Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (Blu-ray Review)

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Criterion | 1983 | 124 min | Rated R | Sep 28, 2010
Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, September 28, 2010

Nominated for Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Japanese director Nagisa Oshima's "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" (1983) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include a behind the scenes featurette; new video interview with screenwriter Paul Mayersberg; new video interview with actors Tom Conti and Ryuichi Sakamoto and producer Jeremy Thomas; new interview with actor and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto; "Hasten Slowly", a documentary film by Mickey Lemle; and the film's original theatrical trailer. The disc also arrives with 30-page illustrated booklet. In English and Japanese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Warriors

Java, 1942. A large contingent of British POWs is kept in a remote Japanese prison camp. Amongst the prisoners, many of whom are seriously injured, are officers Celliers (David Bowie, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Just a Gigolo), a proud, fearless to the point of stupidity, and brash man, and Lawrence (Tom Conti, Reuben, Reuben), strikingly intelligent, fluent in Japanese, and quiet loner. Yonoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto, The Last Emperor), a young, well educated, and proud officer, and Hara (Takeshi Kitano, referred in the final credits only as Takeshi, Sonatine, Brother), a cruel but honorable warrior who isn't afraid of death, run the camp.

While the war rages on far away from Java, a strange bond forms between Celliers, Lawrence, Yonoi, and Hara. Even though they remain enemies, the men begin to admire each other - Yonoi admires Celliers and his spirit while Hara is impressed with Lawrence's tact and diplomatic skills.

The more time the men spend together, however, the less they understand what motivates them. What confuses them the most is the fact that neither side is particularly supportive of the war. Eventually, some of their mutual admiration evolves into frustration. As a result, Yonoi begins punishing some of the prisoners and even forces a few of his men to commit seppuku.

Based on Laurens Van der Post's novel, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is directed by Nagisa Oshima, arguably the most radical of mainstream Japanese directors. It is scripted as a war film but it is in fact a very complex examination of Japanese spirituality, and in particular Japanese attitude towards violence and death.

The film's morality is deeply rooted into the Japanese belief that, like life and death, love and violence are interconnected. Unsurprisingly, the admiration and respect Yonoi and Hara gradually develop for Celliers and Lawrence are expressed through acts of violence.

Another important aspect of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is the fact that the narrative is characterized by the strong presence of evil yet none of the main protagonists are evil men. They do hurt each other but not in conventional ways - or at least not until the final third of the film. For example, in one of the most memorable scenes from Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - which has given many Western critics the confidence to incorrectly conclude that the film houses homosexual overtones - Celliers publicly kisses Yonoi in order to humiliate him. It is the most efficient way for him to hurt his enemy - exposing his disappointment with the fact that he is forced by international law to treat the prisoners in the camp in a way that contradicts his beliefs.

Director Oshima gained international recognition with his In the Realm of the Senses, an explicit film exploring the relationship between passion and sex, and specifically the eroticism of physical action. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is very much a film that explores a similar relationship, though this time around sex is replaced with spirituality.

Note: In 1983, Merry Mr. Lawrence was nominated for Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. A year later, the film won five Mainichi Film Concours awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Film Score (Ryuichi Sakamoto).

 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Nagisa Oshima's Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:

"This new high-definition transfer was created from a 35mm interpositive scanned in 2K resolution on a Spirit Datacine 4K machine at Midnight Transfer, London. 2K color correction was done using Assimilate's Scratch system, and dirt and scratch removal was done using Pixel Farm's PFClean system at Cinelmage, London. This corrected data was output to high-definition tape at On Sight, London. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter, and flicker were manually removed using MTI's DRS system, while Digital Vision's DVNR system was used for small dirt, grain, and noise reduction.

Telecine supervisor: Maria Palazzola.
Telecine colorist: Fergus Hally/Cinelmage, London."

