7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
During Second Manchu invasion of Korea, one village is attacked by Manchurian soldiers. Manchurian kidnap Ja-in on her wedding day with her childhood sweetheart Seo-Goon. Her brother Nam-Yi defeats the enemy and save his sister and the other Korean victims with only one bow.
Starring: Park Hae-il, Moon Chae-Won, Ryu Seung-ryong, Kim Mu-yeol, Lee Han-wiForeign | 100% |
Action | 47% |
History | 30% |
War | 23% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Korean: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Korean: Dolby Digital 2.0
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The relationship between China and Korea is little understood in the Western world, as evidenced by the developments over just the past few days when a purported assassination of North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong-un sent Chinese forces mobilizing to prevent—well, what exactly? The fact that not even China knew for at least a little while that Kim Jong-un had not in fact been killed is testament to two facts: first, how closed off and insular the North Korean society really is, even to its ostensible allies; and second, that China has no issues in appropriating the Korean peninsula as its “own,” at least within certain proscribed limits. There was only one Korea back in the early 17th century, and it was not an especially robust nation. In fact it wasn’t really a unified nation at all, but a series of territories, many of which found themselves repeatedly invaded by China, as that immense country sought to absorb neighboring areas to maintain its strategic dominance over that part of the world. The early years of the seventeenth century saw two massive invasions by China’s Manchu Qing empire as it sought to reign in whatever power Korea’s Joseon Dynasty managed to cling onto in that tumultuous time. War of the Arrows is a Korean historical epic that fictionalizes aspects of the Second Manchu Invasion of circa 1636, positing a Joseon hero who is aces with a bow and arrow as he pretty much single handedly takes out an invading horde of Qing warriors. The interesting thing about War of the Arrows is it deals with the sociopolitical aspects of this history only tangentially, for the real reason this Korean hero is on the march is because his sister has been kidnapped and he’s seeking to free her from a life of servitude. That boils down huge historical movements into the interplay between just a handful of characters, and that intimate approach gives War of the Arrows its unique and often quite compelling appeal.
War of the Arrows is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. This is a beautifully sharp and consistent looking high definition presentation that offers striking fine detail (especially with regard to the film's sumptuous sets and costumes, which pop magnificently throughout) and accurate looking color. There are occasional filtered scenes, often in a blue-grey cast, which give the film a somewhat smoother ambience than is otherwise on display. Depth of field in the many outdoor shots (the bulk of this film takes place outside) is really amazing. Contrast and black levels are also strong and consistent throughout the presentation.
Both the original Korean soundtrack as well as a fair to middling English dub are presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 mixes. While the English dub isn't outright horrible, it suffers from the usual mismatch of syllabification and mouth movement, though the translations are relatively close to the subtitles that accompany the Korean language version. The overall mix between the English and Korean versions sound virtually identical. Purists will of course want to default to the original Korean language version, which offers sterling fidelity and some excellent immersive moments throughout the film. A lot of these deal with expected sound effects, like the panning "whiz" of an arrow flying through the air. But there are also some really appealing and artfully done ambient environmental effects as well. Especially noteworthy is the great use of a gentle breeze in the climactic showdown, which filters through the surround channels and becomes a virtual character in and of itself (it crops up in the dialogue and plays a part in the outcome of the film). Dynamic range is superb throughout this track, and the overall mix is very well done as well.
War of the Arrows isn't especially innovative (other than its focus on bows and arrows rather than fists and feet), but it is sumptuously produced, well acted, and very well staged. With a well reasoned emphasis on a personal story, rather than indulging in a sociopolitical screed, War of the Arrows doesn't require its audiences to be well schooled in the background between China and Korea to fully understand what's going on in the film. While some elements of the film are undeniably ludicrous, there's also something to be said for a film which urges its audience to root for an underdog who has the odds stacked considerably against him. With really great looking visuals and excellent audio, despite this release not having a glut of supplementary material, it comes Recommended.
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