6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Śakra is a new adaptation of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, a classic wuxia novel from 1963 that is considered one of the most influential works of martial arts fiction ever. Donnie Yen plays Qiao Feng, a martial arts master and one of the central figures of the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils story universe.
Starring: Donnie Yen, Yuqi Chen, Kara Ying Hung Wai, Yue Wu (I), Eddie CheungAction | 100% |
Foreign | 89% |
Martial arts | 64% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Cantonese: Dolby Atmos
Cantonese: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Mandarin: Dolby Digital 2.0
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional)
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A lot of historical epics from Japan or China, perhaps especially any number of martial arts outings, can tend to be sourced from ancient tomes or folklore themselves, but in the case of Sakra, the source is surprisingly "contemporary", at least within this general context. Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils was a novel which was first published in serial form over the course of a little less than three years between 1963 and 1966. The novel's author, Jin Yong (AKA Louis Cha and/or Louis Cha Leung-yung), is sometimes cited as one of Hong Kong's most famous writers, and he enjoyed the "extra benefit" of having founded Ming Pao, one of Hong Kong's most successful newspapers, and the place where probably unsurprisingly Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils was first serialized. While Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils evidently dealt with a number of interwoven stories and characters (I have admittedly never read it and am relying on some cursory research done in preparation for the writing of this review), the fact that it unspooled over the course of several years might give credence to the assumption that it had a great deal of detail, something that is perhaps missing, at least at times, from this cinematic exploration of one of the book's central characters, Qiao Feng (Donnie Yen, who also directed this enterprise). This may be another case where Eastern audiences are assumed to have almost "inherent" knowledge of context and backstory, and so any elisions that are part and parcel of the film will be automatically understood, while we boneheaded Westerners may have a few moments of wondering what exactly is going on and why.
Sakra is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. I was betting that this had a 4K DI no matter what camera was utilized, which, according to the IMDb at least, is correct, and I was further happy to see this was a Red capture, since for whatever reason I tend to really like the look of Red shot material when compared to some other digital cameras. The palette here is kind of interestingly tamped down at times, with an emphasis on browns, yellows and other kind of semi-neutral tones, but that perhaps only makes the pops of color that can dot the frame more distinctive. Outdoor cinematography is often downright luscious, with some surprisingly good detail levels even in some very wide framings. A few interior shots suffer from just a bit of inadequate shadow detail, but even a lot of the interior scenes can offer abundant fine detail levels and a nicely suffused palette. Some of the CGI is not particularly convincing, especially some establishing shots of various locales.
Sakra has a nice array of audio options, with Cantonese Atmos, Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, along with their usual "and the rest" of Dolby Digital 2.0 options (see above). I toggled between the three lossless tracks and there is some clear added activity in the Cantonese track that delivers all of the surround engagement of the two DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks, but which can also offer appealing verticality in any number of sound effects ranging from arrows flying through the air to, well, Donnie Yen flying through the air. A kind of fun score seems intentionally modeled on Ennio Morricone's work with Sergio Leone, particularly The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, including quasi-shouted wordless vocals. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Chinese subtitles are available.
Considering a bunch of codas which appear one after the other as the film ends and then continuing on into the closing credits, it seems clear that Donnie Yen is attempting to create a new franchise for himself, but any follow ups might want to concentrate on clearer storytelling to accompany the visceral action sequences and gorgeous cinematography. Technical merits are solid for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.
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