6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.8 |
The fate of China hangs in the balance in this Shaw Brothers epic, the story of two brothers in the final years of the Tang Dynasty. 'The Heroic Ones' pits the martial artist siblings against one another in a kung fu battle for the ultimate prize: a place in history.
Starring: David Chiang, Han Chin, Lung Ti, Lily Li, Feng KuForeign | 100% |
Martial arts | 63% |
Action | 35% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 2.36:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: LPCM 2.0
Mandarin: LPCM 2.0
English, Cantonese
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Directed in 1970 by Cheh Chang (one of the greatest martial arts directors of Chinese cinema), The Heroic Ones (Shi san tai bao) is a bit of a departure from the kung fu styling of other films released during the same time period. Incorporating bigger sets, colorful period costumes, and extensive weapon choreography, the film occasionally ventures into epic territory, but ultimately fails to leave a lasting impression.
I didn't know it was possible to grow your eyebrows that long.
Presented in 1080i utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 15Mbps), The Heroic Ones isn't necessarily a revelation on Blu-ray, but I was still rather impressed with the proficiency of the high-definition image. As many of you know, Chinese cinema blossomed during the 1970's, resulting in an immense library of low-budget productions. During this time, the Shaw Brother studio stood at the top of the heap, thanks in large part to the increased attention the "kung-fu" genre received on western shores. The point of this brief history lesson is merely an acknowledgement that these films often worked within the framework of limited funds and a short production schedule (often ruling out multiple takes if a shot seemed a touch out of focus). Therefore, the visual upgrade in a transition from standard definition to 1080i is certainly appreciable, but won't hold a candle to the typical precision of a Hollywood production. Fine object detail offers reasonably clarity, revealing heightened surface textures, increased background depth, and occasionally strong facial nuances (especially in close-ups). The coloring of the film also receives a subtle boost in richness, allowing a wide spectrum of hues to adorn the ornate clothing and decorations throughout the film. Continuing with the positives, I never detected visible combing related to the interlaced transfer, blacks retain adequate depth, contrast handles every shade with ease, and aside from the appearance of very fine aliasing, there are no digital flaws to speak of. As good as this may sound, I'd still encourage potential viewers to keep your expectations in check, since flaws in the source material are readily apparent from start to finish (jittering camera, out-of-focus shots, etc.).
Turning to the audio portion of the disc, we're given two lossless tracks, recreating both the English dub and the native Cantonese mix. Both options are delivered in two-channel stereo, and sound exactly as I anticipated. Given the limitations in sound design at the time of the film's production, it's not terribly surprising to find high-volume crackle, modest clipping, and fight sounds that reminded me of my five-year-old nephew pushing pre-defined buttons on his Casio keyboard. To make matters worse, I quickly grew annoyed with a distinct sound that's played over and over during every fight sequence, which recreated the sound of a squeaky gate swinging back and forth. I believe this was supposed to simulate metal sliding along metal, but the end result felt like nails on a chalkboard. All of these problems would seemingly relegate The Heroic Ones to the bottom barrel when it comes to Blu-ray audio tracks, so you might be surprised to find I still awarded the film a 2.5/5 on the audio portion of the disc. My reasoning behind this decision isn't an implication that this is an average quality release, but rather an indication of the limitations Well Go worked with in creating the dual tracks. As we all know, you can't turn apples into oranges, so the fact that we aren't given a jaw-dropping mix should be tempered by a realization that the source material doesn't allow for much improvement.
Unfortunately, my forgiving opinion of the audio track doesn't extend into the awful grammar and spelling demonstrated in the English subtitles. I'd never suggest the need to complete an entirely new translation for the subtitle track (especially given the low retail price of this release), but merely hiring someone to spend an afternoon cleaning up the basics would have been appreciated.
The only supplement included on the disc is a collection of three trailers (Two Champions of Shaolin, Brothers Five, Heroes Shed No Tears)
Despite my initial excitement at the thought of soaking up two hours of good old fashioned kung-fu mayhem, The Heroic Ones turned out to be a bit of a letdown. Some may find it unreasonable to judge the merits of an entire film by the opening fifteen minutes, but when it sets the course for everything that's to come, and effectively undermines the entire nature of the storyline, it becomes rather difficult to pass off. If you approach the film with a sole interest in fight choreography, lavish sets, and epic production values (for a classic Shaw Brothers film), chances are good you'll walk away happy. However, anyone looking for a balanced tone, cohesive storytelling, and characters worth rooting for will inevitably leave with feelings of disappointment. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go choke down twenty cups of sake and look for something "heroic" to do tonight.
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