2100 replies to this topic

[yorac]

Rocky VI - 1.85:1 - Uncompressed PCM

Region A - locked

PQ: 4.25/5 - As you would expect the most recent picture comes up pretty well and no disappointments at all in this transfer, it looks how you would expect a recent release to look... *See Disclaimer*

AQ: 4.25/5 - The audio also finally comes of age and this is a good soundtrack that blends in very nicely .....

The Movie: I've said elsewhere that I believe this to be almost the equal of Rocky and that's simply because Stallone goes back to telling a story that you can easily identify with again, clearly he knew this would be his last shot at the franchise and he does a great job with it.......

Absolutely no doubt this would be better than it's SD counterpart......



Disclaimer: I am watching all movies currently projected on to a wall and as one would imagine a dedicated screen would enhance the PQ.......

Edited by yorac, 02 June 2010 - 04:01 PM.

[yorac]

Rocky - The Undisputed Collection - Region A, all discs are region locked - all discs are 1:85.1 - all discs are DTS HD MA, except Rocky VI which is uncompressed PCM - all discs are reviewed below...........

yorac, on May 31 2010, 08:07 PM, said:

Rocky - 1.85:1 - DTS HD MA

Region A - locked

PQ: 3/5 - Guess the transfer here is by most BR standards and average transfer, it's not a bad transfer but there is not anything to really get excited about either.... *See Disclaimer*

AQ: 2.75/5 - This is a movie that is highly dialogue driven, as such you don't get anything more or less than expected given it's age .....

The Movie: A great story and still stands up today imo, little slow at the beginning but finds it's way and highly enjoyable

if you liked it on SD and thinking of an upgrade it is worth it IMO.......



Disclaimer: I am watching all movies currently projected on to a wall and as one would imagine a dedicated screen would enhance the PQ.......

yorac, on May 31 2010, 08:14 PM, said:

Rocky II - 1.85:1 - DTS HD MA

Region A - locked

PQ: 2.9/5 - I actually thought the transfer on this was below the standard of Rocky, for a large part of the movie there is a lot of noise and softness that detracts from the AVC encode.... *See Disclaimer*

AQ: 3/5 - Dialogue driven again the audio here is better and easier to hear .....

The Movie: Starts where Rocky finishes and takes you along for a ride of ups and downs after Rocky's success in the first movie, a worthy sequel imo....

if you liked it on SD and thinking of an upgrade it is worth it IMO.......



Disclaimer: I am watching all movies currently projected on to a wall and as one would imagine a dedicated screen would enhance the PQ.......

yorac, on Jun 1 2010, 09:17 PM, said:

Rocky III - 1.85:1 - DTS HD MA

Region A - locked

PQ: 3/5 - Well we start to see some better picture here but still well short of anything to rave about, it's good moments PQ wise outnumber the bad but the bad are fairly ordinary noise wise.... *See Disclaimer*

AQ: 2.75/5 - Lots of talk again here and found it difficult to hear at times at -12 so the audio is yet to impress on any of the first 3 .....

The Movie: This is Rocky fast food style much shorter than the first two but certainly still entertaining with a good storyline, if you found the first two a bit long this one will remedy that for you.....

if you liked it on SD and thinking of an upgrade it is worth it IMO.......



Disclaimer: I am watching all movies currently projected on to a wall and as one would imagine a dedicated screen would enhance the PQ.......

yorac, on Jun 2 2010, 02:53 PM, said:

Rocky IV - 1.85:1 - DTS HD MA

Region A - locked

PQ: 3.3/5 - Well again we start to see some better picture here and very little problems with the PQ at all, a little noise here and there but nothing to complain about really... *See Disclaimer*

AQ: 3/5 - The SQ here starts to find some range and though not highly dynamic better than it's predecessors but only marginally .....

The Movie: Another quick movie in the franchise, a lot of people bagged this when it came out but I thought it played out okay (cold war theme) and has some good moments.....

if you liked it on SD and thinking of an upgrade it is worth it IMO.......



