5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
An action-packed, comedy adventure starring martial arts legend Jet Li as Dr. Wai, an intrepid adventurer on the trail of the mystical "Scripture with no Words."
Starring: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Charlie Yeung, Kar-Ying LawForeign | 100% |
Action | 24% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Cantonese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Cantonese: LPCM 2.0 Mono
Cantonese: LPCM 2.0
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
Mandarin: LPCM 2.0 Mono
In the international version, it is Mandarin: LPCM 2.0 Mono, English: LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Tony Ching’s "Dr. Wai in The Scripture with No Words" (1996) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental feature on the release include new audio commentary by critics Mike Leeder and Arne Venema; new audio commentary by critic Frank Djeng; archival program with Jet Li; and vintage trailer. In Cantonese or English, with optional English subtitles. Region-B "locked".
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Dr. Wai in the Scripture with No Words arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.
There are two versions of the film on this release -- Hong Kong Version and International Version. In my opinion, the Hong Kong Version is the one to see, though the International Version, which alters the chronology of the story that is told in the film, adds some new material that some viewers may find intriguing.
The Hong Kong Version is sourced from a good new 2K master. For me, this master is quite the revelation because a long time ago I had an Asian DVD release of Dr. Wai in the Scripture with No Words that was very, very rough. Now, the film does look quite ambitious and a lot of its action sequences are actually quite easy to admire. Delineation, clarity, and depth are usually quite nice. However, the transitions between the two realities -- that of Jet Li's writer and Dr. Wai -- have some native fluctuations. For example, in a couple of wider shots, usually around the corners, anamorphic softness is very easy to identify, plus elsewhere various ranges of highlights can be quite uneven. Some darker nuances fluctuate as well. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Color balance is stable. However, the two realities emphasize different primaries and nuances, or at least in some areas of the film, and the period footage is intentionally made to look warmer. Image stability is very good. I did not encounter any distracting cuts, debris, warped, or torn frames to report.
The International Version is a reconstruction project. It features inserts with standard definition material, so if you choose to view it, you should expect to see drops in density, delineation, clarity, and depth. The rest of the material looks as good as it does on the Hong Kong Version. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There are five standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release. For the Hong Kong Version: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Cantonese LPCM 2.0, Cantonese LPCM 2.0 Mono (Home Video Mix), and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono. For the International Version: English LPCM 2.0 and Mandarin LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
I tested the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. I thought that both were very nice. Obviously, the latter is a dub track that comes with the typical variations in tone and style that English dub tracks for Hong Kong films are known for, but compared to some other similar tracks that I have tested recently, it is quite effective. The former performs very well during action footage, of which there is plenty, and balance was surprisingly good. The English subtitles are excellent, which given the past history of Dr. Wai in the Scripture with No Words is not an easy accomplishment.
Somewhere in the middle of their latest audio commentary, Mike Leeder and Arne Venema mention Romeo Must Die and imply that it may be one of Jet Li's worst films. I enjoy the audio commentaries these guys do and find that their opinions on a lot of things, not just films, are similar or identical to mine. However, I could not disagree more with their take on Romeo Must Die, which next to Dr. Wai in the Scripture with No Words looks like a masterpiece. I am sorry, but Dr. Wai in the Scripture with No Words is one seriously mishandled film that frequently seems to be operating on autopilot, which might have been broken, too. Obviously, it was conceived to mimic the Indiana Jones films, but anyone expecting that kind of quality entertainment from it will be gravely disappointed. It is a bad film that is difficult to recommend even to die-hard Li fans. Eureka Entertainment's release is sourced from a good new 2K master and is included in Heroes & Villains: Three Films starring Jet Li, a three-disc box set.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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