6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
'Bodyguards and Assassins' concerns efforts by a group of martial artists to protect Dr. Sun Yat-sen who is popularly referred as the Father of Modern China, from an assassination attempt while visiting Hong Kong to raise funds at the beginning of the 20th century.
Starring: Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Xueqi Wang, Nicholas Tse, Fan BingbingForeign | 100% |
Action | 68% |
Martial arts | 54% |
History | 17% |
Drama | 9% |
Period | 4% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Mandarin: LPCM 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Winner of the Best Actor award (Wang Xueqi) granted by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society, Teddy Chan's "Shi yue wei cheng" a.k.a "Bodyguards and Assassins" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors E1 Entertainment. The only supplemental features on the disc is a behind the scenes featurette. With optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Father and Son
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Teddy Chan's Bodyguards and Assassins arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors E1 Entertainment.
This is a solid high-definition transfer. However, it is not identical to the one used by MegaStar for the Hong Kong release of Bodyguards and Assassins. Fine object detail is excellent, clarity pleasing and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. The UK high-definition transfer is slightly brighter than the HK high-definition transfer. Its color-scheme is also different. The light yellow-orange tint from the HK high-definition transfer has been replaced with a light green tint. Also, some of the daytime blues appear slightly richer on the UK high-definition transfer.
Once again, edge-enhancement and macroblocking are not an issue of concern. There are no traces of heavy noise-filtering or serious stability issues either. When blown through a digital projector, the high-definition transfer conveys wonderful depth and fluidity. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing debris, scratches, marks, or stains to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Cantonese LPCM 2.0. For the record, E1 Entertainment have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.
The Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid. The bass is powerful and punchy, the rear channels very active and the high-frequencies not overdone. Additionally, the dialog is crisp, clean, stable and very easy to follow. Also, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review.
Obviously, the Cantonese LPCM 2.0 track lacks the dynamic intensity of the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Many of the elaborate action scenes, for example, are not as effective (test the scene with the massive explosion that occurs half-way through the film). The dialog, however, is just as clean, crisp, stable and easy to follow.
Behind the scenes - cast and crew members discuss the film's production history, characters, special effects, shooting locations, etc. The featurette is broken into four episodes and contains plenty of raw footage from the actual shooting of the film.
In Mandarin and Cantonese, with optional English subtitles.
-- Character (23 min).
-- Costume and make-up (4 min).
-- Set design (3 min).
-- Action (5 min).
British distributors E1 Entertainment have put together a competent package for Teddy Chan's Bodyguards and Assassins. I was not terribly impressed with this film, but fans of the genre it belongs to may disagree with me. Please keep in mind that this Blu-ray disc is Region-B "locked". RENT IT.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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