6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
An American returns to Tokyo try to pick up threads of his pre-WW2 life there, but finds himself squeezed between criminals and the authorities.
Starring: Hugh Beaumont, Humphrey Bogart, Alexander Knox, Florence Marly, Sessue HayakawaDrama | 100% |
Film-Noir | 53% |
Crime | 37% |
Action | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Stuart Heisler's "Tokyo Joe" (1949) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critic Nora Fiore; archival program with director Bertrand Tavernier; archival footage from post-war Japan; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Tokyo Joe arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.
The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. The film looks a bit harsh. This isn't the type of distracting harshness you would encounter on some older masters that have emerged from Universal's vaults, but it makes some areas of the film look somewhat unnatural. Still delineation, clarity, and depth remain quite good. In some darker areas, shadow detail could be better, but there is still plenty to see. The grayscale is fine, but a new 4K master without the above-mentioned harshness will allow some of the black/darker nuances to be expanded. Fluidity can be improved. In fact, most camera zooms produce extremely light smearing which is a byproduct of the light sharpening that was applied to the master. Image stability is good, but some minor enchantments can be introduced. Various tiny white specks as well as a few scratches and blemishes can be seen. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The audio is clear and easy to follow. However, if you turn up the volume a bit, you will easily detect the presence of a light background hiss. It is not distracting, but it is there and in some areas it even appears to have some sort of an effect on the upper register. So, if in the future the folks at Sony Pictures revisit Tokyo Joe, I am quite certain that these minor issues will be addressed.
Tokyo Joe has a very bad reputation for a very good reason. Simply put, it is not a well-made film. Indeed, it juggles different identities in such an amateurish fashion that it very quickly becomes impossible to take it seriously. The footage from post-war Japan is mildly attractive, but it is not enough to declare that Tokyo Joe is effective as a time capsule either. This release is included in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' Columbia Noir #5: Humphrey Bogart six-disc box set.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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