Disclaimer: I am watching all movies currently projected on to a wall and as one would imagine a dedicated screen would enhance the PQ.......

yorac, on Jun 2 2010, 03:03 PM, said:

Rocky V - 1.85:1 - DTS HD MA

Region A - locked

PQ: 3.7/5 - The picture on this one finally gets some life and though nowhere near demo stuff it's a nice looking transfer... *See Disclaimer*

AQ: 3.5/5 - Like the PQ the SQ here gets some life in it and is a good lively surround track where and when it needs to be .....

The Movie: A reasonable story here, Rocky is told he can't fight anymore for medical reasons and finds himself with a young protege after being forced to go back to his beginnings, a fair story but I wanted to punch the promoter out several times myself.......

if you liked it on SD and thinking of an upgrade it is worth it IMO.......



Disclaimer: I am watching all movies currently projected on to a wall and as one would imagine a dedicated screen would enhance the PQ.......

yorac, on Jun 2 2010, 03:49 PM, said:

Rocky VI - 1.85:1 - Uncompressed PCM

Region A - locked

PQ: 4.25/5 - As you would expect the most recent picture comes up pretty well and no disappointments at all in this transfer, it looks how you would expect a recent release to look... *See Disclaimer*

AQ: 4.25/5 - The audio also finally comes of age and this is a good soundtrack that blends in very nicely .....

The Movie: I've said elsewhere that I believe this to be almost the equal of Rocky and that's simply because Stallone goes back to telling a story that you can easily identify with again, clearly he knew this would be his last shot at the franchise and he does a great job with it.......

Absolutely no doubt this would be better than it's SD counterpart......



Disclaimer: I am watching all movies currently projected on to a wall and as one would imagine a dedicated screen would enhance the PQ.......

Edited by yorac, 02 June 2010 - 04:00 PM.

[709er]

yorac, on Jun 2 2010, 03:57 PM, said:

The Sky Crawlers - 1.78:1 - Japanese/English Dolby True HD
Wyatt Earp 16 x 9 2:40.1 - Dolby Digital
Godzilla - 2:40.1 - DTS-HD MA
Neil Diamond - Hot August Night/NYC- 1.78:1 - Dolby True HD/PCM stereo
Rocky - 1.85:1 - DTS HD MA
Rocky II - 1.85:1 - DTS HD MA
Rocky III - 1.85:1 - DTS HD MA
Rocky IV - 1.85:1 - DTS HD MA
Rocky V - 1.85:1 - DTS HD MA
Rocky VI - 1.85:1 - Uncompressed PCM

Nice to hear that you are getting some quality viewing time in - and yes, I have scoured through a couple of pages    I am just jealous because it's all work and no play ATM  

[yorac]

709er, on Jun 2 2010, 04:43 PM, said:

Nice to hear that you are getting some quality viewing time in - and yes, I have scoured through a couple of pages    I am just jealous because it's all work and no play ATM  

Cheers mate, I watched

Spoiler

Deep Impact

as well but fortunately that had been reviewed.....   


have unwanted time on my hands while I try to get some full time work again so getting through a few movies and was surprised none of the Rocky set or Godzilla had not been reviewed..........

[709er]

yorac, on Jun 2 2010, 04:50 PM, said:

Cheers mate, I watched

Spoiler

Deep Impact

as well but fortunately that had been reviewed.....   


have unwanted time on my hands while I try to get some full time work again so getting through a few movies and was surprised none of the Rocky set or Godzilla had not been reviewed..........

What's next on the list?

[yorac]

709er, on Jun 2 2010, 05:00 PM, said:

What's next on the list?

More than likely War of the Worlds have it coming expressed from Amazon, should be here friday arvo.....

going to watch Wall-E tomorrow......

[petetherock]

LIFE - BBC series


4 discs - region free.

If BBC's Planet Earth was the aperitif that showcases what High Definition could do, then Life is the tour de force course which reinforces it and more... The picture quality here, the kind of detail on offer is so astounding, you almost feel voyeuristic in your vantage point. Sure the plethora of action movies on offer is plenty, and you can get many CGI scenes but if you want real action accompanied by real gore, and lots of surround effects, look no further.

