Martial Law: Lo Wei’s Wuxia World (Hong Kong, 1968, 1971, Eureka!, 2 Blu-rays, NR, 334 min.). This set of Shaw Brothers Studio films includes two from 1968, “The Black Butterfly” and “Death Valley,” and one from 1971, “Vengeance of a Snow Girl,” which was the last film Lo Wei directed for Shaw Brothers, before moving to work with Bruce Lee at Golden Harvest. Those films, “The Big Boss” and “Fists of Fury,” which brought international success to both Lee and Lo, also kickstarted the kung fu film revolution, which generally left the wuxia world behind. Wuxia’s brand of martial arts was often set in China’s past and involved swordplay.

A prolific writer and director, Lo co-wrote “The Black Butterfly” aka “Nu xia hei hu die” (110 min., 3.5 stars) with I. Fang Yeh (“The Lady Hermit”). The Black Butterfly, so-named because she leaves small black butterflies at her theft scenes, is a Robin Hood-style character, as she robes the wealthy to help feed the poor. The initial theft shown is from a group of five ruthless bandits, the so-called Five Devils Rock gang, which has at least a couple hundred members.

We soon learn the thief is Kwan Bao-zhu (Lisa Chiao Chiao of two “One-Armed Swordsman” films, “Blood of the Dragon”), who is hiding her martial arts prowess from her father, martial arts expert Gold Sword Kwan Yee (Tien Feng of “A Better Tomorrow,” “Five Fingers of Death”), who now runs the Ten Mile Inn, as well as teaching martial arts to local men. In addition to excellent weapons skills, Bao-zhu excels at high jumps, such as onto roofs. She also prefers short daggers to a sword.

In this instance, she uses the stolen funds to buy bags of rice, which the Drunken Beggar distributes to the poor, four pounds to each peasant. It is later revealed that her teacher is the great swordsman Loong San Fong, now known as the Drunken Beggar (Yang Chih-ching of Madame White Snake,” “The Enchanting Shadow”).

Proceeds from her next theft are left at the Court of Censors, where Liu Xi-lang (Yueh Hua of “Come Drink with Me,” “The Monkey Goes West”) works for his father, Lord Fang (Fang Mien of “Five Fingers of Death,” “The Winged Tiger”). Liu has interest in Bao-zhu as a girlfriend.

Due to the robberies, Gold Sword Lee is hired to guard the Jin household, but his masked daughter strikes there anyway, forcing her to fight her father. As the action continues, Bao-zhu has to fight some 50 men, including Liu.

Meanwhile, the five chiefs of Five Devils Rock are out for revenge and eventually steal Lord Fang’s gold seal, forcing a showdown with Gold Sword Lee. The chiefs are Chief of Five Devils Rock (Chang Yu-chin), 4th Chief Gai Tian-lui (director Lo Wei), 2nd Chief Ma Fei-long (Ma Ying of “The Twelve Gold Medallions”), 3rd Chief Jade Nan (Chen Hung-lieh (“Come Drink with Me,” “Two Graves to Kung Fu”) and 5th Chief Han Jie (Han Ying-chieh). Jade Nan also becomes enamored of Bao-zhu and demands her as his bride, as well as 10,000 taels, to give back the gold seal.

The film is almost non-stop action, with the good guys, and gal, outnumbered by dozens.

Next is “Death Valley” or “Duan hung gu” (99 min., 3.25 stars), also from 1968, as Lo directed six films that year. Angela Yu Chien (“Hong Kong 1941,” “The Blue and the Black [Part One]”) plays Chiu Chien-ying, who schemes with Lam-hung (Wong Wai of “The Twelve Gold Medallions”), her lover and a student of Master Chiu (director Lo), to take over Master Chiu’s estate. Chiu is her uncle.

However, Chiu summons second cousin Chiu Yu-lung (Yueh Hua of “Black Butterfly”) to take over his affairs. This leads Chien-ying to have Lam-hung attack her uncle and his bodyguard. Her schemes continue, as she has her Nanny summon her son, Chin Hu (Chen Hung-Lieh of “Black Butterfly”), to help her, before killing Nanny, aka Aunt Chin (Wu Fei).

In a twist, Chin saves the younger Chiu and they exchange weapons as an act of friendship, which complicates things later. The film has an extremely high body count and lots of (fake) blood.

The final film is “Vengeance of a Snow Girl” aka “Bing tian xia nu” (122 min., 3.25 stars), in which Shen Ping-hung (Li Ching of “Jing jing,” “Have Sword, Will Travel”) is out for revenge against those who murdered her parents, killed in a dispute over the legendary Tsui Feng sword, known as the Jade Phoenix. Once again, the female character, whose legs were injured during the attack on her parents, is capable of high and long jumps, despite having to use two canes while walking. Yes, one of the canes contains the Tsui Feng sword.

