7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A Hong Kong Special Branch cop and a CIA agent reluctantly team up to bring down a major international terrorist.
Starring: Danny Lee, Peter Liapis, Vernon Wells, Olivia Hussey, Rosamund KwanForeign | 100% |
Crime | 10% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
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 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo & PowerDVD verified
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
1990’s “Undeclared War” is something of a take on “The Day of the Jackal,” with the material exploring the ways of an assassin and his elusive presence on the international scene, inspiring law enforcement types to find him before he kills again. There’s an opening for a political thriller, but director Ringo Lam doesn’t have the patience for that, going after big action and short tempers with the endeavor. Guns blaze in “Undeclared War,” which has a defined villain and a clear quest for its protagonist, and the violence of the feature is periodically thrilling, sold with attention to mayhem and bodily destruction. Dramatically, the effort lacks focus, dealing with cop cliches and a tangled sense of allegiances, with the central drive for a revenge story losing its potency as the movie makes its way through an overlong tale of rage and terrorism.
The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as "Newly scanned and restored in 2K from its 35mm original camera negative." There's also an info card at the beginning of the film stating how Vinegar Syndrome worked to improve on the source provided by the distributor. The end result is satisfying, capturing decent detail throughout the viewing experience, exploring the rough appearances of the cast and the fibrousness of their many clothing changes. Interiors are dimensional, visiting hotel rooms, a police station, and a conference room, with crowd activity open for study, along with decoration. Exteriors are deep, showcasing harbor events and street chases. Color is stable, with a nice sense of red for blood hits, and greenery is distinct. Period style is preserved, offering lively primaries. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is nicely resolved. Source is in good condition.
Age is a bit more obvious in the 2.0 DTS-HD MA Cantonese mix, which deals with sibilance issues and a general muddier quality. Intelligibility isn't threatened for the most part, but a handful of dialogue exchanges are tougher to catch. Scoring is simple, but synth moods are understood, and action emphasis is acceptable. Sound effects are basic but appreciable, with gunfire common.
"Undeclared War" has plenty of highlights, including bombings, shoot-outs, and some time crawling around on scaffolding. There's a defined climax as well, with the action headed to a conference setting for Hannibal's latest offering of mass death. Lam takes advantage of the setting and pushes the cast to get rough for the camera, but there's a distinct lack of escalation in the picture, which sort of lumbers to a conclusion instead of sprinting to one. It's a passable distraction, highlighting Lam's visual gifts and dramatic limitations, but it lacks a snowballing sense of danger and frenzy, with asides crowding out the purity of its central retribution plot.
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