7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A bomber tells the police that unless they pay his ransom, he will explode a bomb he placed on a Japanese "Bullet Train." Any attempt to diffuse the bomb or slow the train under 80 km/h will automatically detonate the bomb. The Japanese police are in a race against time to locate the bomber and discover how to defuse the bomb.
Starring: Ken Takakura, Shin'ichi Chiba, Eiji Gô, Fumio Watanabe, Takashi ShimuraForeign | 100% |
Drama | 4% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Japanese: LPCM 2.0
English: LPCM 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Junya Sato’s "The Bullet Train" (1975) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include new program with critic Tony Rayns; new program with critic Kim Newman; archival program with director Junya Sato; new audio commentary recorded by critics Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp; and more. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
We have put a bomb on the Hikari 109. It will be activated at 80 kilometers per hour.
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Bullet Train arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.
I viewed the original Japanese theatrical version of The Bullet Train is sourced from a 2K master. Also included on this release is the shorter international version of The Bullet Train, which is dubbed in English.
I found the technical presentation very frustrating and ultimately disappointing. It appears that someone was guessing how the film should look, so when the 2K master was graded several mistakes were made that destroyed its native appearance. For example, virtually all whites and blues are affected by a harsh green cast that makes different sections of the film have a neon-esque appearance. (See here and here). Daylight footage can look particularly poor because the green cast eliminates the different white, blue, and even proper green nuances. (See here). There are several areas where trained eyes will easily recognize that the dynamic range of the visuals is not right either (see here). Grain appears slightly overexposed and uneven, but it is still pleasing. Image stability is good. I did not encounter any larger and distracting cuts, debris, marks, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
The original Japanese theatrical version can be seen with a Japanese LPCM 2.0 track and optional English subtitles. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame. The international version can be seen with an English LPCM 2.0. track.
I thought that the Japanese LPCM 2.0 track was excellent. The soundtrack creates some quite wonderful dynamic contrasts, but do not expect memorable areas with plenty of activity. Even during the action footage, the spikes in dynamic activity are not of the kind that can test the muscles of your system. The dialog is always clear, sharp, and stable. The English translation is very good. Also, I really liked the size of the subtitles.
In the internet era, The Bullet Train acquired quite a reputation for being the inspiration for Speed. However, if you are getting ready to see The Bullet Train for the first time and expect it to be a Japanese high-octane action thriller like Speed, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. The Bullet Train belongs in the company of Black Sunday and Juggernaut, and if you take the time to examine it closely, I think you will discover that its action is a façade and on the other side of it there is a lot of politics. Eureka Entertainment's presentation of The Bullet Train is quite frustrating because large parts of the film have an unnatural appearance. On the other hand, some of the bonus features on it are excellent.
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