Special ID Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Special ID Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 13, 2014

People signing on for any given Donnie Yen action picture know pretty much what they’re going to get, namely a hardscrabble, taciturn hero fighting unbeatable odds and—well, beating them. Special ID places this all within the well worn Asian cinema (and elsewhere) trope of a disillusioned undercover cop pretending to work for the local crime syndicate, and finding it increasingly difficult to navigate between his “professional” (whether undercover or not) and private family lives. Special ID’s narrative flow may not be as coherent as some of the best in this burgeoning subgenre, but the action elements are well staged and will probably provide just enough of an adrenaline rush to make this acceptable for Yen fans.

Films as varied (and at times as iconic) as Infernal Affairs (the inspiration for Martin Scorsese’s The Departed) and New World have already proven what a potent storyline this basic setup can be, but ironically that’s exactly what ails Special ID the most: it’s lacking originality and it simply comes off worse when compared to other films that ply the same territory. Special ID is brisk and eventful, and contains a couple of great set pieces, but there’s a pretty empty vacuum of this story that is more middling than special.

Special ID Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Special ID is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.34:1. This is a really fantastically sharp and almost crystalline looking high definition transfer of native high definition elements from the Red One camera. Though often skewed to a cool color palette, with lots of teal blues and even almond yellows thrown into the mix, fine detail pops nicely throughout. Contrast appears slightly boosted at times, giving some scenes an almost effulgent (albeit fluorescent) glow.

Special ID Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Original language and English dub options are available in both DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0. While fidelity is excellent on the 5.1 tracks, there's a somewhat surprising emphasis on the front channels that tends to work against the film's action elements. The score and some foley effects due echo through the surrounds, but this is at times a surprisingly restrained mix. There are no issues of any kind to report.

Special ID Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making Of (1080i; 4:06)


• Trailer (1080p; 1:35)

Special ID Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Yen fans should find enough here to keep them engaged, but this is second tier Yen at best. The basic storyline has been told many times before, and at least some of those times, better. The film is breathless, stuffed with action, and well staged, and the Blu-ray boasts impressive technical merits.