This is a strong high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is very good, clarity pleasing, and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. The color-scheme is dramatically improved - on the old SDVD R2 release, courtesy of Optimum Home Entertainment, the variety of different blues, browns, and greens were very weak and often times bleeding. Now they look well saturated, lush, and natural. Edge-enhancement and macroblocking are not a serious issue of concern. I did not see any traces of heavy noise reduction either. On the contrary, the film's grain structure is very much intact. There are no serious stability issues. When blown through a digital projector, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence conveys pleasing depth and tightness. Lastly, I also did not see any problematic cuts, splices, debris, stains, or damage marks to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with portions of Japanese). For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, the English subtitles appear only when Japanese is spoken.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:

"Presented in its original stereo surround format, the soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from the 35mm Dolby LT/RT magnetic audio track at Sync Sound Audio, London. Pops, cracks, hiss, and hum were reduced with an array of audio restoration techniques."

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is solid. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and very easy to follow. There are no serious balance issues with Ryuichi Sakamoto's music score either. Obviously, considering the film's age the dynamic amplitude is rather limited, but the sound certainly has very pleasing depth and fluidity.

 

The Oshima Gang - in this behind the scenes featurette, produced in 1983, actors David Bowie and Tom Conti, author Laurens van der Post, director Nagisa Oshima, and producer Jeremy Thomas among others discuss the unusual subject matter and tone of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, its production history, its reception at the Cannes Film Festival, etc. In English, without optional English subtitles. (30 min, 1080i).

On the screenplay - in this video interview, recorded in London in 2010, screenwriter Paul Mayersberg recalls his work on the screenplay of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, as well as the various encounters he had with Nagisa Oshima. In English, without optional English subtitles. (28 min, 1080p).

On location - in this video interview, recorded in London and New York in 2010, actors Tom Conti and Ryuichi Sakamoto and producer Jeremy Thomas discuss the production history of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. In English and Japanese, with optional English subtitles for the Japanese portions of the interview. (40 min, 1080p).

On the music - in this interview, conducted exclusively for Criterion in New York in 2010, actor and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto recalls his work on the music score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence as well as the film's reception. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (19 min, 1080p).

Hasten Slowly - a documentary film, produced and directed by Mickey Lemle, exploring the life and legacy of Sir Laurens van der Post (1906-1996), whose autobiographical novel The Seed and the Sower inspired director Nagisa Oshima to shoot Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. In English, without optional English subtitles. (56 min, 1080i).

Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. In English, not subtitled in English. (4 min, 1080i).

Booklet - 30-page illustrated booklet containing Chuck Stephens' essay "Lawrence of Shinjuku"; an interview with Nagisa Oshima, conducted by film scholar Tadao Sato in Tokyo in 1983; and an interview with Takeshi Kitano, published in a February 2010 special edition of the monthly Japanese culture magazine Switch.

 

A fascinating film! There is so much that America and its leaders can learn from it. Criterion's Blu-ray release of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence looks gorgeous and sounds terrific. The disc also contains some truly outstanding supplemental features. I urge you to find the time and watch the video interview with screenwriter Paul Mayersberg as he offers a terrific analysis of the film's complex message. As usual, this is a Region-A "locked" release. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

No related news posts for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence Blu-ray yet.

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Batman Begins [Blu-ray]

Batman Begins explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents' murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect and an array of high tech deceptions to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city.

Price: $28.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue (Blu-ray Review)

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Blu-ray + DVD
Disney / Buena Vista | 2010 | 76 min | Rated G | Sep 21, 2010

Video
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (less)
Subtitles
English SDH, French, Spanish (less)
Discs
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
BD-Live

 (2010)

Animation | Family | Fantasy

Tinker Bell is discovered by Lizzy, a girl with a steadfast belief in fairies. As their different worlds unite, Tink develops a special bond with the curious girl in need of a friend. As her fellow fairies launch a daring rescue, Tinker Bell takes a huge risk, putting her own safety and the future of the fairies in jeopardy.

For more details about Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue on Blu-ray, see the Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown, September 19, 2010

You have to hand it to the marketing masterminds at Disney. Not only did they shrewdly transform a pint-sized bit player from a 1953 animated classic into a wildly successful cash cow, they transformed a jealous, temperamental, vindictive pixie like Tinker Bell -- who, lest we forget, was willing to aid her beloved Pan's mortal enemy if it meant getting rid of wretched ol' Wendy -- into an endearing, dare I say enchanting little icon. The Great Fairy Rescue is Tink's third time hogging the spotlight, and it's the best spin-off of the franchise. Short and sweet? Indeed. Aimed at young girls between four and nine? Definitely. But don't be fooled. There's a steady heartbeat pulsing deep within this direct-to-video gem; a disarming convergence of sugar-sprinkled storytelling, thematic simplicity, mildly harrowing adventure and good-natured, animated fun guaranteed to leave your daughters smiling and laughing from beginning to end. And who knows? You might just be swept away with them.

