7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance.
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang, Chang Chen, Wei ZhaoAction | 100% |
Foreign | 65% |
Drama | 59% |
Adventure | 55% |
Epic | 52% |
Martial arts | 50% |
History | 47% |
War | 46% |
Period | 42% |
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: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Mandarin: LPCM 7.1
Mandarin (Traditional), Mandarin (Simplified), English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
John Woo's much anticipated "Red Cliff II" (2009) debuts on Blu-ray with reference quality audio and video. Fans of the film will be delighted to know that the disc isn't watermarked. Region-Free, courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah.
General Zhou Yu (Tony Leung)
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Woo's Red Cliff II arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah.
Those of you who have already seen the first installment of Red Cliff on Blu-ray will be delighted to know that Red Cliff II looks just as solid. Mei Ah have once again provided a spotless print with terrific contrast and outstanding detail. The color-scheme is also very pleasing – the predominant yellow tint seen on the first installment of Red Cliff certainly has a major role in Red Cliff II as well, though a lot more of the action here takes place at night. This being said, there weren't any external manipulations here that I could detect; DNR is definitely not an issue of concern. On the other hand, the actual print is notably healthy – I did not detect any disturbing specks, scratches, or debris to report here. I would also like to point out that this Blu-ray disc has not been watermarked (apparently, Mei Ah are no longer going to have these watermarks on any of their releases). (Note: This is a Region-Free disc which you will be able to play on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Mandarin Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and Mandarin LPCM 7.1. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track and, suffice to say, I was every bit as impressed with it as I was the first time around when I viewed Red Cliff (also using the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track) – the bass is powerful, the surround channels unusually active and the high frequencies about as edgy as one would want them to be. And, yes, the giant battle scene at the end of the film is indeed the perfect show-off material that you want to take advantage of every time someone questions Blu-ray's superiority over DVD. Simply put, if any of the three loseless tracks Mei Ah have packed on this disc does not make it painfully obvious to your non-believer friends or relatives what HD audio is capable of then, more than likely, they are deaf. This being said, Mei Ah have provided optional Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and English subtitles for the main feature. (For the record, the subtitles appear outside of the image frame).
Aside from the original theatrical trailer, a teaser and a photo gallery, on this Blu-ray disc you will also find a gallery of interviews with Tony Leung Chu Wai, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Lin Chiling, Zhao Wei and John Woo. Unfortunately, none of these interviews have been subtitled in English.
Red Cliff II isn't the type of film I was expecting to see. It is way too flashy and heavy on action for my taste. Of course, this is precisely why many of you will probably want to see it as soon as possible. This being said, the Blu-ray treatment is superb. I am willing to bet that very soon many people will be using this disc to show off their audio setups. Recommended.
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