to understand (I hope). The cast in the movie is pretty good being played by a host of Asian movie stars. Cynthia Rothrock is an interpol agent looking for the magic crystal, and Andy Lau is also some kind of special agent as well. His nephew finds the crystal in his bag, only to befriend it since it can talk to him using telepathy. The crystal has the power to project images and even brainwash you from a certain distance. Richard Norton is a greedy Russian looking to use the crystal for his own little pleasure. Whom ever choreographed the fight scenes in this movie made Cynthia and Richard look awesome. From Richards' Tiger Fist all the way to Cynthias' Preying Mantis and Eagles'Claw the fighting was great. Let's not forget Andy Lau, although his fight wasn't as intense as the others, he made due with what he was using, also making up for it in latter films. In the end the Magic Crystal is a decent film to watch, my only gripes are the cheesy music that played over and over. Meaning it was the intro's theme, the fighting theme, and the ending theme. That was the only damn music playing!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Richards' poorly dubbed Russian accent was terrible. Cynthia made a joke about it in the film stating "Your English is almost as bad as your Chinese". Anyway give it a peek, I found it to be entertaining."
— Shane M. (5/5)
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