7.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Chinese history in the 2nd and 3rd Century, during which China split into three kingdoms following the fall of Han Dynasty, and after decades of war and peace, reunified under a new dynasty: Jin.
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang, Chang Chen, Wei ZhaoAction | 100% |
Foreign | 86% |
Martial arts | 69% |
Epic | 64% |
History | 63% |
War | 61% |
Period | 49% |
Drama | 43% |
Adventure | 35% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Mandarin: LPCM 7.1
Mandarin: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Mandarin (Traditional), Mandarin (Simplified), English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Arguably one of the most influential Asian directors from the last fifteen years whose adrenalin-infused action films inspired cohorts of dedicated fans, John Woo is back in familiar waters with "Red Cliff" (2008). Ambitious and very expensive, the film teams up some of the hottest names in Asian cinema - Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony Leung, Chen Chang, Wei Zhao - in what apparently is the first installment in a two-leg epic tale about friendship and valor.
The last days of the Han Dynasty. General Cao Cao (Fengyi Zhang) has gathered a massive 800 000 army in the wealthy North. He is planning to oust the leaders of the smaller Shu and Wu states in the South where the will of the weak Emperor is apparently questioned. Realizing that the Shu state will not be able to withstand a possible attack by Cao Cao’s troops Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro), a military strategist and naturalist, asks the leader of the Wu state, Sun Quan (Chen Chang), to join forces with Shu. Sun Quan agrees and the armies of Shu and Wu gather at the strategic Red Cliff on the Yangtze River. Displeased by the news that the two Southern states have joined forces General Cao Cao orders his army to attack Red Cliff.
For better or worse, the action in Red Cliff is overwhelming
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080p transfer John Woo's Red Cliff arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong distribs Mei Ah Entertainment. We should have had this disc covered for Blu-ray.com a bit earlier but apparently there was such a great demand for the title in Asia that many distributors struggled greatly to fulfill their orders. Well, there is a good reason why! I spent the last 48 hours watching Red Cliff (it runs close to 150 minutes) and suffice to there is a lot to like here. Let's move on the video description.
First of all the print provided by Mei Ah Entertainment is absolutely spotless. It is fresh, sharp, and undoubtedly terrific looking. The color scheme, an incredibly important ingredient, is very convincing – from the predominant yellow-tint during some of the large battle scenes, to the magnificent nature shots where greens and blues are prevalent, to some of the more intriguing yet delicate to capture night scenes. Second, detail is equally impressive. Red Cliff is a very panoramic film with massive combat scenes where a great deal of CGIs are used and indeed the producers of this disc have made sure that everything is handled with utmost precision. Some of the intimate scenes on the other hand are just as astounding as they allow one to uncover a range of facial expressions (really, some very tiny details) I am unsure the SDVD release is capable of reproducing. Third, Red Cliff is a film that sustains that marquee "popping look" new releases retain on Blu-ray when they are done right. And here everything looks very well allowing one to fully appreciate John Woo's vision.
This being said, I am also pleased to state that Mei Ah Entertainment's Blu-ray transfer does not reveal any disturbing external manipulations. DNR is not an issue here and overall the transfer looks very natural. I was certainly not displeased with how Red Cliff looked on my system and in fact found myself quite a bit fascinated by the combat scenes. Indeed, this is probably as good as the film can look in high-definition so if you should have any interest in it go for it – Red Cliff looks spot-on!!
(Note:This Blu-ray contains a few protective watermarks that appear in the upper left corner, outside of the framed image, for a total of approximately two seconds per pop-up. I was not disturbed by them at all but understand that some viewers find their presence to be problematic. Suffice to say Mei Ah Entertainment have been made aware of the issue and their future releases will omit any such protective labeling).
It is difficult not to be impressed by what Mei Ah Entertainment have delivered in the audio department. And I think that anyone who acquires this disc will instantly agree with me. Covering the full spectrum of HD codecs Blu-ray has been utilizing thus far Red Cliff arrives with Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Mandarin: LPCM 7.1, and Mandarin: Dolby TrueHD 7.1. So, pick your poison! This disc delivers and it does so with a bang. No matter what your personal preference is when it comes to high-definition audio Mei Ah Entertainment have made sure that you will not be disappointed. I personally opted for the DTS-HA Master audio but did experiment with the other two tracks as well. To make a long story short Red Cliff sounds mighty impressive! Even if you are not a fan of the genre John Woo champions, and I am certainly not one, it is hard not to be appreciative of what the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track does to this film. Loud and gut-punching bass is blended expertly with the active surrounds during the key battle scenes where the sound of clashing swords, galloping horses, and soldiers fighting each other is pretty impressive. The audio mixers for this disc must have spent a great deal of time making sure that everything is optimized to perfection, as I really could not find a single bit to complain about. On the more subtle side of things, the epic score - a feature that has a very prominent role in this film - comes off the speakers filling your room with energy. All of the surrounds are actively used and, yes, Red Cliff will test your system. Finally, the dialog is crystal clear, very easy to follow and without any issues that I need to report. Optional English, simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese subtitles are provided.
Aside from the original theatrical trailer and a photo gallery there is a collection of interviews here with members of the cast which unfortunately I cannot describe to you as these are not subtitled in English. Furthermore, there is footage from the Beijing and Hong Kong press conferences following the film's premiere but once again these are not subtitled in English. Finally, Finally, there is a second feature from the Hong Kong premiere of Red Cliff where additional footage is provided. Once again, this special feature isn't subtitled in English.
A genre-picture with a specific look and feel that many would argue is where John Woo is at his best Red Cliff has been given a Blu-ray treatment that is nothing short of perfect. If this is the type of cinema you enjoy then you are in for a great, great treat. Admittedly the action-extravaganza mixed with distinctive epic overtones Red Cliff harbors isn't my cup of tea but I would be lying to you if I did not admit that the combat scenes did not have my attention. There is some great camera work here and given the specific genre the film belongs to Red Cliff certainly gets most everything right. The sequel should be something else! Highly Recommended.
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