8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Oh Dae-su is an ordinary Seoul businessman with a wife and little daughter who, after a drunken night on the town, is abducted and locked up in a strange, private "prison." No one will tell him why he’s there or who his jailer is. Over time, his fury builds to a single-minded focus of revenge. Fifteen years later, he is unexpectedly freed, given a new suit, a cell phone and five days to discover the mysterious enemy who had him imprisoned.
Starring: Choi Min-sik, Kang Hye-jeong, Yoo Ji-tae, Yoon Jin-seo, Oh Dal-suForeign | 100% |
Drama | 92% |
Dark humor | 36% |
Mystery | 26% |
Thriller | 17% |
Comic book | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.31:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Korean: Dolby Digital 2.0
Korean: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX
Korean: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Nominated for Palme d'Or and winner of the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival, Korean director Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy" (2003) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Palisades Tartan. The supplemental features on the disc include three audio commentaries - one by director Park Chan-wook; one by director Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Chung Ching-hoon; and one by director Park Chan-wook and actors Gang Hye-jung, Yu Ji-tae, and Choi Min-sik - a gallery of deleted scenes; and theatrical trailer. In Korean, with optional English subtitles. Region-Free.
I'll tear you limb from limb.
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.31:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Park Chan-wook's Oldboy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Palisades Tartan.
My major complaint with this high-definition transfer is the fact that it is fairly inconsistent. Portions of it look good, with pleasing clarity and fine object detail. Despite the unique use of light, many of the indoor scenes during the first half of the film also look good. Contrast levels vary dramatically from scene to scene, most notably during the memory flashbacks, but these fluctuations are intentional.
During the second half of Oldboy, however, and especially during the final 20-25 minutes, digital noise is very easy to spot. During specific scenes, I even noticed some rather strong macroblocking creeping in. Furthermore, those of you with larger than 50' screens would also notice mild flickering around the edges; it is not overly disturbing but it is certainly there. Finally, it is fairly obvious to tell that light noise reduction has been applied as well. All in all, while this isn't a disappointing high-definition transfer, it isn't an overly impressive one either. As far as I am concerned, Oldboy could have looked quite a bit better in 1080p. (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).
There are five audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, Korean Dolby Digital Stereo, English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dolby Digital Stereo. For the record, Palisades Tartan have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature and extras. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it (see captures).
The Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is solid. I particularly enjoyed how it treated Shim Hyun-jung's lovely music score (the classical pieces are indeed very strong). This said, the surround channels are not overly active, even during some of the bigger action scenes. On the other hand, the high frequencies are not overdone and the bass is consistently potent. The dialog is crisp, clean and easy to follow, and there are no balance issues to report with the music score.
I quickly tested the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track to see how good the dubbing was. As expected, it turned out to be lifeless and genuinely flat. In terms of dynamics, the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track is also fairly underwhelming.
Trailer - the original UK theatrical trailer for the film. (2 min, 1080p).
Deleted Scenes - ten deleted scenes (Oh Dae-su; Day One; Restaurant; Confronting the Guards; Kiss; The Lovers 1; The Lovers 2; Woo-jin's Preparation; Remaining Plot; Tube Station - Reflection), with optional commentary by director Park Chan-wook. In Korean, with optional English subtitles. (11 min, 1080p).
Commentary - an audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook. In Korean with optional English subtitles. From the three commentaries included on this Blu-ray disc, this is the most informative one. The Korean director provides an excellent analysis of his film, plenty of technical information addressing specific scenes and the film's unique music score, etc.
Commentary - an audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Chung Ching-hoon. In Korean, with optional English subtitles. Though also quite technical, this specific commentary focuses more on specific scenes and the manner in which they were shot as opposed to the film's finished look and unique story.
Commentary - an audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook and actors Gang Hye-jung, Yu Ji-tae, and Choi Min-sik. In Korean, with optional English subtitles. I've only listened to portions of the commentary and my general impressions of it is that it has a rather casual tone. If you are looking for a strong analysis of the film, I would recommend listening to the first audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook.
Oldboy is a strong film with unique qualities. It is beautifully lensed and complimented by a truly wonderful music score - which makes all the graphic violence in it that much more surprising. Everything, however, is put together very convincingly, with a special touch of class. Palisades Tartan's (the successor of Tartan Films) disc was one of their very first high-definition releases, and it clearly shows. Depending on the price, I'd say it is worth adding it to your library. RECOMMENDED.
2003
올드보이
2003
Remastered | 올드보이 / Oldeuboi
2003
올드보이 / Oldeuboi
2003
Limited Edition | 올드보이
2003
친절한 금자씨
2005
복수는 나의 것
2002
마더 / Madeo
2009
2013
기생충 / Gisaengchung | Limited Edition
2019
El Club
2015
Relatos salvajes
2014
Forushande
2016
아가씨 / Agassi | Special Edition
2016
Pionér
2013
三度目の殺人 / Sandome no Satsujin | Arrow Academy
2017
Black Label 038 | Limited Edition
2010
살인의 추억 / Salinui chueok
2003
버닝 / Beoning
2018
Remastered | バトル・ロワイアル / Batoru rowaiaru
2000
告白 / Kokuhaku
2010
După dealuri
2012
Возвращение / Vozvrashcheniye
2003
Caché
2005
Arrow Academy
2015