As for the plot - let’s just say Mother Nature knows how to give you a great story, and you are in the middle of the gripping action watching animals fight for their lives. This is accompanied by Sir Attenborough's wonderful narrative in his natural calm smooth voice - forget the Oprah version chaps, this is the real man.

Life does not leave you short-changed when comes to the sound. With total immersion, you almost feel seated right in the middle of the forest, or just a hair's breath away from the insect just as it is swallowed by the chameleon concealed only inches way.

Nature is a cacophony of sound and BBC adds a delicate hand with the accompanying music. You don’t need big explosions to give your subwoofer a workout. There are plenty of moments bass is used to good effect to give tension and you will appreciate the money you put into good speakers as the music adds to the moment and there are plenty of sequences which will take your breath away in the quality of the cinematography, the sound, the picture quality and most importantly how the intricacies of life unfold before you and you witness the struggles of life first hand. With the end of each episode, you get an insight into how each shot was done, and with it rolling of the credits, you will feel life is even more precious and a strange and strong desire to live it well.


Bravo to BBC for producing this and offering at at a pittance of 33 GBP.
PQ: 5/5
SQ: 4.5
Highly recommended as a keeper.

Edited by petetherock, 05 June 2010 - 12:41 AM.

[yorac]

Updated 507 reviews, thanks to all...........

[:)]

Days of glory / Indigènes

region2 purchased uk region B.
DTS & DD French with English subtitles
PQ 4.5/5
AQ 4/5
Film 3.5/5

I bought this one not knowing a lot about the film, except that it's worth watching if like movies Like saving private Ryan and band of brothers.

It's a French film, set around a bunch of algerian troups fighting alongside the French in WWII in a few different settings in Algeria and on French home soil. It's not a mainstream film in a lot of ways but yet does fall to a few cliches of war films and in some ways quite an old fashioned war film where acting seems a touch wooden at times. It does though have some nice story lines and tells a side of the story perhaps not told yet by other war films.  

I'm not one to giveaway story lines so will leave it at that.

The PQ fo the film is faultless. Capturing well the sense of the settings. Screen shots look well thought out and lighting for camera work exceptional giving a punch to most shots.

The SQ of the film is surprisingly good. A reminder how good plain old DTS can sound ! in the sharp shooting practice for instance the rifle shots have a bite an incision that adds well to the sense of reality. Same with the first battle scene, the explosions have a depth and some serious punch.

Certainly not a block buster type movie and pretty much an unknown in the mainstream. I've probably been a bit rough in overall score for the film itself. But seems to be pretty well regarded by the critics, rotten tomatoes for instance has it at 82% which is pretty good for a film and it even scored an academy award nomination and pretty decent for a film.

Ps I picked up my copy fromlovefilms in the uk, and priced pretty reasonably so won't break the bank to check it out.

must buy for the war film junkies !

[Peter_M]

petetherock, on Jun 4 2010, 10:51 PM, said:

LIFE - BBC series


4 discs - region free.

If BBC's Planet Earth was the aperitif that showcases what High Definition could do, then Life is the tour de force course which reinforces it and more... The picture quality here, the kind of detail on offer is so astounding, you almost feel voyeuristic in your vantage point. Sure the plethora of action movies on offer is plenty, and you can get many CGI scenes but if you want real action accompanied by real gore, and lots of surround effects, look no further.

As for the plot - let’s just say Mother Nature knows how to give you a great story, and you are in the middle of the gripping action watching animals fight for their lives. This is accompanied by Sir Attenborough's wonderful narrative in his natural calm smooth voice - forget the Oprah version chaps, this is the real man.

Life does not leave you short-changed when comes to the sound. With total immersion, you almost feel seated right in the middle of the forest, or just a hair's breath away from the insect just as it is swallowed by the chameleon concealed only inches way.

