6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Blinded and left to die in Vietnam, Nick Parker has been missing in action for more than two decades. Finally home, he sets out to find and forgive his old Army buddy.
Starring: Rutger Hauer, Terry O'Quinn, Brandon Call, Noble Willingham, Lisa BlountMartial arts | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Mill Creek previously released 'Blind Fury' in a three-film bundle. The Blu-ray
presentations are not identical. This is the superior version.
Blind Fury's lead character, played by Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner, Ladyhawke), is a blind man with a sixth sense for swordsmanship. The
movie likewise has a sixth sense, its being a keen eye for getting down to basics. There's absolutely nothing here that's fully original -- even the
premise is borrowed from Zatoichi and the story details from Zatoichi Challenged -- but it's nevertheless a competent and, just as
important, fun little diversion hailing from one of cinema's best years: 1989.
One need not be blind to enjoy Blind Fury's 1080p transfer. While the quality is not perfect, it's also well above substandard. Grain is sharp but
not overly dense in most instances, though some lower light scenes do take on a snowier, more dense texture. The picture is satisfactorily filmic and
relatively true to its source, allowing the innate detailing to shine. Sharpness is reliable and various textures present with a depth and definition that
take advantage of the 1080p resolution. Facial details are particularly revealing, but the entire frame is often very sharp, whether looking at clothes,
guns, blades, or backgrounds. Colors appear accurate to the source. While the palette is far from brilliant, it's also far from dull. There's a good balance
to contrast and enough life in the tones to allow the content to offer full saturation and good tonal nuance. Skin tones are not overtly problematic and
neither are black levels, though the latter never reaches absolute black. The image suffers from only a few minor signs of print wear and there are no
serious compression issues to report. There's not a whole lot of room for large-scale complaint with this one.
Note that Mill Creek's previous Blu-ray looks very similar but is encoded in the MPEG-2 format and is framed at 1.78:1. This version is encoded in the
AVC
format and is framed at 1.85:1.
Blind Fury's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack is surprisingly effective. Though limited to two channels – a standard Mill Creek audio
encode – the track is aggressive in width and satisfying in clarity. Musical output is not so rich as to match more
modern soundtracks for pinpoint definition but certainly landing with an agreeable presence along the front two channels. The track folds in some good
environmental detail, like PA announcements and chatter din at a bus stop at the start of the film's second act, nighttime insect ambience at the
38-minute mark which fully draws the listener into the natural world, and various casino sounds in chapter seven. Driving rain in chapter six is likewise
well
defined and wide, like everything else absent the exacting precision of superior sound design but playing with solid foundational definition and filling the
front end stage quite well. Gunshots ring out with impressive depth – particularly Slag's shotgun -- and sword swing whooshing and swooping cut
through the listening environment with strong
foundational detail and movement. While a track with more extensive channel implementation might have helped with immersion, there's simply no
want for more from the two
speakers in use. Dialogue images nicely to the center. It's generally well prioritized and detailed for the duration.
Note that Mill Creek's previous Blu-ray was encoded with a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack.
This Blu-ray release of Blind Fury contains no supplemental content. The main menu screen, which consists of film clips playing under music, offers only options for "Play" and toggling subtitles on and off. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This does ship with one of Mill Creek's "Retro VHS" slipcovers.
What a year 1989 was for movies. Blind Fury can't claim to be one of the year's best. It can't compete with the likes of Glory, Driving Miss Daisy, Batman, The Abyss, Lean on Me, Uncle Buck, or Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, amongst a slew of other great films. It's not even the best Action film of the year, lagging behind Lethal Weapon 2 and Tango & Cash. But it's a surprisingly solid, well made, well acted, and long lasting movie that's of the meat-and-potatoes variety: filling, satisfying, familiar, a staple often worthy of return screenings. Mill Creek's Blu-ray is a perfectly serviceable way to enjoy the film. It's featureless, but the video is good and the audio is strong, too. It's also priced to own. Heartily recommended.
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