6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
The sequel to Chinatown finds Jake Gittes investigating adultery and murder... and the money that comes from oil.
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, Meg Tilly, Madeleine Stowe, Eli WallachCrime | 100% |
Thriller | 16% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
German: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The legendary Jack Nicholson stars in, and directs, 1990's The Two Jakes, the sequel to Roman Polanski's 1974 Oscar-winning Chinatown. While the film never really found the same success as its predecessor, it's a quality follow-up that further builds Nicholson's character while sinking its teeth into a juicy story involving infidelity, money, and murder.
The Two Jakes features a singularly excellent 1080p transfer. A bit of edge enhancement here and there is really the only downside. The picture is otherwise sturdy, reliable, and filmic. A fine grain veneer compliments and holds steady throughout. It's pleasant in density and a constant reminder of the transfer's grace and the picture's film roots. Textures are first-class. The period attire always delights with easily visible fabric complexities on suits, neckties, hats, and other formal wear. Skin details are precise and intricate as seen in the film's intimate close-ups; pores, hairs, and wrinkles are naturally dense and detailed. Environments are crisp throughout the film's varied locations, indoor and outdoor across a fairly wide berth of places. Rich colors abound under crystal clear blue skies. Flowers burst with color, natural greens delights (including at a golf course during a sequence later in the film), and all variety of clothing tones and support hues delight with natural contrast and tonal pop. Black levels are deep and complimentary while skin tones appear accurate. Beyond the edge enhancement there are no troubling processing leftovers. There are no encode flubs, either. This one looks very good in total.
The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is excellent. The first large cue comes moments in when an earthquake rattles with solid depth and a nice feel of immersion into the location, with all of the clanking and collapsing objects shaking around the listener. Another trembler at the 18-minute mark offers similar sonic goodness. City street din is fully featured, as is lighter office din at the 12-minute mark. Action scenes deliver suitable depth and stage engagement. The track features several well positioned discrete effect but also thrives as it maneuvers sounds along through the listening area with seamless location detail. Music is rich and wide, dominant across the front but finding a pleasing surround support component. Well prioritized dialogue enjoys good natural clarity from a firm front-center location.
This Blu-ray release of The Two Jakes contains no supplemental content. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.
The Two Jakes' tepid reception and tame box office figures ultimately resulted in a cancellation for a planned third film in the franchise, a shame considering that Jakes is not at all a poor film. While it remains the last film Nicholson directed, it shows a competent hand at work that captures the stylization and noir tones quite proficiently while crafting an engaging story and building characterization and drama throughout. In a storied career it may not rank as Nicholson's finest work on the other side of the camera, but it sees the actor in fine form nevertheless in a film that has aged better than many believed it would three decades ago. Paramount's Blu-ray is disappointingly featureless but the video and audio presentations are high end. Highly recommended.
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