Digital version 4K – US Edition – Hong Kong Rescue – 111 min (Theatrical cut) – Available for purchase
Video format
• Intermediate Master: 2K
• Standard HDR: CSD
• Ratio: 1.85
Soundtrack
• Cantonese LPCM 2.0 (x3)
• Mandarin DTS-HD MA 5.1
• English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles
• English
It is brought to the attention of our dear readers as well as the viewing equipment specified and used by each tester of the MaG team, the rendering may differ from one installation to another, whether or not it is calibrated, as well as personal preferences and expectations may influence the rating. Moreover, the images in the article are not representative of the edition tested.
WORK – The Samurai of Woo
Jeff is a hit man. When ordering, he accidentally blinds a bar singer, Jennie. Haunted by remorse, he decided to help Jennie and gradually fell in love with her. While he decides to accept a last order, whose money is to be used to operate Jennie, he gets spotted by Inspector Li...
With extreme violence and heightened romanticism, this heroic bloodshed funeral worn by a Chow Yun-Fat ranks as possible is the sum work of a John Woo in full possession of his means. The staging is beautifully stylized (the climax of style) « Woodien »), shootings and other chases « over the top » are executed with elegance and the characters, neither white nor black, are driven by a code of honor exhumed from chivalry films. Often copied but never matched, The Killer (1989) is the Holy Grail of Asian polar action!
IMAGE – Guns N
Resulting from a vast restoration with calibration of scene-by-stage colors (referenced by the LaserDisc Criterion of the mid-1990s where John Woo had been involved), cleaning of sources of origin (salts, dust, scratches, tremors and squares) and reconstruction of the generics (open and end), this UHD SDR transfer encoded into AVC (!) avenges us from all Blu-rays that have been published to date (disturbed and damaged), even if compression is not always at the height (from tinglings in very low light) and the moderate use of DNR is evident in places.
The definition is much more stable than in the past (to the extent possible), the details are displayed with much more conviction (with the understanding that the planes are naturally rather soft), the silver texture (a 35 mm capture) is never excessive, the colors return to vitality (just scrutinize the blue sky or observe the blood spots on the white costumes to convince them) and the contrasts are no longer at all dull (the darkness and lighting are now discernible).
SON – The Poetry of Shots
From the source files of previous releases (DVD Scanbox and LD Criterion for the two original Cantonese tracks LPCM 2.0, Hong Kong Rescue for the Cantonese track LPCM 2.0 remastered, DVD Universe Laser & Video Co. for the Mandarine track DTS-HD MA 5.1 and DVD Hong Kong Legends for the English dubbing DTS-HD MA 5.1), these five proposals do not sound the same way (yet tested three).
The cantonal track LPCM 2.0 by Scandinavian Scanbox editor is the original mix. Not suffering from any anomaly and delivering its information with great clarity, it must settle for a naturally narrow sound field where the rear scene is, it means, absent. It is the soundtrack to be preferred to take full advantage of the actors' interpretation.
The DTS-HD MA 5.1 Mandarin track is the most dynamic in the batch. Unfortunately, the LFE channel is absent (!) and too many atmospheres are lost in the heart of too prominent music. Compared to its multichannel consister (VA), the choice is quickly made.
English dubbing DTS-HD MA 5.1 operates all channels allocated to it very correctly. A little less perched than the Mandarin version but reuniting with physical basses and atmospheres you want (starting with rain from the opening), it benefits from spatialization measured during the action scenes.
CONCLUSION – Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
As the projectiles burst from everywhere, the decorations burst into pieces, the bodies are riddled with bullets, the doves fly with grace, the candles slowly burn and friendship endures in the midst of chaos, the present 4K digital copy keeps good (the best version of the market) to ensure that the evil is completely undone!
Artistic note
9
Video quality
7
Audio quality
8
0
Hello.
I can't find a link on the internet to buy this movie in 4K.
Are you really certain of the existence of this 4K restoration?
Would you have a connection to me?
Thank you for your answer
Of course it exists or I wouldn't have tested it... The problem being that today the HKReescue site has closed its doors, hence the impossibility of putting your hands on it (which is more of a 4K file to download after purchase and not a disk)! 😔