When worlds collide... grade schoolers will cheer.

After learning to stay true to herself in 2008's Tinker Bell and realizing the value of honesty and integrity in its 2009 sequel, The Lost Treasure, Disney's pixie prima donna (voiced by Avatar: The Last Airbender's Mae Whitman) returns in The Great Fairy Rescue with renewed enthusiasm... only to land herself in another spot of trouble. While tending to England's flowering fields, Tink is captured by a well-mannered nine-year-old human named Lizzy (Lauren Mote). Upon hearing of her imprisonment, the young fairy's faithful friends (Pamela Adlon, Lucy Liu, Raven-Symone, Kristin Chenoweth and others) spring into action and mount a daring rescue, even though it requires them to brave the perils of a summer downpour. No small feat for such small creatures. But as it turns out, Tink isn't in much danger. Lizzy is a curious tot determined to verify the existence of fairies and catalog their behavior, nothing more. Before long, trust is earned, bonds are developed and Tinker Bell becomes quite fond of her first human companion. Their relationship is threatened though when Lizzie's father (Michael Sheen) intervenes, putting Tink and her friends to the ultimate test. Will the fairies survive? Will mankind learn of their existence? Will heart strings be plucked? Will life lessons abound?

Even by the twenty minute mark, it's abundantly clear that The Great Fairy Rescue is a more fully realized film than its predecessors. Bob Hilgenberg and Rob Muir's parallel storylines are strong enough to support their own features, yet work in perfect tandem; Lizzie is an infectious lead, and her methodical study of fairy culture is as cute as it is charming; Tink's misadventures in human handling are nothing short of inspired; size and scale are employed to great effect; and the fairies' trek across a hostile countryside is as absorbing as a film targeting little girls could be. Director Bradley Raymond navigates tricky waters -- after all, Rescue isn't as complex or powerful as Disney's theatrical heavyweights -- but nevertheless keeps a steady hand at the franchise helm. Wide-eyed fairy fans will be chomping their nails one minute, wishing they were Lizzie the next, all the while giggling and grinning with awe-struck wonder. Yes, Raymond and his writers make a few missteps (lingering pacing issues among them), and yes, Lizzie's father is a somewhat contrived source of conflict crammed into an otherwise breezy plot. But very little hinders the march of Tinker Bell's progress. As far as I'm concerned, it's better than several paint-by-numbers box office hits that have muscled their way into theaters in the last five years.

The franchise's CG animation has received some much-needed tinkering as well. Gone are the glassy stares and dead eyes that plagued early outings like The Lost Treasure. Tink, her tiny compatriots, Lizzie and her father exude emotion with every glance and glare, making each character more... well, human. But that's not all. The fairies' translucent wings are works of animated art, light and shadow have been refined with Pixar-esque precision, expressions are far more nuanced and evocative, and a variety of background elements brush shoulders with photo realism. Rather than churn out rehashed stories, recycled animation and superficial children's entertainment, Disney pushes the direct-to-video bar higher and higher. Could The Great Fairy Rescue sustain a theatrical release? In Ireland and the UK, it did just that. And I doubt a full-fledged Tinker Bell film is far off. If Disney's filmmakers and animators continue to elevate their game, there's no telling how far the Mouse House's flights of fancy could soar. As it stands, just one question remains. Can a well-calculated marketing gimmick evolve into a worthwhile franchise? Shed your doubts, clap your hands and shout "I believe in fairies!" If The Great Fairy Rescue is any indication, it can.