We first see Shen stealing one of Master Ge’s (Ku Feng of “The Master of Kung Fu,” “Five Deadly Venoms”) Golden Claws, as he is sleeping next to it. She later fights and kills Ge, one of four men she says murdered her parents. The other three are Ximen Chong (Li Kun of “The Big Boss,” “Fist of Fury”), Tong Hong and Master Kao Yun (Tien Feng of “A Better Tomorrow,” “Fist of Fury,” “Five Fingers of Death”). However, it turns out Master Kao was against the killings and did not participate, but only watched.

Master Kao’s son, Kao Tien-wei (Paul Chang Chung of “Police Story,” “Super Dragon”) is the one who initially helps Shen, not knowing the murders backstory at first. They go on a three-part quest to heal her legs. First, they must obtain heat-resistant armor so they can obtain a pearl from within a volcano. The pearl will prevent Shen from freezing on the ice field as she plunges her legs in the healing hot spring.

Ming-zhu (Lisa Chiao Chiao of “Black Butterfly”), the daughter of Tong Hong, who was supposed to marry Tien-wei, chases them to avenge her father’s death, leading to the film’s downbeat ending. The film also has a number of fantasy elements.

All three films have audio commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema. There also is a closer look at “Vengeance of a Snow Girl” by Hong Kong cinema scholar Wayne Wong (20:07), plus a 24-page, illustrated booklet with new writing by Hong Kong cinema expert Camille Zaurin on the life and work of Lo Wei. Grade: extras 3 stars

Rating guide: 5 stars = classic; 4 stars = excellent; 3 stars = good; 2 stars = fair; dog = skip it

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989, Warner Bros., Blu-ray, R, 114 min.). The second of the four films has Los Angeles detective partners Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) mixing it up against South African Minister of Diplomatic Affairs Arjen Rudd (Josh Ackland of “The Hunt for Red October,” “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey”) and his thugs, led by Pieter Vorstedt (Derrick O’Connor of “Deep Rising”). Even tough he has committed murders and smuggled illegal Krugerrands into the country, Rudd plays the diplomatic immunity card – which, of course, Riggs eventually disregards.

The film opens with Riggs and Murtaugh involved in a 7-minute car chase through Los Angeles that severely damages Murtaugh’s wife’s (Darlene Love as Trish) new station wagon. Hans (Mark Rolston of “Aliens,” “The Departed”) was the wanted driver.

Back at the police station, Riggs takes bets on whether he can escape from a strait jacket, which sets up an underwater escape later. On the home front, Murtaugh is proud his daughter Rianne (Traci Wolfe) has made a commercial, until he learns it was for condoms.

After Murtaugh and his wife are tied up in bed by Rudd’s men, the two detectives are given a “safer” assignment, protecting state witness Leo Getz (Joe Pesci of “Goodfellas,” “Raging Bull,” “My Cousin Vinny”), which leads to an assassin, Getz and Riggs falling out a seventh-floor hotel balcony into the swimming pool below.

Rudd is not done with them either, as he traps Murtaugh on a toilet bomb (!) and sends two helicopters to shoot up Riggs’ beach-side mobile home. During the latter, Riggs is entertaining his new love interest, Rudd’s secretary, Rika Van Dan Haas (Patsy Kensit of “The Great Gatsby,” “Absolute Beginners”).

The film’s closing song, “Cheer Down,” sounded familiar in voice and style, so it was no surprise that it was George Harrison, produced by Harrison and ELO’s Jeff Lynne.

Extras include audio commentary by returning director Richard Donner; a look at the stunts and action, including the tow truck crash and the helicopter attack (3:45); and three deleted scenes (4:12). Grade: film 3.75 stars; extras 2 stars

Brainstorm (1965, Warner Archive Collection, Blu-ray, NR, 105 min.). A very intense – those eyes – Jeff Hunter (“The Searchers,” “King of Kings”) stars as research analyst Jim Grayam, who one night finds a car stopped on railroad tracks and with a train approaching. He manages – just – to move the car and save the woman inside. She turns out to be Lorrie Benson (Anne Francis of “Forbidden Planet,” “Bad Day at Black Rock,” “Funny Girl”), the wife of his boss, Cort Benson (Dana Andrews of “Laura,” “The Best Years of Our Lives,” “State Fair”). It was a suicide attempt.

Lorrie than goes after Grayam and they begin a torrid affair. The two then plot how Grayam will kill her husband, only he then wants to plead guilty in court but act mentally unstable in between. Grayam is so successful at the latter that perhaps he is somewhat insane. It turns out he spent three weeks at a sanitarium at age 19.