Nature is a cacophony of sound and BBC adds a delicate hand with the accompanying music. You don’t need big explosions to give your subwoofer a workout. There are plenty of moments bass is used to good effect to give tension and you will appreciate the money you put into good speakers as the music adds to the moment and there are plenty of sequences which will take your breath away in the quality of the cinematography, the sound, the picture quality and most importantly how the intricacies of life unfold before you and you witness the struggles of life first hand. With the end of each episode, you get an insight into how each shot was done, and with it rolling of the credits, you will feel life is even more precious and a strange and strong desire to live it well.


Bravo to BBC for producing this and offering at at a pittance of 33 GBP.
PQ: 5/5
SQ: 4.5
Highly recommended as a keeper.

Hi Peter,

I recently watched these blurays and noticed that while the box says they're in 1080p, when I checked the signal on my projector the input signal was only 1080i.  I checked again on the cover and it states (in small print) that some of the content is in 1080i...... (menu's, from memory).  

After reading that I checked every disc in the series and found that ALL of the documentaires seem to be in 1080i, not 1080p.  I doubled checked my settings on both my bluray player, and projector, and they were all okay.  Every other bluray disc (movies) I checked displayed 1080p as the signal source.  

The picture was very good, especially on the closeups, but a little dissappointing on the long shots (typical of 1080i) I'd give it a 4/5 if Bakara is a reference 5/5.

I borrowed the series from a mate of mine who'd purchased it from Amazon UK (like yourself).  I'm at a loss to explain what the problem might be other than he might have an earlier bluray release that was transfered in 1080i, in the cover of the 1080p transfer???  

Confused

[petetherock]

If you bought "Life" from UK, it should be 1080i, but if you got it from USA and have the Attenborough version it should be 1080p /24 fps, except the plants episode.

As for the PQ, on my Pioneer KRP 500A at 2.3m, I have absolutely no complaints. Cheers.


EDIT:

BTW at the end of Disc 1, there is a setup for Hi Def tune up which is as simple as you can imagine and IMO, excellant and even better than some of those fancy AVIA or DVE discs!

Edited by petetherock, 06 June 2010 - 03:41 PM.

[Peter_M]

petetherock, on Jun 6 2010, 09:36 AM, said:

If you bought "Life" from UK, it should be 1080i, but if you got it from USA and have the Attenborough version it should be 1080p /24 fps, except the plants episode.

As for the PQ, on my Pioneer KRP 500A at 2.3m, I have absolutely no complaints. Cheers.


EDIT:

BTW at the end of Disc 1, there is a setup for Hi Def tune up which is as simple as you can imagine and IMO, excellant and even better than some of those fancy AVIA or DVE discs!

I just checked with my mate, who lent me "Life", he bought it through Amazon UK and it's the Attenborough version.  And yes it's definitely 1080i.  I know this because I was checking every 15 minutes because I kept saying to myself.... "this picture is too good for 1080i.."

You're right about the Hi-Def setup on the first disc, it's basic and simple and was quick and easy to follow.  I did a quick re-cal of one of my projector settings using it and it yieded quite good results.  I then used Joe Kanes DVE to "fine tune" those settings and I have to admit it's now my preferred setting.

Off topic, but something I found very amusing.  

The friend that lent me "Life" asked me to come over and help him hook up his new 18" Velendyne sub.  He downloaded a series of subwoofer "tests" he'd found on the internet which went through all the usual frequency tests from 120 hz to very very low hz (can't remember the number...lets say 10hz:) and it was recorded rather loud.  Nothing too strange there, the amusing part was at the very end of the test a very pleasant american voice says...... "if your sub woofer has not seized up, then it has past this test!"  

Peter

Edited by Peter_M, 06 June 2010 - 07:46 PM.

