6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.7 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Deep within the mysterious Forest of Resurrection, a spectacular battle between good and evil has gone on since the dawn of time. When Prisoner KSC2-303 escapes from a maximum-security jail, he enters the forest believing it will lead him to a safe haven. Instead, he finds himself a pawn in an endless struggle played out against an ever-changing background across multiple temporal planes of existence.
Starring: Tak Sakaguchi, Hideo Sakaki, Chieko Misaka, Kenji Matsuda, Minoru MatsumotoForeign | 100% |
Horror | 60% |
Supernatural | 11% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
All 16-Bit
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Often regarded as a cult classic among its avid fanbase, Versus can best be described as an uncut diamond, appearing ugly in so many ways, yet hiding something far more valuable under the surface. If you consider yourself a knowledgeable individual on action cinema originating in Japan, You probably already know a great deal about the film, and have already been exposed to one of the prior DVD releases of the past eight years (R-Rated Edition, Director’s Cut, Special Edition, or Ultimate Edition). If you somehow missed the onslaught of DVD versions, pat yourself on the back and breathe a deep sigh of relief knowing your decision is now simple. Released on Blu-ray with upgraded video and audio, as well as all of the special features compiled on the original Special Edition DVD release (with a couple tossed in from the Ultimate Edition to sweeten the deal), we now have the closest thing to a definitive release, though I suspect the extended cut will emerge at some point on high definition horizon.
As a brief side-note, the version of the film contained on this release is the 119 minute “Director’s Cut”, which runs five minutes longer than the “R-Rated Version”, but clocks in 11 minutes shorter than the Ultimate Edition “Extended Cut”. I’ve personally never witnessed the longer 130 minute cut, so I can’t comment on whether we should be disappointed by the fact that it was passed over on this release, but I remain plenty satisfied by the level of gore and action included on this 119 minute cut.
Never bring a knife to a gun-fight.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 12Mbps), Versus demonstrates a dramatic improvement over the prior standard definition editions, but remains hampered by the drawbacks of less than ideal source material. It's been several years since I was first introduced to the film on DVD, but I recall an overwhelmingly weak presentation full of edge enhancement, artifacts, and lackluster detail. With the transition to Blu-ray, it appears Tokyo Shock went back to the drawing board, delivering a faithful replication of the original elements. Unfortunately, no manner of clean-up, restoration, or tinkering will ever turn this into a visually stunning production, leaving us with a "mixed bag" reaction on high definition. As you can see for yourself from the screenshots, there are segments of the film where color filtering or adjustments were incorporated to impart steely-blue hues or a surreal yellow push, but for the most part the cinematography retains a naturalistic palette full of crimson reds, lush greens, and deep browns. Blacks don't fair quite so well, falling much closer to gray territory and placing subtle limitations on the precision of contrast differentiation. From a detail standpoint, you'll notice substantial improvements in background clarity and surface textures, despite the unfortunate use of soft focus camerawork throughout much of the feature. As a result of certain choices, you'll notice dramatic inconsistency from shot to shot, with certain segments appearing far worse than others. Regarding the presence of transfer-related deficiencies, I didn't detect much in the way of edge enhancement, artifacts, aliasing, or banding, but viewers should brace themselves for a disappointing level of print damage, and a high incidence of heavy film grain.
I was a bit surprised to find three lossless tracks included on a single layer disc, but regardless of the expense that decision may have played in the reserved real estate for the video and supplemental sections of the disc, it's a welcomed upgrade to the prior DVD editions. Beginning with the native Japanese options, we have a lossless 2.0 or 5.1 choice, with the surround track emerging as the obvious favorite. Though far from perfect, the clarity, volume balance and degree of surround separation are all above average. As most of us know by this stage in the evolution of the Blu-ray format, action-oriented films deliver the greatest potential for improvement as a result of lower compression, so it's not terribly surprising to find this theory hold true for Versus. Riddled with hand-to-hand combat, gun-battles, blade fights and outlandish zombie-killing fun, the film rarely passes on an opportunity to spread wild effects across the entire sound stage, filling your theater with all manner of low budget audio design. Switching back and forth between the two Japanese options and the dubbed stereo track, there's really no comparison. Musical numbers on both stereo choices sound tinny next to the sub-infused lows of the 5.1 track, and aside from subtle left to right separation there's not much to get excited about. In the end, there's no reason to move away from the Japanese 5.1 offering, which ranks among the better "b-grade" action experiences currently available on Blu-ray.
Versus is the type of film you have to watch to formulate an opinion on. I can certainly provide guidance based on my personal reaction, but I reflect one of many viewpoints on what could safely be defined as a polarizing film. If you already happen to be a fan, and are merely wondering whether the upgrade is worthwhile, I'm pleased to report this is likely the best the film will ever look and sound, though such an acknowledgement should not be interpreted as a full-on endorsement. Potential buyers should keep in mind the limitations of the source material, and recognize my technical scores are a more accurate reflection of where the film stands in comparison to the best Blu-ray has to offer.
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