7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Over the course of one night, a team of cops frantically search for their colleague's missing gun.
Starring: Simon Yam, Maggie Siu, Suet Lam, Ruby Wong, Raymond Ho-Yin WongForeign | 100% |
Drama | 24% |
Martial arts | 22% |
Crime | 3% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Cantonese: LPCM 2.0
Cantonese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region B (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Johnnie To's "PTU" (2003) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng; archival interviews with cast and crew members; and original trailer for the film. In Cantonese or English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, PTU arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.
In 2008, we reviewed this release of PTU from Hong Kong-based label Mei Ah. It appears that Eureka Entertainment's release is sourced from the same master that was used to produce the previous release.
While the age of the master definitely shows now, I think that it still provides a good overall presentation of the film. Indeed, if you exclude the fact that the grain tends to appear a bit powdery at times, which is a very common limitation on older masters, everything else actually looks very good. For example, depth ranges from good to excellent, which isn't always easy because large portions of the film contain either dark or very dark footage. Density levels are strong as well. Image stability is excellent and there are absolutely no age-related imperfections. So, while there is a room for some minor improvements in terms of grain exposure, the current presentation is still quite good. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There are three standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Cantonese: LPCM 2.0, Cantonese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit). Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
I viewed the entire film with the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and thought that it was excellent. It has great potency and plenty of excellent surround effects. Yes, the overwhelming majority of them are minor, but they definitely enhance and open up select scenes very well. The real upgrade, however, comes from the improved English subtitles. The difference is obvious and most welcome.
If you see and enjoy PTU, I encourage you to track down a copy of Sparrow. Even though the two tell drastically different stories, they are actually similarly nostalgic films that see Hong Kong in a very particular way. PTU is the stranger film, so it is practically guaranteed that you will have a better time with Sparrow. Eureka Entertainment's release is sourced from an older but good master. RECOMMENDED.
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