[709er]

SPACEBALLS - US Region Free - DTS HD MA 5:1 - 1.85:1

Had my reservations about ever watching this out of respect for Star Wars, but after reading a recent post elsewhere on the forum, decided to give it a family viewing last night. My SW respect is still intact, however I do want a pair of "bun ears" noise cancelling headphones like Princess Vespa's  
The PQ was very good for a 23 year old film. Filled our new 104 inch screen with vibrant colour showing good contrast and black levels. Most of the film was shot on stage (except the dune scenes) which looked so corny, and the SFX looking so low budget, it only added to the fun and laughs. The picture was very consistent, bar a handful of staged night time shots which were quite grainy.
The DTS MA track was also very good. Dialogue was well balanced and there were enough discreet effects in the rears to form a pleasing soundstage.
Nothing here not to like.

FILM: 3.8/5
PQ:  3.6/5
AQ: 3.8/5

Didn't check out the extras though they were aplenty and the case also contains the DVD.

[yorac]

War of the Worlds - 1.85:1 - DTS-HD MA

Region A - Region free

PQ: 4.5/5 - Another grain delight from Mr Spielberg, I really wonder if they should put IGM(Industrial Grain and Magic) in charge rather than ILM, for whatever reason Spielberg loves the grainy look in his movies and this one is no exception, it still looks very good but there are a couple of scenes towards the end that exhibited a fair bit of noise that just took away from the overall score IMO.... *See Disclaimer*

AQ: 5/5 - This one is going to absolutely going to light up your system and like it's SD predecessor the SQ here is of the highest standard, there are several scenes that will test whether your sub is up to scratch or not......

The Movie: A remake of a classic that holds it's own IMO, not brilliant but serviceable, probably a bit overdone with the Tim Robbins part again IMO .......

This kills the SD version, a no brainer upgrade, available in Oz from August I believe......



Disclaimer: I am watching all movies currently projected on to a wall and as one would imagine a dedicated screen would enhance the PQ.......

[Jutta]

709er, on Jun 7 2010, 08:50 AM, said:

SPACEBALLS - US Region Free - DTS HD MA 5:1 - 1.85:1

Had my reservations about ever watching this out of respect for Star Wars, but after reading a recent post elsewhere on the forum, decided to give it a family viewing last night. My SW respect is still intact, however I do want a pair of "bun ears" noise cancelling headphones like Princess Vespa's  
The PQ was very good for a 23 year old film. Filled our new 104 inch screen with vibrant colour showing good contrast and black levels. Most of the film was shot on stage (except the dune scenes) which looked so corny, and the SFX looking so low budget, it only added to the fun and laughs. The picture was very consistent, bar a handful of staged night time shots which were quite grainy.
The DTS MA track was also very good. Dialogue was well balanced and there were enough discreet effects in the rears to form a pleasing soundstage.
Nothing here not to like.

FILM: 3.8/5
PQ:  3.6/5
AQ: 3.8/5

Didn't check out the extras though they were aplenty and the case also contains the DVD.

Comb the desert!

[709er]

CRAZY HEART - US Release Region A locked - DTS HDMA 5:1 - 2.35:1

Had this on the shelves for a while and finally decided to give it a spin. It was clear from the word go that there would be many scenes to sicken and offend, but also empathize with. Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges), is a 57 year old country & western singer still touring the States - playing small time venues and living on the financial and physical edge - abusing his body with alcohol and slack living. A chance meeting/interview with a young reporter (Maggie Gyllenhaal) turns his life in another direction though not without it's ups and downs.
The PQ was generally very good, though never reference and often soft. The outdoor scenes, however, were especially good and closeups showed plenty of detail.
The AQ was around the same and although there were many great musical tracks which shone, the inbetween was all dialogue with barely any surround activity.

FILM: 4/5
PQ:  3.8/5
AQ:  3.8/5

Edited by 709er, 10 June 2010 - 05:31 PM.

[ekkieTHUMP]

Y Tu Mama Tambien Aus release reg all-DTS MA 5.1-1.85:1

Nice to see Icon release a non english film on BD that actually does it justice.Unlike The Motorcycle Diaries this one warrants serious consideration on an upgrade over the dvd.I must have seen this movie done so many times over the years,teen angst and a love triangle.Somehow this one leaves all the others in it's wake though making it highly collectable.This is a low budget movie so the transfer doesn't give you HD dazzle,it is gorgeously filmic though and from my recollections of the dvd leaves it for dead.Audio sounds spot on and hats off for the great execution of subs.Extras seem to be same as the dvd upscaled to 1080p.