 

The Great Fairy Rescue's crisp and colorful 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer isn't Pixar perfect -- pixie-eyed videophiles and screenshot sprites will spot minor aliasing throughout the presentation -- but the vast majority of viewers won't notice and, frankly, won't care. Nor should they. Disney hasn't cut a single direct-to-video corner, and Tinker Bell and her winged friends have never looked better. Lush leaves and vibrant flowers all but sprout from the screen, rich primaries rain down on gorgeous green meadows, earthy expanses and candlelit rooms are warm and inviting, and satisfying shadows fall across every surface like finely spun silk. Contrast is bold and breathtaking as well, and black levels are flawless. And detail? Take note of the pinpoint textures that grace Tink's cage, the razor thin petal-veins in the fairies' dresses, the tiny brush strokes in the paintings hanging on Lizzie's walls, every swirling speck of pixie dust... if the animators dreamed it, Disney's Blu-ray beaut delivers it. Better still, artifacting, noise, ringing and, yes, even banding are nowhere to be found. In fact, if it weren't for the faint, fleeting aliasing that haunts the film's finest lines and sharpest edges, I wouldn't have anything but praise for the transfer. Tinker Bell fans, young and old, will be ecstatic.  

Disney's lively DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track isn't as magical as its video transfer, but it leaves a lasting impression nonetheless. From fairy whispers to human bellows, dialogue is bright, clean and perfectly intelligible, and isn't undermined when violent storms and thrilling chases ensue. LFE output is on point as well, granting cat attacks, cage doors, car engines and sky-splitting thunder heft and presence (without overwhelming the soundscape or weighing down the proceedings). Dynamics are reasonably restrained and quick to adapt, and separation is spot on. Granted, the whole of the experience is a wee bit front-heavy, but that doesn't mean the rear speakers don't eagerly join in the fun whenever it erupts. Summer winds, fluttering wings, blooming flowers and crackling spells pair nicely with Joel McNeely's sprightly score and envelop the listener in all the sounds of Tink's tinkering. Relatively precise directionality and nimble pans complete the sonic ensemble, and the soundfield remains fairly immersive throughout. The Great Fairy Rescue didn't leave my home theater in disarray, but it didn't leave me disappointed either.  

Aimed squarely at the kiddies, The Great Fairy Rescue's paper-thin special features are easily exhausted. A lengthy batch of "Deleted Scenes" (HD, 15 minutes) is the main draw, an exclusive "Fairy Field Guide" interactive trivia game is included for good measure, a brief highlight reel of a "Design a Fairy House" event (HD, 2 minutes) will leave your daughters wishing they had participated in all the fun, while a music video (HD, 3 minutes) for Bridgit Mendler's "How to Believe" tops off the disc's slim supplemental package.  

The Great Fairy Rescue is easily the best of the Tinker Bell films and should appeal to any family who counts at least one young girl among their own. Sweet and syrupy as it all may be, it will thrill four to nine-year-olds and leave them begging for more. Of course, it doesn't hurt that it has a few wholesome lessons to teach its knee-high fanbase along the way. Better yet, if you look past Disney's near-barebones supplemental package, the Blu-ray edition of The Great Fairy Rescue has a lot to offer. Its video transfer is gorgeous, its DTS-HD Master Audio track is engaging and its 2-disc BD/DVD combo pack is perfect for families who don't have a Blu-ray player in every room. (Or minivan as it were.) I don't have a daughter, but if I did, this is exactly the sort of direct-to-video children's film I would add to my cart. Tinker Bell is coming into her own and your little girls are the beneficiaries.

• Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue Blu-ray in September - March 19, 2010

Parents rejoice! Peter Pan's erstwhile sidekick has branched out to become a bona fide DTV franchise for Disney, with the help of her "Disney Fairies" clique. The studio that brought you Tinker Bell in 2008 and Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure in 2009 has announced ...

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Raging Phoenix (Deu suay doo) (Blu-ray Review)

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Deu suay doo
Magnolia Pictures | 2009 | 112 min | Not rated | Sep 14, 2010

Video
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio
English: DTS-HD 5.1
Thai: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD 5.1
Thai: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (less)
Subtitles
English, English SDH, Spanish (less)
Discs
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live

 (2009)

Action | Romance

Deu (JeeJa Yanin), a girl with equally high degree of recklessness and beauty has never experienced 'true love'. One day her life changes completely when some gangsters try to kidnap her and she narrowly escapes with the help of Sanim, a sad looking stranger with a painful past. Waking up in an abandoned factory, she joins his gang of merry do-gooders who practice a form of drunken Thai break-dancing martial arts that they dub Meyraiyuth. Sanim and his friends, having had loved ones abducted, join together to break the gang of kidnappers.

