7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A high school student with amnesia tries to uncover what has happened to her. All leading her into deeper troubles ultimately revealing a darkness she could not have imagined.
Starring: Kim Da-mi, Jo Min-soo, Choi Woo-sik, Park Hee-soon, Kim Byeong-OkForeign | 100% |
Mystery | 2% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Korean: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Korean: Dolby Digital 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Well Go USA has long been a go to label for fans of Asian fantasy and action cinema, but recently they’ve shown signs of wanting to stretch out a bit. In that regard, it’s kind of interesting that two different films newly released on Blu-ray by Well Go USA which feature more or less superpowered women who aren’t initially totally aware of their superpowers should arrive in my review queue more or less simultaneously. Abigail is a patently odd Russian film that kind of plies a quasi- Harry Potter ambience in a tale of a magical girl whose powers have put her in danger from an authoritarian government. Something kinda sorta similar is at hand in The Witch: Subversion, though this Korean entry is ultimately much more in line with the kind of chop socky entertainment, or at least over the top action adventure fare, that has been one of Well Go USA’s stocks in trade. The fact that The Witch: Subversion evidently was originally released under the title The Witch Part One: Subversion, may hint that even after a run time of (slightly) over two hours and a labyrinthine tale that introduces a slew of supporting characters, the film pretty much ends with the not so subliminal suggestion that things are only getting started.
The Witch: Subversion is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. I haven't been able to dredge much if any technical data on this shoot, and so can't authoritatively speak to what camera was utilized or what resolution the DI may have been. The presentational aspects here are about as schizoid as the general tone of the film, with bookending sequences (the opening much shorter than the closing) tending to be graded and/or lit toward dark tones (and actual darkness), with an emphasis on blue, blue and then more blue, something that definitely tends to deplete fine detail levels, even in some close-ups. Both blue and yellow grading and/or lighting does recur interstitially a few times in the middle part of the film, but a lot of that middle part takes place in rather brightly lit, even outdoor, scenes where the palette almost explodes into a more naturalistic ambience, colors are much brighter and more vivid, and detail levels really take a tick upward in at times pretty dramatic fashion. In these more "natural" moments, fine detail is typically excellent on elements like fabrics and even facial pores. While there's a fair amount of gore on display early on, the film really tips into blood and guts in the latter half (and really the latter third), and some of the practical effects work is quite stomach churning at times.
The Witch: Subversion features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that, analogously to the imagery discussed above, tends to offer some bombastic surround activity in the bookending sequences, but which tends to ebb a bit in terms of ubiquitous effects in the middle section. There's really good placement of effects in scenes like the "men in black" chasing through the forest early on, or later in a long sequence in what amounts to a bunker where more and more people meet their fate. The center section of the film, at least in its early going, also offers some good placement of ambient environmental effects in the farm setting. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout this problem free track.
The cover of Well Go USA's Blu-ray release of Abigail includes the tag line "discover your hidden power," a summary which frankly would have worked just as well for The Witch: Subversion. This is a film that requires a bit of patience, since it perhaps commendably isn't in a huge rush to deliver adrenaline jolts, but once it gets going, the carnage is pretty nonstop. Performances are generally quite winning, and if some of the plot strands are left dangling more than a bit by the film's end, there's at least the expected sequel to help tie them up again. Technical merits are solid, and The Witch: Subversion comes Recommended.
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