So
the review is up, and I must respectfully disagree with our man, Kenneth Brown:
Quote:
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That said, Enter the Dragon has quite simply never looked better; I seriously doubt it could look much better than it does here. It not only outclasses, out-paces and out-maneuvers its 2007 counterpart (which, by comparison, is backed by an aged master and a less-than-exacting encode), it features a far more natural, film-like image, largely free of the anomalies that afflict its 2007 predecessor. Anomalies are all but MIA -- there aren't any major bouts of artifacting, banding or aliasing to contend with -- and both color accuracy and contrast consistency are exceedingly faithful to the filmmakers' intentions. Detail is more satisfying too, edge definition is more precise, grain is much more refined, and artificial sharpening and noise reduction either haven't been implemented or have been employed so judiciously as to not hinder the presentation in any way. Again, some viewers will confuse the film's widespread softness and more troubled shots as signs of a botched transfer, but such subjective complaints should be dismissed. Objectively, this is now the definitive presentation of Enter the Dragon, and I can't imagine a respectful remastering ever being more rewarding than this. Of course, I said the same thing years ago about the 2007 release. Only time will truly tell if the 2013 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray remains the definitive be-all, end-all release of the film, or if future fans are in store for an unforeseen 45th or 50th Anniversary miracle.
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Yeah, gone is the nasty aliasing with its jaggies from the previous release, but any other department was better on the old one.
Detail "more satisfying", edge definition "more precise"? I have yet to watch this in motion, of course, but looking at the screencaps I would say we are not seeing the same discs.
Just take a look at that shot of Lee standing on te cemetery and compare the
old release with the
new one.
Not only contrast is boosted (oh, that bane of SO many BD's transfers!) with highlights clearly overblown, but the new transfer looks like something taken from some Tarantino & Rodriguez grindhouse homage, as if projected on some sticky and noisy projector with a dim and dirty bulb. The new transfer is the definition of "smeary", with the distinct blurry look that you would get from a poor print of a telecine transfer. Could that be it? Are we looking at a telecine job –and not a very good one at that– instead of a proper digital scan?
I wouldn't be so fast as to consider this as "subjective complaints" to be dismissed, and it certainly doesn't look like the natural softness to be expected on a faithful transfer of this film.
And looking at how most of the grain has been turned into chroma noise, I wouldn't call the DNR applied here "judicious", either.
"Objectively" the "definitive presentation of Enter the Dragon"? Not by a long shot.