6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.7 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.3 |
A mysterious woman, known as Madame M, kidnaps forty preteen girls and transports them to a remote island to train them as assassins. CIA operative Jack Chen follows the case for 6 years with no leads, but when a series of assassinations begins to occur, Jack suspects that Madame M is back in business.
Starring: Maggie Q, Jewel Lee, Daniel Wu, Pei-Pei Cheng, Andrew LinForeign | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.80:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Cantonese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Mandarin (Traditional), Mandarin (Simplified), English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Action and mild lesbian overtones get mixed up in Ching Siu-Tung’s “Naked Weapon” (2002), the latest addition to Hong Kong-based distributors MegaStar’s Blu-ray catalog. The disc herein reviewed reveals a pleasing AVC-encoded transfer and a strong audio treatment. Region-Free.
One beautiful assassin - Maggie Q
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.80:1 (slightly modified from its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1), encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ching Siu-Tung's Naked Weapon arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors MegaStar.
The transfer for this curious film is surprisingly good. Generally speaking, contrast is convincing, clarity pleasing and detail far better than I expected it to be. Many of the close-ups look notably healthy, though it is easy to tell that the creators of Naked Weapon had a limited budget to work with as sharpness levels are not always consistent (some of the indoor scenes for example look a bit soft). On the other hand, there are a few exceptionally well lensed panoramic vistas that look terrific. It is also important to note that an overwhelming amount of the film is blanketed by a heavy blue-ish tint, which occasionally affects clarity. This being said, some of the fine film grain has been blended with a mild dose of video noise that pops up here and there but, overall, Naked Weapon looks surprisingly convincing. For the record, aside from a few specks that I noticed throughout the film, there are disturbing no debris, specks, or stains that I detected. (Note: Even though this Blu-ray disc is marketed as Region-A "locked", it is in fact Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English Dolby TrueHD 7.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1 and Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1. I opted for the English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.
The English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track is solid, though I must say that rear channel activity is quite underwhelming. Obviously, the basics are intact – the high-frequencies are not overdone, the bass is pleasingly potent and the dialog crisp and very easy to follow – but the channel separation is fairly modest. This being said, I certainly understand why. The creators of Naked Weapon had a limited budget to work with and, more often than not, you will be able to tell how this affected the film's production qualities. Overall, however, the English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track is strong and without any deficiencies that I could detect.
The English Dolby Digital 5.1 track compares well with the English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track. I would say that the biggest gap between the two tracks is in the bass activity, but some of you will probably also add surround activity. I personally thought that during the few scenes I tested with the two tracks, the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track conveyed some rather pleasing characteristics. For the record, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review. Please note that Mega Star have provided optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles for the main feature.
Making Of – A rather short, but mostly informative featurette about the production history of Naked Weapon. Cast and crew members recall their involvement with the project. With optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles.
Trailers – MegaStar have provided trailers for Naked Weapon, Exiled and Breaking News. With optional English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese subtitles.
I did not like Naked Weapon. I understand why it may appeal to some of you, but I did not find anything of substance in it. The female assassins, however, are beautiful. If this is a good enough reason for you to experiment with Naked Weapon, give it a try. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of MegaStar, is of surprisingly good quality.
綫人 / Sin yan
2010
Cheung wong chi wong / 鎗王之王
2010
Gong Woo Ching / 江湖情
1987
Mujeogja
2010
証人
2008
Fuk sau / 復仇
2009
毒戰
2012
新少林寺
2011
阿飛正傳
1990
刺客聂隐娘 / Nie Yin Niang
2015
柔道龍虎榜 / Yau doh lung fu bong
2004
給爸爸的信
1995
殺破狼 / Saat po long
2005
葉問外傳:張天志
2018
江山·美人
2008
新宿事件 | Uncut Version
2009
黑社會:以和為貴 | 2-Disc Limited Edition
2006
黑社會 | 2-Disc Limited Edition
2005
Saam yan hang / 三人行
2016
文雀 / Man jeuk
2008