Comparison between the international version aka Extended Cut and the Hybrid Cut (both included on the UK Blu-ray by Eureka! Entertainment).

- 13 differences
- Runtime difference: 434.5 sec (= 7:15 min)

 

We have already written extensively about Sammo Hung's fun The Millionaire's Express in several reports. Since July 26, 2021, the ultimate release of the cult film is available in the UK. Eureka! has once again released a new 2K restoration on Blu-ray for the first time worldwide and thanks to the help of fans they can offer a total of 4 film versions. With the "Hybrid Cut", a new version has been added that combines ALL available film snippets. This is documented in more detail in this report, where we have chosen the international version as a basis for comparison.

Summarized again in short form and as an update to the old comparisons with now different names in the UK:

1. Hong Kong theatrical version - 97 min Blu-ray.
Is a bit shorter than the internationally known releases, but offers almost 7 minutes of exclusive material. See the report for the international version. On disc 1 of the UK Blu-ray.

2. International Version / "Extended Cut" (Eureka!) - 102 min Blu-ray [equivalent to 97 min in PAL on German/UK DVD].
The more popular film version worldwide, which was also included on the newer Hong Kong DVD. Also included on disc 1 of the UK Blu-ray.

3. Hybrid Cut - 109 min Blu-ray
Combines everything from versions 1 and 2, thus the longest running film version possible. Included on disc 2 of the UK Blu-ray.

4. French/Spanish Version / "English Export Version" (Eureka!) - 93 min Blu-ray [equivalent to 89 min in PAL].
What we previously documented in a comparison with the French DVD also found its way onto disc 2 of the British Blu-ray. This was done more accurately than on the French DVD and thus there are the deviating credits in English as well as two more mini-cuts or small framecuts to report. Details have been added in the linked report.

5. German version - 82 min PAL [would correspond to 85 min Blu-ray].
In Germany they used to take the international version (2) as a basis, but cut 14 minutes specifically.

6. Hong Kong Blu-ray - 90 min Blu-ray
Also a kind of "hybrid", but total nonsense: using an SD upscale of the international version as a basis, they cut out the scenes missing from the Hong Kong theatrical version again. See the report.

 

Timecodes are ordered as follows: International Version Blu-ray / Hybrid Cut Blu-ray

13:20 / 13:20-18:31

Right after the meeting of the gangsters, there is an additional scene with Fong-Tin Ching (Sammo Hung) and his girls.

An association against prostitution comes to the brothel respectively an employee announces this, whereupon Chi (Rosamund Kwan) calls all the girls together. One of them is still busy with a suitor respectively there is a short discussion about it.
A man comes running wildly up the stairs and confronts the protesters, Fong-Tin holds him back. The man then mentions that the "big sister" is a mother and has already raised 10 children. He, as the naughtiest, was the only one not in the army. Since the story does not seem credible, Fong-Tin speaks up. Little by little, he is able to convince the mob that adultery is the fault of the men anyway. If it weren't for the prostitutes, the men would live out their animalistic side on their own wives. He also explains that his own mother is also a prostitute and that he is the thinnest of 10 sons. His speech becomes more and more dramatic and he addresses the dignity of all women, whereupon the Protestant Association eventually lets Fong-Tin and his prostitutes walk away singing in praise. The leader concludes that they should now turn against the men.

310.5 sec (= 5:11 min)

13:35 / 18:46-18:47

Sammo comes across a little earlier.

1.6 sec

88:08 / 93:21-93:39

One of the policemen is overzealously climbing a ladder up to the roof, where his colleagues are busy spying on the gangsters. Tsao Cheuk Kin (Yuen Biao) urges him to be quieter, whereupon the guy cautiously creeps on - but then crashes down through a rotten board with a loud bang.

18.5 sec

90:08 / 95:39-96:19

The gangster with a cigarette (Corey Yuen) staggers around longer and then finds another opponent in Loi Fook (Kenny Bee). After some wrangling with the hatchet, the fight shifts outside, where he lights another cigarette. Loi Fook then presses the glow stick into his mouth in an anxious moment, gaining the upper hand.

40.4 sec

92:23 / 98:34-99:06

Before the girls run away from the gangsters like they do in the international version, only the HK version shows how the confrontation between the two parties even happens.
The girls hide behind wooden doors (showers?) when some of the gangsters arrive. They stop in front of it, whereupon the girls uniformly open the doors and the gangsters fall to the ground from the force. The same happens with another guy, the girls are running after him viciously for a moment. In turn, the guy gets past the gang around Jook Bo (Eric Tsang) in confusion and gangs up with more gangsters behind him.

31.1 sec

92:43 / 99:26-99:30

A gal is being pulled up at the end of the scene, the gangster leader gives a battle cry.

3.8 sec

95:07 / 101:54-101:56

Jenny (Cynthia Rothrock) is seen on the floor a moment earlier.

1.8 sec

95:10 / 101:58-101:59

The follow up shot also starts a bit earlier.

1.2 sec

95:22 / 102:11-102:13

Fong-Tin also gets to curl up on the floor earlier before getting up.

1.4 sec

95:34 / 102:24-102:28

Now one longer shot, Fong-Tin is grabbing his aching cheek.

3.9 sec

95:38 / 102:32-102:38

In the HK version, there is a tracking shot around the competitors. The international version removes this middle part of the shot and resumes right at Jenny's attack.

5.4 sec

95:49 / 102:49-102:50

Fong-Tin insignificantly earlier. Unlike the previous deviations, it is possible that this is just a master error. In any case, it was also reconstructed for the new Eureka! versions exactly as it was before.

0.3 sec.



96:05 / 103:05-103:06

While there is only the fall/impact of the kick to see in the international version, Yukio Fushiki (Hwang Jang Lee) is allowed to come on beforehand in the HK version in a side shot and you see the kick itself.

1 sec

101:37 / 108:38-108:52

The credits song started a bit later on the Extended. Picture-wise, however, everything is identical - only here, at the very end, Sammo's shot is frozen a bit longer in the Extended and the song fades out in the process.

14 sec