Kungfu Cyborg: Metallic Attraction Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Kungfu Cyborg: Metallic Attraction Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 15, 2011

Jeff Lau's "Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include a standard making of featurette; photo gallery; and two theatrical trailers. In Cantonese, with optional English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

One spooky cyborg

It is not the most promising of titles. After all, metallic, attraction, kungfu and cyborg are all words that pull in different directions. But Hong Kong-based helmer Jeff Lau has produced some terrific films (Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express and Fallen Angels) and also directed a few very entertaining ones (The Legendary La Rose Noire, Treasure Hunt, A Chinese Odyssey I&II ), which is why I decided to give his Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg) a chance.

Contrary to various reports claiming that the film is so bad that it is practically unwatchable, I found it to be rather good. Behind the flashy action it packs there are various interesting messages about the increasingly disconnected from reality and enslaved by virtuality lives we live, God, and modernity. There is a good dose of humor in it as well. With other words, Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg is not a mindless mish-mash of sharp visuals and dull ideas.

Here’s the plot: K1 (professional swimmer-singer Alex Fong, I Corrupt All Cops), a highly sophisticated cyborg, is sent to a provincial police department to work as a cop. He looks and acts like most humans do, but is well aware of the fact that he is nothing more than a very expensive piece of metal. He is teamed up with Xu Dachun (Hu Jun, Everlasting Regret), a tough, old-fashioned cop, who is in love with Zhou Sumei (Betty Sun, Just Another Pandora's Box), an extremely shy but craving romance female officer. Xu and Zhou are stuck in a strange on-again, off-again relationship that routinely upsets them.

Things get complicated when K1 falls in love with Zhou - which is a serious mechanical failure, because apparently there are all sorts of block codes in his memory that should prevent him from developing romantic feelings for a human being - and Xu gets killed by K-88 (Wu Jing, Fatal Move), another sophisticated robot that challenges K1. Luckily, K1 rebuilds Xu before the rest of his colleagues discover what has happened to him. Meanwhile, Zhou falls in love with K1, and a classic love triangle is created. There are a couple of other interesting characters in the film as well: Xiao Jiang (Ronald Cheng, It's a Wonderful Life), a wacky teacher and computer wizard looking for love in all the wrong places; Zhou Suqing (Gan Wei, Welcome to Shamatown), a depressed beauty wanting to be loved; and Lin Xiang (Eric Tsang, Infernal Affairs), a corporate hotshot with mixed up priorities.

So, as the synopsis conveys, there is too much material in Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg, and a lot of it could be quite overwhelming. And the reason why is not because the various relationships amongst the main characters are so complicated that they demand utmost concentration, but because the film never finds its identity; it is not a pure action film, it is not a pure romantic comedy, and it most certainly isn’t a witty social satire.

Despite being so incoherent, Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg has plenty of charm - perhaps because it tries really hard to be a lot of different things, and even though it constantly fails, it keeps going; or perhaps because the cast is unexpectedly good. I am unsure. Whatever the reason, it was not a bad film to see on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Note: In 2010, Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg was nominated for Best Visual Effects Award (Don Ma) at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Kungfu Cyborg: Metallic Attraction Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jeff Lau's Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah Entertainment.

This is a strong high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is very good, clarity excellent, and contrast levels consistent. The color-scheme does not disappoint either; the prominent blues, greens, reds, grays, and blacks look rich and well saturated. Edge-enhancement is a not a serious issue of concern; neither is macroblocking. There are no traces of heavy noise reduction either. I did notice, however, various light compression artifacts popping during a couple of the action scenes. None of them are overly distracting, but the larger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to notice them. Finally, there are no serious stability issues. I also did not see any large cuts, damage marks, or stains to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Kungfu Cyborg: Metallic Attraction Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, and Mandarin Dolby TrueHD 7.1. For the record, Mei Ah Entertainment have provided optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear outside of the image frame.

The Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is fantastic. The bass is powerful and punchy, the rear channels very effective, and the high-frequencies not overdone. The massive action scenes between the cyborgs sound incredible (the big battle with with the giant robot in the hangar, for instance, will surely test the muscles of your audio system). The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and exceptionally easy to follow. There are no balance issues with Ronald Cheng and Mark Lui's music score either. Lastly, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review. The English translation is relatively good.

Kungfu Cyborg: Metallic Attraction Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making of - a look at the complex special effects used in the film. In Cantonese, not subtitled. (31 min, 480/60i).

• Photo Gallery - a collection of stills from the film. (1080p).

• Trailer A - the original theatrical trailer for the film. In Mandarin, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Trailer B - the original theatrical trailer for the film. In Cantonese, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

Kungfu Cyborg: Metallic Attraction Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Not as bad as some critics have claimed but definitely not as good as its official trailer suggests, Jeff Lau's Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg is the perfect film to see on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah Entertainment, looks and sounds good. It is also Region-Free. RENT IT.