Film 4.5/5
PQ 4/5
AQ 4.5/5

[709er]

mfedley, on Sep 19 2009, 02:08 PM, said:

The Cell (Region A Locked Canadian Alliance Release)

Movie Itself: For people who don't know this movie, it's basically about a phsycopath with schizophrenia who has captured a girl that will be killed within 40 hours if she is not found. The only problem is that the perpetrator is in a coma that he cannot wake up from. As such, Jennifer Lopez plays a psychiatrist who can go into peoples minds through a machine. In the eye of the beholder, this is normally either a fantastic or rediculous movie. I'm the former and find it very interesting to see what the mind of a phsycopath may be like. I will admit that the acting is ok but is not the movies strongest point. Score: 4/5

PQ: This should be the strongest part of the movie, but we only get a slightly above average transfer here. It really is a disappointment as the movie contains some fantastic cinematography. Some of the shots are disappointing (such as the desert scenes) and some are getting close to reference (such as most of the scenes in the killers head - like the horse scene). Score: 3.75/5

PQ: The PQ is above average, without being anything spectacular. Just like the cinematography, the audio track is quite stialised and it contains enough punch in those scarey bits to make you feel it. Dialogue is also prioritised nicely. Score: 4/5

Watched this today and must say I thought the PQ rated between this score and at times up to 4.3! All of the outdoor shots were crystal clear and I would only give less marks for the "inside the killers head" sections, which although visually stunning, were not all that clear (I have a feeling that this was intentional).
I agree with the AQ of 4/5. Had some very nice ambience in the rears and at times, great punch. An interesting Howard Shore score too
Note: Peter Sarsgaard pops up for about 1 minute as the current victim's fiance

Edited by 709er, 16 June 2010 - 04:15 PM.

[cooksta]

The Wolfman

Video 4.75/5 Being based on Werewolves there is a lot of night time action. Very good picture quality with good blacks and fine detail in abundance.

Audio 4.74/5 DTS HD MA 5.1; The soundtrack has all the ingredients to show off your system, some nice LFE; excellent use of the surounds to create an immersive soundstage and also some of those moments where it scares the cr*p out of you. I have read reviews where comments are made on dialogue being hard to hear but no complaints from me.

Movie Certainly worth a rent, I wouldnt buy it but enjoyed it none the less. Lots of graphic violence so not for younger viewers.

[709er]

BIG - US release - Region A LOCKED - 1.85:1 DTS HD MA 5:1

Lots of fun if not a stellar transfer. Story of a 13 year old boy wishing to a carnival machine that he was big. Say no more! Early Tom Hanks and a great concept/storyline make for good viewing.
The PQ was never crystal, but was very stable, colorful and without blemishes.
The AQ was quite unremarkable and never lifted to anything above average, but it didn't need to.

FILM: 4/5
PQ:   3.2/5
AQ: 3/5

Still worth a  purchase if you don't already have the DVD ($12 from amazon.com from memory),

[dannycj]

Percy Jackson and the lightning thief

Movie: was not expecting much and was somehow still left disappointed. Plot was weak, acting questionable and the finale was laughable.

PQ: With nice detail, colors are bold and vibrant. Blacks are inky but I felt lacked depth. Skin tones are excellent.
Overall a solid transfer but below par when compared to some other new releases.

AQ: Before raising the volume I suggest warning the neighbors, the LFE on this track is absurd. It is bone rattling and relentless, to say I was surprised is an understatement. Dynamics are good, high frequencies were ok but just didn't seem balanced with the LFE.

Movie: 2/5
PQ: 3.8/5
AQ: 4.5/5

[GrantleyBuffalo]

Just finished watching Evangelion 1.11, and I'm happy to report that I loved every minute of it!

