SPL: Kill Zone Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

SPL: Kill Zone Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 14, 2008

Chinese director Wilson Yip's gritty cop drama "Saat Po Long" a.k.a "SPL: Kill Zone" (2005) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Deltamac Co. Ltd. The only supplemental feature on this disc is a standard Making of featurette. With optional English and Traditional Chinese subtitles. Region-Free.

Talking business where no one can hear you...supposedly.

A cancer-struck cop, Chan Kwok Chung (Simon Yam, Election), is determined to send a ruthless triad lord, Wong Po (Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Skinny Tiger and Fatty Dragon), behind bars. But the closer he gets to him, the more of his colleagues are eliminated by the lord’s goons. With less than forty eight hours to retirement and his target still on the loose, as well as his replacement, Ma Kwun (Donnie Yen, An Empress and the Warriors), already itching to take over his unsolved cases, the cop would make one final move - which may cost him his life.

After the unprecedented success of Lau Wai-keung and Alan Mak’s Infernal Affairs (2002), it seems like a few of the big production houses in Hong Kong are back in the high-octane action game, investing enough to allow projects such as Wilson Yup's SPL: Kill Zone to see the light of day. Fast-paced, stylishly-lensed and packed to the hilt with cold and realistic action, SPL: Kill Zone is a good example of what the future of Hong Kong action cinema might look like.

The title of the film refers to a trio of stars from the Chinese zodiac: Sha (Seven Killings), the power star; Po (Army Breaker), the ruinous star; and Lang (Greedy Wolf), the flirting star. Each of the three abbreviations corresponds to one of the three characters in SPL: Kill Zone - the sick cop, his replacement and the triad lord.

It is quite difficult, however, to figure out exactly how the stars are assigned. In SPL: Kill Zone, the fine line between right and wrong is effectively blurred, and even though one gets a fairly clear picture of why cops and goons are locked in a deadly standoff, one is certainly left pondering who the bad party actually is.

The acting is good, though not of the same caliber as that observed in Infernal Affairs. Simon Yam is convincing as the tough cop willing to go all the way, and if needed break more than a few rules here and there, to get his man behind bars. Donnie Yen is also persuasive as the rookie cop determined to prove that he can succeed where those before him have failed. Veteran actor Sammo Hung Kam-Bo looks a bit too serious at times, but he is also believable as the triad lord getting ready to enjoy a more peaceful life.

Yup’s direction is assured, never emphasizing the action more than it needs to. As a result, the dramatic overtones SPL: Kill Zone is filled with do not feel awkward. On the contrary, they compliment the film’s gritty aura rather well. Cinematographer Lam Wah-Chuen’s (Juliet in Love) lensing is also pleasing.

SPL: Kill Zone comes very close to what is typically referred to as pure genre picture. It most certainly does not break new boundaries, but it does not fall victim of the endless clichés similarly themed films do either. The style is never overwhelming and there is just enough substance in it to make one feel good about just a little over ninety minutes with it.

In 2006, SPL: Kill Zone won the Best Action Choreography award (Donnie Yen) at the Hong Kong Film Awards. During the same year, the film won the Film of Merit award at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards.

SPL: Kill Zone Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Wilson Yup's SPL: Kill Zone arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Deltamac Co. Ltd.

The high-definition transfer is quite inconsistent. Portions of it look very good - contrast levels are balanced and clarity pleasing. Elsewhere, however, the high definition transfer is affected by the presence of mild to strong digital noise. Edge-enhancement is also fairly easy to spot, especially during the daylight scenes (those of you with larger than 50' screens would easily notice its presence). The color-scheme is mostly stable, though blacks and blues occasionally look soft. There are no serious stability issues to report in this review. I also did not spot any disturbing cuts, marks, debris, or stains while viewing the film. (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).

SPL: Kill Zone Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese DTS-HD Master audio 7.1, Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and Mandarin: Dolby Digital 6.1. For the record, Deltamac Co. Ltd. have provided optional English and Traditional Chinese subtitles for the main feature.

The Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is solid. The bass is loud and punchy, the rear channels notably active, and the high-frequencies not overdone. The massive crash in the beginning of the film, for example, could easily be used to test the muscles of one's audio system. The dialog is crisp, clean and easy to follow. There are no balance issues that I noticed either. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hiss to report in this review.

The Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track is identical to the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7. track. I tested the crash scene in the beginning of the film on both and could not hear any serious dynamic fluctuations.

SPL: Kill Zone Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only supplemental feature on this Blu-ray disc is a Making Of featurette, in which cast and crew members share their thoughts on the production values of SPL: Kill Zone and recall some of the technical difficulties they faced during the shooting of the film.

SPL: Kill Zone Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A graphic triad-picture with a distinctively contemporary look, SPL: Kill Zone should appeal to those who like their action cinema with a strong dose of realism. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Deltamac Co. Ltd., looks and sounds good. RECOMMENDED.