Take Off Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Take Off Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 8, 2010

Kim Yong-hwa's "Take Off" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of South Korean distributors Eos. The supplemental features on the disc include two audio commentaries; making of; deleted scenes; behind the scenes footage; cast and crew interviews; music video; promotional materials; and more. In Korean, with optional English and Korean SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The Dream Team

In 1996, South Korea placed a bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympic Games even though it did not have a national ski jumping team. Surprised by the bid, many analysts quickly concluded that the IOC (International Olympic Committee) is unlikely to consider it seriously. As a result, the South Korean Olympic authorities quickly approached a former ski instructor, Bang Jong-sam (Seong Dong-il, 200 Pounds Beauty), with a request to form a national ski jumping team as quickly as possible.

Kim Yong-hwa’s Take Off tells the story of the five men Coach Bang selected for the ski jumping team: Bob (Ha Jung-woo, Kim Ki-duk's Time), a Korean-American who has come to Korea to find his biological mother; Chil-gu (Kim Ji-seok, Eye for an Eye), a young man who hopes to win a medal to avoid military service; Chil-gu’s younger brother, Bong-goo (Lee Jae-eung); Jae-bok (Choi Jae-hwan, Epitaph), a dreamer who is determined to prove to his conservative father that dreams can come true; and Heung-cheol (Kim Dong-wook, No Regret), a waiter who has a very serious crush on Coach Bang’s beautiful but unpredictable daughter (Eun-seong, Milky Way Liberation Front).

Coach Bang and his men begin training but make so little progress that they nearly give up. They also constantly get harassed by relatives, friends and even a group of local gangsters who can’t believe that South Korea is serious about having a national ski jumping team.

Meanwhile, it is decided that the 2002 Winter Olympic Games will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the head of the South Korean Olympic Committee announces that a national ski jumping team is no longer needed. Heartbroken and disillusioned, Coach Bang begs him to let his men represent the country at the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. Much to his surprise, Coach Bang is told that this would not be a problem if he and his men take care of all the equipment and traveling expenses.

Once in Nagano, the South Korean ski jumpers win everyone’s sympathy. Back home millions of their countrymen are glued to their TVs, moved by the passion, determination and desire of the ski jumpers to make their home country proud. And they do so in a spectacular fashion.

Inspired by true events, Take Off is a wonderful film that reminded me about Jon Turteltaub’s Cool Runnings, which tells the story of the first Jamaican bobsled team. Take Off is just as inspirational, entertaining and unbelievable.

I am unsure if everything director Kim Yong-hwa has filmed really happened, but I am planning to do some serious research and find out. Some of the events in his film are so incredible, if they really did happen, then this has got to be one of the greatest sports stories ever told. The South Koreans did not win gold medals so this is clearly not the reason why; rather it is because of how they got to the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano. It is quite unbelievable, I assure you.

The acting is surprisingly good. There are some terrific improvisations from the mostly unknown outside of South Korea cast, and the energy throughout the film is outstanding. Some of the melodrama could have been trimmed, but the narrative never feels bloated. The special effects are also excellent, especially during the final third of the film, and the trendy soundtrack is top-notch.

Note: In 2009, the Korean Film Critics Society awarded Take Off its Best Director, Best Technical Achievement, and Best Music awards. During the same year, the film also won the Best Director and Best Visual Effects awards at the Daejong Film Awards.

Take Off Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Kim Yong-hwa's Take Off arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of South Korean distributors Eos.

This is a strong high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is very good, clarity mostly pleasing, and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. The film's color-scheme is rather unusual; during the daylight footage there is a prominent light yellow tint while most of the nighttime and indoor footage features a wide variety of blues; greens, reds, browns and blacks look rich and well saturated. Some mild edge-enhancement is occasionally noticeable, but macroblocking is never an issue of concern; neither is banding. There are no serious stability issues to report in this review either. Finally, the high-definition transfer conveys pleasing depth and tightness. All in all, this is a strong presentation of a truly enjoyable 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).

Take Off Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 ES and Korean Dolby TrueHD 5.1. For the record, Eos have provided optional English and Korean SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The main menu indicates that there is an option for a Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 ES, but you need to have a newer receiver that can actually decode it on board and display the info for you; older receivers will basically treat the audio as DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. If you are using a PS3 to play this disc, then the PS3 will display it as DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 as well.

The Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 ES track is solid. The bass is loud and punchy, the rear channels active and effective, and the high-frequencies not overdone. The most exciting audio effects are during the scenes where the actual jumps occur. There is some terrific surround movement here that definitely gives this film a special flavor. This being said, I don't think that your audio system will get a strong workout, as the Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 ES track boast more colorful and nuanced sounds than extreme dynamics.

I tested only a couple of scenes with the Korean Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, mostly during the final third of the film. As far as I am concerned both sound practically identical. Even during the jumps in Nagano City, I could not hear much of a difference between the Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 EX and Korean Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable and easy to follow on both tracks.

Take Off Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: I would like to apologize to our readers for not being able to comment on the supplemental features included on this Blu-ray disc. Unfortunately, they are all listed in Korean and not subtitled in English. Even the names of the participants in the audio commentaries are listed in Korean only. This being said, all of the supplemental features are perfectly playable on North American PS3s and SAs.

Commentary - Director and Actors audio commentary. In Korean, not subtitled in English.

Commentary - Director and Staff audio commentary. In Korean, not subtitled in English.

Take Off - a making of featurette with footage from the different locations seen throughout the film, comments from the director and the cast, etc. In Korean, not subtitled in English. (20 min, 480/60i). Jumping - a look at the filming of the fascinating jumps seen in the film. In Korean, not subtitled in English. (27 min, 480/60i).

Landing - in this short segment, director Kim Yong-hwa and members of the tech crew discuss what special effects were used in the film. In Korean, not subtitled in English. (16 min, 480/60i).

Deleted scenes - a gallery of fourteen deleted scenes. In Korean, not subtitled in English. (25 min, 480/60i).

Audition - director Kim Yong-hwa discusses the cast. Raw footage from some of the pre-production auditions is also included. In Korean, not subtitled in English. (11 min, 480/60i).

The National Team- a look at the real Korean Ski Jumping team. In Korean, not subtitled in English. (31 min, 480/60i).

Promotion -

-- Theatrical trailer (3 min, 480/60i).
-- Music video - Butterfly perform the film's title song "Loveholics" (4 min, 480/60i).
-- Publicity - various ads and promo pieces (8 min, 480/60i).
-- Characters - the cast discusses the characters they play. In Korean, not subtitled. (7 min, 480/60i).

Take Off Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Take Off is a wonderful, very entertaining Korean film that truly brightened up my day. I am definitely looking forward to the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi to see how the South Korean ski jumpers would do. I might even be rooting for them. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of South Korean distributors Eos, looks and sounds very good. It is also Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.