7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Amid the neon-drenched nightclubs and gambling dens of Hong Kong's nocturnal underworld, the fates of three wandering souls—a former judo champion now barely scraping by as an alcoholic bar owner, a young fighter intent on challenging him, and a singer chasing dreams of stardom—collide in an operatic explosion of human pain, ambition, perseverance, and redemption.
Starring: Louis Koo, Aaron Kwok, Tony Ka Fai Leung, Eddie Cheung, Jordan ChanForeign | 100% |
Drama | 37% |
Martial arts | 19% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Cantonese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Johnnie To's "Throw Down" (2004) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include new video interview with screenwriter Yau Nai-Hoi; new video interview with composer Peter Kam; new video interview with film scholar David Bordwell; remastered vintage trailer; and more. In Cantonese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Throw Down arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The following text appears on the leaflet/poster that is provided with this Blu-ray release:
"This new 4K digital transfer was undertaken by Fortune Star. A new digital transfer was created from the original 35mm camera negative on an ARRISCAN film scanner at L'immagine Ritrovata Asia in Hong Kong. The original 5.1 surround soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm optical track using Avid's Pro Tools and iZotope RX."
If you have seen our review of Eureka Entertainment's recent Region-B release of Throw Down, you already know how I feel about the new 4K master that was created for this very entertaining film -- I think that it is gorgeous. On my system, the night club footage and practically every other sequence with neon lights looked astonishing, which means that in native 4K this film is an absolute stunner. (Unfortunately, I have never seen it in the theater, so I don't have an experience with it that I can reference). I still have in my library the first release of Throw Down from Kam & Ronson Enterprises, so I can confirm that the same darker footage tends to reveal better nuances as well. If you project, the difference becomes very obvious, but even on a larger TV set I think that you will easily appreciate the improvements. The color grading job is better, but I have to admit that I had to choose specific daylight sequences to spot the most obvious discrepancies. (The first release is very nicely graded as well, but you can see what type of discrepancies and improvements to expect if you compare screencapture #22 with the corresponding screencapture from our review of the first release). Density levels are outstanding. There are no stability issues. Finally, I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
The audio is very clear, sharp, and always stable. There are no balance issues to report either. Since Eureka Entertainment's release offered only a 2.0 track, I did some direct comparisons with the 5.1 track, and I still think that the former is excellent. During the bar fights there is some additional surround activity, but I think that the overall dynamic balance is identical. The English translation is different.
Wouldn't it be great if the Criterion Collection started bringing to America the many great films from Milkyway Image's catalog? And how about considering a few of the biggest ones -- like the Election films and Fulltime Killer -- for 4K Blu-ray? It would be an incredible development that will make a lot of people very, very happy. This upcoming release of Johnnie To's excellent noirish thriller Thrown Down is definitely a step in the right direction. I love this film, and I think that the new 4K master that was prepared for it is a stunner, so hopefully the release is not a one-off. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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