Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Flash Point Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 30, 2008

Style takes over substance in Wilson Yip’s latest “Flash Point” (2007), a gritty film about life outside the law in cosmopolitan Hong Kong. Terrifically choreographed fights are likely to entice fans of martial arts cinema, but not so much those looking for more under pic’s shiny wrapper. Distributed by Deltamac.

Tough and uncompromising detective Ma Jun (Donnie Yen) and his undercover partner Wilson (Louis Koo) get involved with a merciless Vietnamese Triad-gang operating in the heart of Hong Kong. For years Wilson has worked hard to get the Vietnamese arrested but has never been successful. Getting closer and closer to the top he begins to see the end of his mission. Unfortunately, after a foul play, he gets exposed. Ma Jun tells him that they have to finish what they have started and destroy the Vietnamese no matter the cost.

Wilson’s pregnant girlfriend Julie (Bingbing Fan) appears and things get really complicated when the goons take her as a hostage, and then request that one of their own is freed from the local Police Department. Wilson quickly offers his life in exchanged for Julie’s. In the meantime, enraged that his colleague has decided to meet the demands of the goons, Ma Jun decides to set the record straight on his own.

Detective Ma Jun (Donnie Yen)

Two years after the release of his highly-successful SPL: Kill Zone (2005), director Wilson Yip and martial arts artist Donnie Yen have reunited for yet another action extravaganza. As expected, the main ingredients for Flash Point are quite similar to those of SPL: Kill Zone - impressively choreographed fight-scenes, a strong dose of Donnie Yen’s jabs, and a script with few surprises, if any.

Unfortunately, even though a lot of the fight-sequences in Flash Point are as gritty and extreme as those seen in SPL: Kill Zone, the tone of the film is far less convincing. In fact, the actual story is so predictable that, sans a few hilarious scenes where the cast is given a green light to improvise, the rest seems quite banal. Not surprisingly, the only thing that keeps Flash Point from completely falling apart is the serious smackdown.

However, this may well be a good enough reason for many to pick up Flash Point. While the film opens up with a rather conservative prologue, where the main protagonists are given ample time to show the audience what their strengths and weaknesses are, once the fists start flying the storyline truly becomes unimportant. Donnie Yen’s acrobatic pirouettes, kicks, and punches, apparently inspired by the late Bruce Lee, become the focus of attention, and you better believe that this is precisely what the cast and crew set out to promote throughout the rest of the film.

The final twenty or so minutes of Flash Point, the decisive battle between Ma Jun and the head of the Vietnamese gang, is without a doubt one of the most impressively shot fight-sequences that I have seen in recent triad films. There really is some very serious pummeling on display here and at least a dozen or so of the numbers the two actors perform look extremely dangerous. I am unsure how much and what type of preparation was done before the above mentioned footage was shot, but even after I went through “Ultimate Fighters”, a short but very revealing featurette in the extras department of this BD where some big martial arts gurus (Kenji Tanigaki, John Salvatti, Yan Hua, and Yuji Shimomura) show bits of their magic, I was truly amazed to see what has been done. Believe me, even the practice sessions looked quite unreal.

In conclusion, I suppose it is fair to say that Flash Point is a genre picture that will appeal to a very specific group of viewers with very specific understandings about what entertainment entails. The film’s often excessive brutality may rub some the wrong way, but in the larger scheme of things it most definitely is what transforms Flash Point into an exciting piece of cinema. Of course, so long as you know what the limitations of such films are in terms of substance!

Flash Point Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080p transfer Flash Point arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Deltamac.

Contrast is of exceptionally high quality on this disc. There are plenty of outdoor scenes (the closing twenty or so minutes for example) that are simply terrific to look at. Detail and clarity are also very impressive and those of you with a special appreciation for that marquee "popping" look will certainly be pleased by what the HK producers have done. The color-scheme is equally solid. Yellows and greens are particularly rich while blacks, in a number of different variations, are deep and notably lush. Logically, Flash Point boasts a truly HD-like look which, once again, I assume many of you will enjoy. The quality of the actual print on the other hand is, as expected, also great – I did not detect any scratches, debris, or dirt. Furthermore, I didn't see any disturbing patterns of edge-enhancement or macroblocking either. The print is generally very stable and when blown through a digital projector tight to the frame. I also did not detect any disturbing DNR manipulations to report here. To sum it all up, Flash Point is indeed a solid looking film with all of its basics intact. (Note: Even though the back cover for this release indicates Region-A only status it is in fact a Region-Free release which you will be able to play on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Flash Point Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Keeping up with what, I believe, is a great trend the HK distributors have established Flash Point arrives with a number of solid audio tracks: Cantonese PCM 7.1, Cantonese DTS-HD MA 7.1, Cantonese Dolby Digital EX 6.1, and Mandarin Dolby Digital EX 6.1. I typically opt for DTS-HD MA soundtracks, whenever possible, when reviewing HK releases, and then compare them with the rest of the audio options available. This time around, however, I decided to watch the entire film with the Cantonese PCM 7.1 track and then see how it compares to the DTS-HD MA 7.1 track. First of all, Flash Point is a film overflowing with action scenes. As a result, there is a lot that an advanced audio mix could enhance that a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 track couldn't. Not surprisingly, the PCM 7.1 track is extremely potent, allowing one to hear an abundance of audio effects. The rear channels are quite active and, as implied above, during the numerous action scenes it really pays off to have your audio system running one of the two 7.1 mixes – the bass is notably punchy, the rear channels active, and the high frequencies without any disturbing distortions that I could detect. This being said, the DTS-HD MA 7.1 mix is practically identical to the PCM 7.1. I rewatched the entire last 20 minutes, the huge fighting scene, and suffice to say I couldn't hear any major discrepancies between the two tracks. With other words. I suppose it really comes down to whether or not you have the hardware to decode properly the DTS-HD MA mix or not, and whether or not you have a special preference for one of the two mixes. As far as I am concerned though, they are both of extremely high-quality. Finally, this Blu-ray disc also offers optional English, traditional Chinese, and simplified Chinese subtitles. For the record, the subtitles are placed outside of the image frame.

Flash Point Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are a number of interesting extras on this disc. Fortunately enough, they are all subtitled in English as well. First is a gallery of interviews with Wilson Yip, Donnie Yen, Louis Koo, Collin Chow, Ray Lui, and Xingyu Shi. The overwhelming amount of the comments produced by the actors pertains to the actual characters they play and what their importance is within the story. As far as director Wilson Yip is concerned, his comments address the cast, and a few technical issues related to the fight-scenes. Next there are four deleted scenes, with optional English subtitles where appropriate, which as far as I am concerned add little of substance to the actual story. In addition, on this disc there is also a standard "Making Of" featurette which offers more interviews with the cast and crew as well as extra behind the scenes footage. Once again, the overwhelming amount of the talk is about the fight-scenes. "Ultimate Fighters" is a very short segment with Donnie Yen where he explains his fascination with martial arts and, in particular, Bruce Lee's influence on his decision to seriously get involved with them. Finally, the Blu-ray disc also offers the original theatrical trailer, with English subtitles, as well as a few TV spots which aren't subbed.

Flash Point Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Those of you who have already seen Wilson Yip's explosive SPL: Kill Zone should have a pretty good idea what to expect from Flash Point. Yes, this is, as the title suggests, a flashy, packed with action production whose only goal is to entertain. If realistic fights with the necessary splash of crime activity, HK-style, is your thing, do not hesitate to order this Blu-ray disc. The technical presentation is very strong, boasting excellent video and audio treatments. Recommended.