For more details about Raging Phoenix on Blu-ray, see the Raging Phoenix Blu-ray Review

Starring: JeeJa Yanin, David Bueno, Marc Nghi Hoang
Director: Rashane Limtrakul

Reviewed by Casey Broadwater, September 16, 2010

Newcomer Tony Jaa elbow-dropped unsuspecting international audiences with the 2003 release of Ong-Bak, a fast and furious Bangkok beat 'em up that introduced the world to the "no wires, no harness" wonders of Thai martial arts. Since then, Jaa, director Prachya Pinkaew, and their prot?g?s have released a steady output of similar films, some better than others. For every badass romp like Tom-Yum-Goong or the historical epic Ong-Bak 2, there's a lesser entry in the Thai martial arts canon, like Power Kids or Tsunami Warrior. Good or bad, the one constant in all of these films is that the stories inevitably?for a lack of a better word?suck. Sometimes it doesn't really matter. When Tony Jaa is onscreen, the spectacle of his insane acrobatics is often enough to carry a film that might otherwise have little going for it. Hardcore action fans may contest that the story in a martial arts movie is irrelevant, that the plot is just a means to positions the characters for the next over-the-top set piece. To a certain extent, this may be true, but I don't think anyone would argue against the fact that a film with hard-hitting action and a strong story offers a much better experience. Raging Phoenix, unfortunately, has neither.

Phoenix, preparing to rage...

This may surprise some martial arts aficionados, as the film stars Yanin "Jeeja" Vismistananda, a female fighter who gave a brutal breakout performance in director Prachya Pinkaew's well-received Chocolate. That film is about an autistic girl who becomes a kind of Muay Thai boxing savant, and it was graced with the memorable tagline, "A special-needs girl, with a special need to kick ass." Raging Phoenix's story is weirder?by far?but weirder doesn't exactly equal better. Jeeja plays Deu, a drummer in a Bangkok rock band who goes on a serious bender after she discovers her boyfriend is seeing another woman. As she stumbles drunkenly through a parking garage, a pair of thugs in a sketchy-looking van attempt to kidnap her, but she's whisked away by a mysterious man who carries her out to what I can only describe as an abandoned carnival, where?and hold on to your hats?they're attacked by thugs wearing pogo-stilts adorned with enormous serrated blades. It's just as ridiculous as it sounds. Deu's savior, Sanim (Kazu Patrick Tang), is the leader of a group that exists solely to rescue women from human traffickers. Sanim and the other members?named, no joke, Pigshit, Dogshit, and Bullshit?have all lost the women in their lives and are looking for vengeance. They're also practitioners of meyraiyuth, the Thai equivalent of drunken boxing. As Pigshit, or Horseshit, or one of the shits explains to Deu, to become proficient in this inebriation-centric art requires you to embrace your inner miserable-ness. Only the truly depressed can become meyraiyuth masters. The heartbroken Deu obviously qualifies.

Okay, here's where things get weird?and jumbled, and boring, and nearly incoherent. The bad guys in this film?the Jaguar gang?are only stealing girls with a particular smell. They've got nasally-acute thugs hanging out around town, sniffing for a specific pheromone, represented onscreen by a CGI ripple that drifts across the frame and into the baddies' nostrils. It is suggested that the Jaguar crew has found a way to extract the pheromone and make a perfume that turns rich dudes into sex addicts?or something like that?but it turns out their plan is even more nefarious. They're also harvesting tears, life-prolonging tears. They're led by an angry female body builder who spouts lines like, "The penalty for stealing my flower is death!" Girls hang by chains from the ceiling, wrapped like leftovers in cellophane. None of it makes much sense. I basically gave up on trying to follow the asinine plot after the first forty-five minutes. It's just not worth it. The characters are cardboard, but they still lapse into typical Thai movie melodrama. Deu cries a lot. The villains just glower. Worse, Raging Phoenix is easily the most poorly edited film I've seen all year. Nearly every scene feels like it drags on for four minutes longer than it should. There are redundant flashbacks, conversations comprised solely of exposition, and long sequences where nothing happens at all. Even the requisite training montage moves at a glacial pace. At one point, thinking the film was almost over, I checked to see how much time was left?I wasn't even halfway through.

