The Mermaid Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

The Mermaid Blu-ray Movie Review

There's nothing little about 'The Mermaid.'

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 7, 2016

Director Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle, CJ7) is no stranger to big and unusual cinema, but he dives off the deep end -- literally -- in The Mermaid, his latest film that explores a burgeoning relationship between a wealthy tycoon and a pretty, but lowly, mermaid who is charged with killing him. The film blends intense spectacle with broad stroke humor, romance with action, dizzying special effects with charming practical get-ups. This may be the year's most creative film, and it's one that went over very well with audiences in its native China, where it broke numerous records en route to becoming the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time.

Out of the water.

Liu Xuan (Chao Deng) grew up poor, but he's now worth a fortune. A playboy in every sense of the word, he's always looking for the next gaggle of girls and the next big business deal. He finds that deal when he wins an auction for Green Gulf, a coastal area that, unbeknownst to him, is home to a number of unique undersea dwellers: mermaids. The mermaids long ago split from the human race, but Liu's work to reclaim the area and cleanse it is killing the species. Of all the mermaids, one is selected to take to land and stop Liu at all costs. The chosen one is a beautiful young girl named Shan (Yun Lin) whose fin has been cut, allowing her to slip into shoes and walk, albeit awkwardly, amongst men. When she gets close to her target, her effort to assassinate him fails, but a burgeoning romance puts everything on hold. However, even interspecies love may ultimately prove insufficient in maintaining the status quo and saving the mermaids from annihilation.

The Mermaid is comically over played and populated by a roster full of colorful characters. The movie emphasizes spectacle above all else, dominating the transformative story of a wealthy tycoon who finally finds the one thing better than money in the woman -- the mermaid -- sent to kill him. Part fantasy, part fairy tale, part cautionary tale, part romance, part action movie, and completely off-the-wall bonkers, the film is certainly different if nothing else, a movie that tries to capture -- and often succeeds in doing so -- that sense of sprawling cinema magic where anything can happen because it's the movies. Implausible? Who cares. A trite dramatic core? Doesn't matter. Stephen Chow's movie settles for fun on an epic scale, and that's exactly what it is. Everything supports that idea. The movie is resultantly lean and focused, maybe a bit too dark and over the top in a few places but almost always winking and nodding -- even on the poster art, Shan is winking -- and never abandoning that tongue-in-cheek, big top sort of inclusive zaniness that's so crazy it actually works.

Even considering some of the special effects are a little jerky and don't fully sell the illusion, they work well enough within the larger context of color, neat production design, and enthusiastic performances to keep the movie not just afloat, but awash in entertaining chaos. The cast is endlessly enthusiastic, from the leads on down to supportive background characters, including mermaids and the various muscle- and businessmen who so often flank Liu Xuan. The leads -- Chao Deng and Yun Lin -- devour the material, never tiring of its antics and enthusiastically tackling every moment, whether comically at odds, tenderly intimate, or in the heat of violent confrontation. Chow directs confidently, carefully orchestrating the movie's zany center but clearly allowing some breathing room to keep it all feeling organic rather than staged, critical in a movie as big, colorful, and certainly bizarre as this.

The Mermaid Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Mermaid's 1080p transfer dazzles with both pinpoint detail and aggressive color. Image clarity is outstanding, allowing the viewer to soak up all of the wild information available, whether in the abandoned tanker where the mermaids live, in high class offices and parties at the center of which is always Liu Xuan, and other locations that are always dense with interesting set pieces to explore. Detail is ridiculously strong. Facial features are clearly defined, both broadly and intimately alike. Rough stone, rusted metal, attire, mermaid fins, everything the movie has to offer leaps off the screen with plenty of tangible and tactile textures to enjoy. Colors are rich and vibrant, healthily saturated and popping out of the screen with ease. The movie is insanely colorful and diversely so; it's a wondrous palette that's sure to stretch any display to its limits. Black levels hold firm and flesh tones appear accurate. Only light, scattered source noise interferes from an otherwise pristine and practically reference-grade transfer from Sony.

The Mermaid Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Mermaid makes a big splash on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, available in the original Chinese as well as an English dub. Both were sampled as the movie progressed. Regardless of the option, there's no denying the tracks' strength, which are depth and vitality. Neither track shies away from the big moment and making full use of the surround speakers in the meantime. Both presentations enjoy wide musical spread, with elegant yet aggressive clarity and full surround and subwoofer support. Various little details make a big impact, particularly in and around the derelict ship the mermaids call home. Plenty of high yield moments prove the track's depth and ability to define and maneuver sounds with ease. Shan skateboarding, mermaid splashes in the water, impactful dialogue reverberation, and plenty of other examples saturate the stage in very impressive one-off moments of sonic excellence. Gunfire pops heavily from every corner of the stage later in the film, with a noticeably heavy surround presence. Dialogue is clear and detailed with natural center placement, save for a few more discrete and, as mentioned above, dispersed moments when such are necessary.

The Mermaid Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Mermaid contains one meaty featurette, a brief behind-the-scenes piece, and a music video. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Making of The Mermaid (1080p, 13:25): An overview look that examines the director's work, set design, the difficulties inherent to performing as a mermaid, fun and accidents on the set, crafting various scenes, a day at the amusement park, shooting in 3D, filming at sea, and more. In Chinese with English subtitles.
• Music Video (1080p, 1:34): Invincible.
• The Mermaid: Behind the Scenes (1080p, 1:49): A smattering of interviews and behind the scenes footage.

The Mermaid Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Mermaid is not for all tastes, but it's easy to appreciate its ambitions. It's big, colorful, and completely weird, but it's contagious in its enthusiasm and charm. Performances are excellent, direction is steady, and production design is fantastic. Sony's Blu-ray release of The Mermaid features stellar video and engaging audio. Supplements are unfortunately a bit too brief for a movie of this scope, but the overall package is nonetheless excellent. Recommended.