I'm a bit biased, though ... I'm not a huge anime freak, but I watched the original Neon Genesis: Evangelion series on SBS way back when, and it's always stuck with me. This new version is fantastic, IMO, and being on Blu-ray provides stunning visuals (a seamless blend of traditional cell animation and CGI 'enhancements') and top-notch audio - even though I'm only running a 5.1 DTS-core setup.

If you're new to Evangelion, this is the perfect intro point. If you're already a fan and haven't seen this yet ... why the heck not???  

PQ: 5/5
AQ: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

[Dork(original)]

GrantleyBuffalo, on Jul 3 2010, 12:35 PM, said:

Just finished watching Evangelion 1.11, and I'm happy to report that I loved every minute of it!

I'm a bit biased, though ... I'm not a huge anime freak, but I watched the original Neon Genesis: Evangelion series on SBS way back when, and it's always stuck with me. This new version is fantastic, IMO, and being on Blu-ray provides stunning visuals (a seamless blend of traditional cell animation and CGI 'enhancements') and top-notch audio - even though I'm only running a 5.1 DTS-core setup.

If you're new to Evangelion, this is the perfect intro point. If you're already a fan and haven't seen this yet ... why the heck not???

PQ: 5/5
AQ: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

Grantleybuffalo,
what a great band.
Is that where you got your name?
If not check them out.
Paul

[petetherock]

Legion:

PQ: 4/5
SQ: 5/5
Plot: 2/5

Quote

The plot may be wafer thin, but forget that and concentrate on the audio.


The action comes in spades, and the sound engineers in this movie were definitely paid more than the script writers. The surround effects, the LFE are awesome and you will be caught with your jaw agape, and will want to watch those action sequences over and over again.


Action: 5/5


This disc comes with a  DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio soundtrack which is perfect, yes, you heard me, perfect...


Chick factor: there is some eye candy, but the action is what you came for and it delivers despite a short run time of just over an hour and a half. 3/5


So will you forgive the plot and buy this for the action? I would suggest action aficionados get this to keep or at least rent it to experience one of the best surround and demo worthy discs of 2010

http://peteswrite.bl...vie-review.html

Edited by petetherock, 12 July 2010 - 01:54 AM.

[petetherock]

Ip Man 2 - Movie review‏

The trouble with sequels are that they need to live up to the original movie at least, otherwise it is seen as an effort to capitalise on the success of the first movie and milk some money.

Unfortunately Hong Kong knows when it sees a money train and glady hops on for the sequel and many more adaptions of it. See the proliferation of vampire movies in the 80s and now we see at least 3 Ip Man movies.

So now we have seen Ip Man defeat the Japs and move onto Hong Kong where the challenge comes from corrupt "Guai Lo" cops and the obligatory White Man beefcake who belittles Kungfu challenges Ip Man.

Well no one is too unhappy with the simple, tried and test plot, but no one is going to give anyone in this show a Golden Horse either.

Lets hope Donnie Yen sticks to his word and stops here.... I cannot imagine who else Ip Man will challenge to milk more from this franchise..

Plot: 2.5/5

Now what we really want are fight scenes and I must say, its still a little disappointing. Now we have the big match up between Samo Hung and Donnie Yen, but there is far too much wire work, and Samo is a littel past his best, so we don't see the athleticism we saw in his 80s movies with Jackie Chan.

Back then you would gasp at how a fatty like him could move so agilely and fast.

The supporting actors like Shawn Yue don't know Kung Fu and the boxing match with the great 'Twister' is a lot of pushing and shoving, and since kicking was kept to a minimum, we don't see Donnie Yen in full flight either.

So that leaves us with a less than full on experience, unlike Donnie's recent offerings.

However the audio is well done, and you feel the punches and it keeps your subwoofer happy although sometimes you feel the LFE is turned up only at the point of punches and does not lend itself to the ambience.

Action: 3.5/5


PQ: 3.5/5

Edited by petetherock, 12 July 2010 - 05:11 PM.