"But what," you ask, "about the fight scenes?" Unfortunately, they suffer the same snooze-inducing fate. Don't get me wrong?Jeeja is clearly talented, and if there's a female equivalent to Tony Jaa, it's definitely her. The problem here is the choreography and editing. Where Jaa's moves feel spontaneous?almost improvised?Jeeja's fight sequences have a studied, carefully rehearsed vibe. This is partly intentional; the fictional meyraiyuth is a stylistic mash-up of Muay Thai and B-boy/breakdance moves, making each fight seem more like a dance battle?with each "team" going through their practiced routines?than a down and dirty, life or death struggle. Plus, there's really nothing here that we haven't seen before. Even the film's climax?a beatdown that takes place on several rope bridges spanning a chasm?pales next to epic fight that takes place on the side of a building in Chocolate. There's also a distinct slowness to the way the fight scenes are edited. I generally dislike tight, quick-cut shaky cam?where you can never really tell what's going on?but Raging Phoenix's approach, while completely opposite, is just as ineffective. The camera pulls back so we can see the full bodies of the actors?which is good, especially for showing off their acrobatic talents?but the editing is lethargic. With a story so dull, I'd usually recommend fast-forwarding to the fight scenes, but in Raging Phoenix you'll probably want to skip through those too.

 

Raging Phoenix rises on Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer, framed in a screen-filling 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The film probably looks as good as it's ever going to here, but the filmmakers' helter-skelter stylistic approach often makes the high definition image hard to appreciate. The color palette changes?drastically?in just about every scene. On the beach, there's a super-saturated cross-processed look, with extreme yellowish green highlights. During the "pogo-stilts" fight, everything goes a bleak gray. Inside the Jaguar gang's hideout, the picture is desaturated except for reds, which make the characters' lips pop awkwardly. Skin tones, consequently, are all over the spectrum, from deathly pallid to intense yellow, and black levels vary. The stylization doesn't stop at color; the flashback sequences feature an image that's clearly been vertically stretched?for whatever reason?and while some scenes have a warm filmic look, others have a smeary shot-on-video quality. It could be DNR, it could be actual video?the insane color gimmickry honestly makes it hard to tell. Unsurprisingly, then, clarity is inconsistent. There are close-ups that look fantastically sharp?showing off facial detail and clothing texture?and elsewhere the picture is soft and indistinct. Aside from some slight banding in a few scenes?noticeable in the fog/steam?there are no real compression problems.  

Magnolia Home Entertainment has supplied Raging Phoenix with two lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround options?an English dub track and the original Thai mix. The film defaults to the dub, which?no surprise here?is pretty ridiculous. The weird thing is, I ended up preferring it to the original language track. Why, you ask? Because I was so bored by the film about 50 minutes in that I turned on the English track just so I could be entertained by something. In terms of actual sound quality, both tracks?aside from the dialogue?are nearly identical. The only real difference I noticed was that the dialogue in the dub is a good bit louder than the voices in the Thai mix, which sometimes get buried under other sounds. The rear speakers get a lot of play throughout; you'll hear club ambience at a rock show, the hush of wind and lapping water, and, of course, loads of cross-channel fight scene sounds as the character punch, kick, and leap acrobatically throughout the frame. None of this sounds particularly realistic, or even well implemented?the effects and pans are definitely stocky?but, like the film's color palette, I don't think realism was the intent. Most of the fight sequences are accompanied by rock/techno/Thai hip-hop tracks that would sound good?there's plenty of potent bass response?if the music itself wasn't so grating.  

The Making of Raging Phoenix (SD, 11:53)
An interview with director Rashane Limtrakul, who somehow makes Raging Phoenix sound like a profound work of socially conscious art.

