Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

The Good, the Bad, the Weird Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 30, 2009

Screened at the Cannes Film Festival, Korean director Kim Ji-woon's "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of CJ Entertainment. In addition to a variety of supplemental features - none of which are subtitled in English - this Limited Edition release also contains ten collectible cards with stills from the film. With optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The Weird

While robbing a train, Yoon Tae-goo (the Weird) accidentally steals an ancient map revealing where the Quin Dynasty’s notorious treasure is hidden. He runs away with it but is immediately followed by the merciless Park Chang-yi (the Bad) and his gang, who have been paid to steal the map. Yoon Tae-goo is also followed by Park Do-won (the Good), a bounty hunter, who wants his head.

The three end up in the notorious Ghost Market – a place in the middle of Manchuria where all sorts of outlaws, crooks and deadbeats reside. Yoon Tae-goo has no idea what the map reveals and wants to sell it as quickly as possible. Park Chang-yi knows that the map is worth a lot more than what he is paid to deliver it and wants it for himself. Park Do-won does not know much about the map and is only interested in nabbing Yoon Tae-goo.

Things get complicated when another gang of bandits learns about Yoon Tae-goo’s map. They begin chasing him not realizing that Park Chang-yi and his goons are already after him. The Japanese Army also gets involved in the map hunt – they are convinced that the Quin Dynasty’s treasure would help them strengthen their grip on Manchuria.

Yoon Tae-goo befriends Park Do-won. The two temporarily manage to evade Park Chang-yi, but not the bandits from the Ghost Market and the Japanese army. A wild chase ensues in the middle of the Manchurian desert where only the best would survive to claim the Quin Dynasty’s treasure.

Director Kim Ji-woon is fairly well known on this side of the Atlantic. His A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) and A Bittersweet Life (2005) have received a warm reception by those who follow Korean cinema closely. The director’s latest film, The Good, the Bad, the Weird is a departure from his fascination with the horror genre, but it will only further strengthen his image amongst fans and critics – the film is impressively directed, exceptionally well lensed and thoroughly original.

What transforms The Good, the Bad, the Weird into a terrific experience, however, is the acting. Veteran actor Song Kang-ho (Memories of Murder), who plays the Weird, does a superb job of infusing the film with plenty of light humor that truly adds a special flavor to the story. His facial expressions are absolutely hilarious. The more reserved Jung Woo-sung (Musa the Warrior) is just as effective as the Good, especially during the second half of the film where he shows us how skillful he is with his rifle. Lee Byung-hun (Everybody has Secrets), who plays The Evil, is just as convincing. He is a terrific villain who just about steals the show from the enigmatic Song Kang-ho.

As it was the case with A Tale of Two Sisters, the emphasis on detail in The Good, the Bad, the Weird is impressive. The Ghost Market and its inhabitants in particular look fantastic (the elaborate period costumes for example are very effective). On the other hand, the action sequences are amongst the best I have seen in recent Asian cinema (the actors did their own stunts and there are absolutely no CGIs whatsoever).

Cinematographers Lee Mo-gae and Oh Seung-chul's contribution is invaluable. The long chase footage from the Manchurian desert - where the two gangs, the Japanese army and the three protagonists clash - is spectacular (many will be reminded of Dean Semler and his contribution to The Road Warrior). The original soundtrack by Dalparan and Jang Yeong-gyu, blending exotic Latino tunes with sublime electronica, is also top-notch.

The Good, the Bad, the Weird 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 Ji-woon's The Good, the Bad, the Weird arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Korean distributors CJ Entertainment.

I compared the running time of this Korean release with that of the UK release we covered awhile ago and noticed that there is a slight discrepancy - the exact running time of the Korean release is 02.09.54 while the exact running time of the UK release is 02.10.05. Though I am fairly certain that the difference between the two comes from the company logos that are included with the main feature, I have contacted someone with a request for a clarification. So, please bear with me.

