6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Looking to cash in on the popularity of Steven Spielberg's mega-hits E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hong Kong schlockmeister Wong Jing directs this yarn about Andy who, along with buddies Pin-pin and Pancho ventures to Greece to find his long lost friend Shen. They soon discover Shen is being tailed both by the KGB and by Interpol after discovering some rare gems in an archaeological dig. After a unkindly series of events, Andy winds up back in Hong Kong with the stones, which, it turns out, is not gems but rather an alien life form. Meanwhile Karov, an evil magician, is hell bent on getting his hands on the gem/alien no matter what.
Starring: Andy Lau, Cynthia Rothrock, Pak-Cheung Chan, Jing Wong, Siu Chung MokForeign | 100% |
Martial arts | 27% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Cantonese: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
1986’s “Magic Crystal” is a Hong Kong production that hopes to bring some Steven Spielberg magic to the world of martial arts action entertainment. It’s an odd mix, but director Jing Wong makes it work for the most part, putting on a terrific display of fight choreography to help support the endeavor, which is also interested in sci-fi elements and heavy doses of slapstick comedy. It’s not the sharpest offering of screen mayhem and silliness, but “Magic Crystal” is immense fun, and the production’s love of Spielberg is something to see, with the helmer ripping off a much as he can without triggering interest from Hollywood lawyers.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as "newly scanned and restored from its 35mm camera negative." "Magic Crystal" retains a very film-like appearance (save for the end credits, which may have been taken from a different source), with strong detail on character appearances and the smoother surfaces of the crystal. Costuming is fibrous with period style, and skin particulars are appreciable. Locations are dimensional, especially when showing off Greek sites, and interiors preserve decorative additions and tight spaces, found in the cave finale. Colors are strong, with fresh primaries throughout the viewing experience, and the emerald glow of the alien is preserved. Greenery is distinct, and skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is nicely resolved. Source does have points of severe damage, but these moments are brief.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers an English dub, while default audio is a Cantonese track (with "newly translated English subtitles"). Age and technical limitations are identified, but unintelligibility isn't an issue, with dialogue exchanges easy to follow. Scoring cues are equally aged, but synth support is appreciable, offering electronic beats. Sound effects are blunt.
"Magic Crystal" spends time as an "E.T." clone, with Bin Bin and the alien rock bonding, working together to save the creature, which also psychically connects them. The picture transitions into an Indiana Jones-style adventure in the final act, sending the characters into a cave showdown, with the actual conclusion weirdly close to the one cooked up for 2008's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Perhaps George Lucas was a fan of "Magic Crystal," and it's hard not to be, with the endeavor always aiming to please with physical force and screwball situations, sold by a cast committed to the extremes of the material, making for a wild ride at times.
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