Behind the Scenes of Raging Phoenix (SD, 10:37)
Straight up behind-the-scenes footage of rehearsals, fight choreography, and scene shooting.

International Trailer (SD, 3:36)

Also From Magnolia Home Entertainment Blu-ray (1080p, 6:53)
Includes trailers for Rubber, Chocolate, Centurion, and The Oxford Murders.

 

Raging Phoenix is a me-too beat 'em up with an incoherent plot, a pace that could put a crank addict to sleep, and a nearly ceaseless procession of nothing-we-haven't-seen-before Muay Thai moves. Unless you're some kind of fanatical apologist for all Thai martial arts movies?and it's amazing how many of those I've stumbled across on the internet?then Raging Phoenix will come as a disappointment, especially if you enjoyed the moderately-better Chocolate, "Jeeja" Vismistananda's previous film. Save your time and money and go watch Ong-Bak again instead.

No related news posts for Raging Phoenix Blu-ray yet.

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002- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

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Rick Steves: Celtic Charms (Blu-ray Review)

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Perseus | 2000-2010 | 210 min | Not rated | Aug 17, 2010

Video
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1, 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Audio
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (less)
Subtitles

Discs
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Price
List price: $19.95   Not available to order

Price
List price: $14.99   Best Buy: $14.99

Playback
Region A (B, C untested)



Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman, September 11, 2010

Rick Steves often gives his viewers little surprises sprinkled in with his various travel adventures, and we get one right off the bat at the beginning of this new Blu-ray compilation featuring episodes dealing with the Celtic Charms of Europe: Steve in a kilt! He may in fact be an unwitting fashion victim, at least in this prelude to several picturesque episodes, but at least he seems to have a sense of humor about it. Steves' travel program has been a mainstay on Public Television for decades now, and his understated, often wryly humorous style has made him the closest thing to a superstar that PBS offers. Entering into the Blu-ray arena with four volumes culled from his long running series, fans can now experience these gorgeous locales in high definition. This third volume offers some of the most jaw dropping scenery imaginable, as Steves explores the nooks and crannies of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in seven episodes.

Rick Steves goes native.

Edinburgh takes us on a whirlwind journey through Scotland's signature city, one which classic film lovers will recognize from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. The city has one of the most iconic structures of Europe, the huge fortified castle which is over one thousand years old. To the semi-soothing strains of bagpipe music, Steves then takes us down the Royal Mile, a close quartered boulevard which unites the castle with the Royal Palace. St. Giles Cathedral is also featured, a huge gothic structure which is topped by a distinctive spire made to resemble the Crown of Thorns. The Cathedral makes a natural segue to a discussion of the Reformation and John Knox, the founder of Presbyterianism.

North Wales: Feisty and Poetic lives up to its title, with an emphasis on the iconoclastic Welsh spirit. This episode made me laugh a time or two as I longed for subtitles as Steves ripped through one vowel-challenged Welsh place name after another. Luckily, there are occasional titles superimposed alerting us to the biggest locales he visits, places like Llandudno, a gorgeous coastal town with a lovely long pier jutting out into the water. Wales' tempestuous relationship with England is also examined. Once seen as invaders and usurpers, some Welsh towns now exist largely due to English tourists. One of the best place names Steves visits is the impossible to pronounce (at least for neophytes like I am) Blaenauffestiniog, where Steves looks at the slate mining industry which once supported Wales' economy. Steves skips over the border to Liverpool for a nice look at the Beatles' home turf.

Dublin. Ireland is described here by Steves as "the friendliest and youngest country in the EU." That youth and vigor shows up in some unusual ways. While Dublin is the very model of a symmetrically organized Georgian city, the rascally side of the Irish character comes out in the panoply of wildly colored painted doors which spice up the city's visual splendor. Steves then visits some of the ancient burial mounds which dot the Irish landscape, including two very interesting sites at Br? na B?inne, where Steves goes inside a 5,000 year old tunnel tomb which was engineered to receive sunlight at both the vernal and autumnal equinoxes.