The Korean transfer looks almost identical to the UK transfer. Clarity varies from very good to excellent while detail is strong. Contrast is pleasing - though, during a couple of scenes it appears to have been slightly boosted. Generally speaking, edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern, but the transfer is not entirely free of it either. As I noted in my review of the UK disc, during the desert battles the more sensitive amongst you would easily spot its presence. On the other hand, macroblocking is nowhere to be seen. The color-scheme is terrific - blues, yellows, reds, greens, grays, browns and blacks are rich and well saturated (the purple desert skies, in particular, are breathtakingly beautiful). For the record, there are no disturbing scratches, debris, stains or dirt to report either. (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).

The Good, the Bad, the Weird Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. For the record, CJ Entertainment have provided optional English, Korean SDH, and Korean subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track sounds terrific! The Good, The Bad, The Weird is packed with action scenes and practically every single one of them benefits greatly from from the Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. Many of the shootout scenes, for example, are enhanced with excellent surround effects - the attack of the Ghost Market being amongst the most impressive ones. Additionally, the dialog is notably clear and easy to follow. There are no balance issues to report with Dalparan and Jang Yeong-gyu's music score either.

I tested a couple of scenes - the train attack from the very beginning of the film, the Ghost Market shootout, and the desert clash between the bandits and the Japanese Army - to see if I could hear a difference between the Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track from the UK release and the Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track found on this disc, and, frankly, I had a difficult time separating the two. The Ghost Market shootout is, arguably, the only scene that gives the Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track a tiny advantage over the Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

The Good, the Bad, the Weird Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: This Blu-ray disc could be somewhat challenging for folks who aren't fluent in Korean, given that practically the entire menu-system is in Korean. Though it is very easy to figure out how to play the film and select the optional English subtitles, figuring out what most of the supplemental features are isn't. Please note that none of them arrive with optional English subtitles.

Commentary - audio commentary by director Kim Jee-woon, the cinematographer, and art director of the film.

Commentary - audio commentary by Kim Jee-woon, Song Kang Ho, Lee Byung Hun, Jung Woo Sung.

Running Fast (Making Of) – also found on the UK disc. Director Kim Jee-woon talks about his desire to shoot a film where Western and Sci-fi elements are blended together after her saw a cult 70s Western called "Break Up The Chain" which was directed by Lee Man-hee. He also talks about the numerous challenges his team had to overcome while shooting the film. (480/60i, 91 min).

The Good, the Bad, the Weird and the Vicious (interview with the director and the cast) – also found on the UK disc. Cast and crew members recall the production process. There is plenty of raw footage here from the final shoots. (480/60i, 19 min).

Analogue (Cinematography, Lighting, Action Sequences, Sound) - also found on the UK disc. Sound supervisor Choi Tae-young talks about different aspects of the film's technical portfolio (14 min, 480/60i).

Space (Production Design, Costumes, Set Decoration) – also found on the UK disc. Production designer Cho Hwa-sung talks about the period decors and costumes. There are also parallel comparisons between the storyboards he was asked to work with and the final footage used in the film. (11 min, 480/60i).

Sound - sound supervisor Choi Tae-young talks about the special sound effects in the film. (11 min, 480/60i).

Featurette - a comparison between the story boards and the final footage seen in the film (15 min, 1080/60i).

Alternate endings – A collage of four alternate endings. (12 min, 1080p).

Alternate scenes - four alternate scenes (2 min, 480/60i).

Deleted scenes – a collage of deleted scenes with an optional commentary by director Kim Ji-woon. The exact same deleted scenes are found on the UK disc. (44 min, 480/60i).

Trailer - the original Korean theatrical trailer for the film. (2 min, 1080p).

Cards - the Korean distributors have included ten large collectible cards with stills from the film. Each card is stamped with the Cannes Film Festival logo. To get a general idea what these cards look like, please click on the image (BD cover) we have provided at the very top of this page.

The Good, the Bad, the Weird Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Those of you who could not take advantage of UK distributor Icon Home Entertainment's Region-B "locked" release of Kim Ji-woon's The Good, the Bad, the Weird will be delighted to know that the Korean Limited Edition release of the film we have reviewed above is not only Region-Free, but also English-friendly. Additionally, the Korean distributors, CJ Entertainment, have given it a spine number - 001. Fantastic package, so elegant! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.