7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Foreign | 100% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Mandarin: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional)
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
I'm confused. And to the resounding chorus of "what else is new?" I hear echoing through the virtual halls of the internet, I'll add: even more than usual. I reviewed a film called God of War , also put out on Blu-ray by Well Go USA, several years ago, and so call me crazy (I hear more murmuring in those internet halls), but I kinda sorta assumed God of War II might be a, you know, sequel. Instead, it seems to be a co-opted title (why?) for what was evidently a TV movie that the IMDb calls Legend of Lv Bu. Now the situation is perhaps further complicated by the fact that that very IMDb listing either has the title misspelled or at least mistransliterated, since the titular character is identified as Lü Bu in both subtitles as well as some descriptive text on the back cover of this release. At any rate, this seems to be a "franchise" in (co- opted) name only, as it turns out that, unlike the first film, which was set circa the sixteenth century, the real life Lü Bu lived centuries earlier, ultimately inspiring accounts that included the legendary (maybe in more ways than one) third century tome Record of the Three Kingdoms.
God of War II is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the site's odd version of the original title of this piece, the IMDb has no real technical data available, and the closing credits have no English subtitles, so I can't opine on whether any technical data is offered there. I'm giving this a 4.0 since a lot of the more brightly lit outdoor material pops very well and delivers consistently nice fine detail levels, but there are a glut of scenes here that look oddly brightened, many of them interior moments that have been either lit or graded toward orange tones. Contrast in these moments is pretty anemic, and detail levels also tend to ebb noticeably. The fact that some interstitial material also graded or lit toward oranges does not exhibit this same kind of weird brightening makes the milky moments all the more noticeable. CGI is pretty soft looking most of the time, and in fact can come off as slightly comical on occasion.
God of War II features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix in the original Mandarin. The film benefits from several effects sequences which more than adequately engage the side and rear channels while also providing bursts of LFE, and the sound design also offers good placement of ambient environmental effects in several outdoor sequences. The action set pieces are the "busiest" in terms of surround activity, but even quieter dialogue scenes enjoy some nice spread and directionality. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Chinese subtitles are available.
The first God of War was admittedly a bit ponderous at times, but it at least seemed to be trying to adhere to the historical record. This film's playing up of the fantasy superhero element takes this pretty obviously out of the "factual" arena, though that said the character of Lü Bu has evidently inspired hyperbolic tales in lore and legend for untold centuries, so maybe this can be seen as part of that particular tradition. I still found this narrative near impossible to follow at times, but perhaps those better versed in Chinese culture will not experience the same level of boneheadedness. Technical merits are generally solid for those who are considering making a purchase.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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