The Best of South Ireland. Steves gets his hands dirty digging peat in this episode, which also spends a peaceful stop by Glendalough, which translates roughly to "valley of two lakes." A really interesting side trip journeys to St. Kevin's Church, a sixth century structure which actually withstood repeated Viking raids. Steves then drops by the Waterford Crystal factory, where we get to see that iconic glass being fired in historic kilns. The Rock of Castel is an impressive structure which housed Irish kings for seven centuries, and is so ancient that St. Patrick himself actually baptized a King there.

The Best of West Ireland. From the south, Steves journeys west, in fact so far west?to the Aran Islands?that the locals joke that "the next parish over is Boston." Starting at Inishmore, Steves takes us on a really captivating journey that includes the remarkable D?n Aengus, a 2,000 year old fortress which clings impressively to a stark and frankly scary cliff edge. We also visit Galway, a town whose name reveals its history. "Gal" means "foreigner," and the town was actually a refuge for invaders, who actually kicked the native Irish out and then built a fortress wall around their enclave. Next comes the Dingle Peninsula, a lovely and spectacular locale which is filled with over 2,000 monuments dating back to 4,000 B.C.

Belfast and the Best of Northern Ireland. Belfast may (perhaps unfairly) be best known as the seat of "the Troubles," but Steves emphasizes a happier history here, taking us through the town's industrial past. Belfast was nicknamed "Old Smoke" due to its burgeoning industrial activity, activity which saw such icons as the Titanic being built there. (Steves elicits a nice chuckle when he states that Belfast also built many ships which didn't sink). We also journey even further north to the "Coney Island of Ulster," the family playground of Portrush. Steves gets to enjoy a whiskey distillery, and the viewer gets to enjoy some of the most amazingly green coastal water imaginable.

Scotland's Islands and Highlands. As in the other Steves compendium I recently reviewed for Blu-ray.com, the final episode of this set is considerably older (circa 2000 in this instance) and predates HDTVs. It's therefore in its original standard def-looking "glory" of 1.33:1 and does not compare very favorably from an image standpoint with the newer, more glamorous, episodes which precede it on this Blu-ray. That said, Steves takes on a lovely enough trip through several Scottish islands and the very beautiful Scottish highlands, vistas filled with valleys full of wildflowers surrounded by towering mountains. Because of the remoteness of some of these locations, and the lack of public transit, officials allow travelers (including tourists) to hitchhike with the local postman, and Steves gets a one on one travel guide that way to some of Scotland's back roads and byways.

 

Celtic Charms of Europe is offered on Blu-ray with an AVC encode, in 1080i and (for all but the last episode, which is 1.33:1) 1.78:1. As in the first volume of these new releases, the image is often breathtakingly beautiful, with excellent sharpness and some especially lovely and well saturated color. In fact it's the color that may stand out for most viewers of this particular volume. Some of the reds, blues and especially greens (fitting, perhaps, for the "Emerald Isle") are gorgeous and virtually pop off the screen. Depth of field is also extraordinary in several of the outdoor shots. As with most interlaced video presentations, there are occasional bugaboos which pop up from time to time, notably some minor shimmer and moir? issues. There's nothing bad enough that is ultimately going to detract from the beauty of at least six of these seven episodes. That final episode, in 1.33:1 and from the now distant video age of 2000, looks noticeably soft and desaturated when compared to its forebears. But the bulk of this presentation is top notch television fare.  

Steves' outings are largely narrative and onscreen voice driven, so while some audiophiles may lament the lack of a lossless audio option here, the fact is the standard Dolby Digital 2.0 track does just fine. In fact, there are actually relatively few uses of ambient sounds throughout this series. Instead we get Steves, either on screen or via voiceover, and the occasional well chosen source music underscore. Fidelity here is just fine, if unremarkable, with good enough dynamic range to support this almost exclusively voice driven piece.  

No supplements are offered on the disc.  

These new Blu-rays from Steves are proving to be immensely enjoyable and at times spectacularly beautiful to watch in high definition. The evocative locales of Ireland, Scotland and Wales may be particularly well suited to the world of hi-def imagery, because the first six episodes featured here look "mah-velous." Steves is his usual affable self, even in a kilt, and any armchair traveler should get a wealth of information, and some beautiful sights, out of this excellent compilation.

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