7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The swashbuckling hero-for-hire "Asian Hawk" is called from the deep of the African forest to lead a mission in search of a huge cache of gold hidden in the desert by German soldiers during World War II.
Starring: Jackie Chan, Carol 'Do Do' Cheng, Eva Cobo, Aldo Sambrell, Shôko IkedaForeign | 100% |
Martial arts | 55% |
Action | 52% |
Crime | 16% |
Comedy | 1% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
If it's the name "Jackie Chan" on the marquee or the video box, audiences pretty much know what to expect. The worldwide martial arts sensation has dazzled moviegoers for decades with his unique brand and blend of physical action, funny bone, and personal appeal. His name is synonymous with fast-paced action and dizzying practical effects. He's the definition of an international superstar, one of a few figures identifiable the world over and always worth stopping to watch when one of his movies appears on television. If there's a negative, it's that many of his movies seem fairly repetitive. Often, it feels like a case of "seen one, seen 'em all," but with Chan's movies, seeing them all isn't necessarily a bad thing. The appeal of watching a human being perform unspeakable stunts never seems to grow old; he's a one-man circus act, but rather than tightropes and hoops and lions, he uses whatever he can get his hands on, his body across, or his mind wrapped around, making use of his environment like no other entertainer in history. Operation Condor is the latest Jackie Chan movie to land on Blu-ray. It's a bit more streamlined and mainstream in tone, but the core remains the same: a whole lot of Jackie Chan doing what Jackie Chan does best, with a plot that's only in place to frame the action, not define it.
Deadly.
Operation Condor arrives on Blu-ray with a satisfactory high definition transfer. Generally, Echo Bridge's image offers crisp, sharp, sturdy details with only a few instances of noticeable softness. Definition isn't pristine, but viewers should be pleased with the level of complexity evident on sandy terrains, ornate furnishings, skin, and clothes. Colors are fine, often earthy through much of the movie but balanced and mostly accurate, from brighter clothes to tan desert floors. Blacks and skin tones are fine, and the transfer is enhanced by light grain retention. On the other hand, there's a fairly steady stream of pops and speckles and debris, often not overwhelming but occasionally heavier here than there. Light shimmering is evident during a car/motorcycle chase around 21 minutes into the movie, and a few edge halos are present as well. Yet despite a few issues, this is a good, pleasing transfer from Echo Bridge.
Operation Condor features a highly aggressive DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This one's all about volume and energy. Clarity is fine, even as the listener is bombarded with music and effects from every corner of the listening area. Indeed, the track is highly immersive, lacking in precise clarity but sounding loud and exciting nonetheless. Everything may be described as "big:" big music, big effects, big soundstage. What the track lacks in sonic subtlety and accuracy it more than makes for in sheer effort. Bass is heavy, deep, and strong, a bit rattly and sloppy at the bottom but potent and never shy. The surrounds work overtime to carry a host of sound effects and music. There's not an obvious balance towards the front but rather an all-in sort of surround usage. Gunfire effects impress; rattling machine guns crank out rounds with speed and sonic accuracy, a heavy, powerful rattling sensation that defines one of the film's critical action scenes. Dialogue is fine, the English dub clear and accurate. There's a lot of energy and effort here; this isn't the best soundtrack, but it gets high marks for being so entertaining.
Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of Operation Condor contains only the film's trailer (480p, 0:29). Note that this is the 90-minute version of the film previously released on DVD, not the original version which runs approximately 15 minutes longer.
Operation Condor isn't any kind of remarkable motion picture or even the highlight of Jackie Chan's career, but it's a good, well-made, and highly entertaining little slice of escapism and largely representative of what Jackie Chan movies are all about. This one has the formula down: a thin plot offset by modest humor and a whole lot of over-the-top excitement that only a man of Chan's natural gifts can deliver. Don't watch the movie to exercise the mind; instead, watch it to see Jackie Chan pulling off impossible stunt after impossible stunt. This, and movies like this, absolutely define thematically light martial arts entertainment. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of Operation Condor features no extras of value, but the disc does offer solid video and aggressive audio. Recommended at a bargain price.
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