The film is smartly directed by veteran character actor and thriller specialist William Conrad (“The Killers,” TV’s “Cannon”). The extras are two cartoons: Merrie Melodies’ “The Hyp-Chondri-Cat” (7:20) and Looney Tunes’ Daffy Duck in “Well Worn Daffy” (6:40). Grade: film 3.25 stars; extras 1.5 stars

The Jurassic Games: Extinction (Well Go USA, Blu-ray, NR, 102 min.). There have been plenty of films in which criminals have to drive in road races or survive traps, with the winner getting their freedom. This is the first I know of in which the criminals have to compete in a virtual reality against dinosaurs. It is a sequel to a 2018 film, “The Jurassic Games,” though.

For the latest edition of the games, hackers apparently have taken over and start the games when five members of the software team are inspecting some upgrades. Also caught in the game are previous winner Tucker (Adam Hampton of “The Jurassic Games,” “TV’s “Play It Loud”) and his innocent son, Andrew (Alex Payne of “The Jurassic Games”). The new, evil host is sometimes Joy LaFort (Katie Burgess of “The Jurassic Games,” “Gremlin”).

It really is unclear who is now controlling the games, which have four stages: a race, an arena, a maze with a dozen raptors and a final, unannounced stage. Initially, the hack is credited to The Cavemen. Tucker, however, has a mission to destroy the games’ Artificial Intelligence.

The concept is wacky but offers some fun, including dinosaurs fighting dinosaurs, while sometimes controlled by the players. Grade: film 2.5 stars

Two Weeks with Love (1950, Warner Archive Collection, Blu-ray, NR, 92 min.). Wow, an MGM musical I never heard about. The frothy comedy is about the Robinson family going on vacation in the Catskills. The family includes parents Horatio (Louis Calhern of “Notorious,” “The Asphalt Jungle”) and Katherine (Ann Harding of “Holiday,” “When Ladies Meet”), daughters Patti (Jane Powell of “A Date with Judy,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”) and Melba (Debbie Reynolds of “Singin’ in the Rain,” “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”) and sons McCormick (Gary Gray of “Rachel and the Stranger”) and Ricky (Tommy Rettig of “The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.”).

During the vacation, Patti, 17, tries to spark romantic interest with the seemingly much-older Demi Armendez (Ricardo Montalban of “Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan,” two “Planet of the Apes” films) from Cuba. Patti also wants to wear a corset, like her romance-sabotaging “friend” Valerie Stresemann (Phyliss Kirk of TV’s “The Thin Man”) has. Valerie is out after Armendez herself though.

Meanwhile, Melba, 16, is after same-aged Billy Finlay (Carleton Carpenter of “Up Periscope”), who works at the resort hotel. Billy, however, is in love with Patti, who ignores him.

The film has five instrumental numbers and eight songs, including a fun “Aba Daba Honeymoon,” performed by Reynolds and Carpenter. The track became a smash-hit record. Busby Berkeley staged all the numbers, including “Row Row Row” and a dream sequence that has a corseted Powell wowing Montalban with an aria from “The Chocolate Soldier.” Ray Rowland (“Meet Me in Las Vegas,” “The Girl Hunters”) directed.

Extras include a very good Robert Osborne interview with Powell about her career from a 1995 episode of “Reel Memories” (43:30); the Pete Smith Specialty “Crashing the Movies” (7:52); a look at screen actors’ real lives (8:34); and the “Garden Gopher” cartoon by Tex Avery (6:12). Grade: film 3 stars; extras 2.75 stars

Manifest: The Complete Series (2018-2023, Warner Bros., 13 Blu-rays, NR, 3,720 min.). I will always be thankful to Netflix for allowing this series to have its final two seasons, and now the whole series is on Blu-ray. The series concerns the 191 passengers and crew of Montego Air Flight 828, who, after they landed safely after a turbulent flight and five hours, discover the world had aged five years and most of their friends, families and colleagues, after mourning their loss, had given up hope and moved on. Soon, many of the passengers start displaying abilities and get warnings, what they term Callings, when other ex-passengers are in trouble.

Leading the show are police detective Michaela Stone (Melissa Roxburgh), brother Ben Stone (Josh Dallas) and Ben’s son Cal (who the last season suddenly aged to Ty Doran). Michaela has been in a relationship with Zeke Landon (Matt Long), a hiker who ended trapped in a cave and also lost several years. During the 20-episode final season, Michaela and fellow detective Jared Vasquez (J.R. Ramirez), her ex-boyfriend, try to track down a serial killer, while the Stones race to find the Omega Saphire as they want to save everyone before the five-year Death Date. Many of the passengers are being detained in one location by the authorities though.

Through all the twists and turns, I feel the show had a satisfying conclusion, which actually could have generated a whole new series. The show was created by Jeff Rake (TV’s “The Tomorrow People” remake). Grade: series 3.5 stars