Mei Ah are set to release John Woo's latest Chi bi a.k.a The Red Cliff (2008) on September 10th. English-friendly, Region ABC.
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* Video: High Definition Widescreen, Presentation (2.35:1)1920 x 1080p
* Audio:
．LPCM 7.1
．DTS HK-MA 7.1
．Dolby Digital TrueHD 7.1
* Special Features:
- Trailer
- Photo Gallery
- Cast & Crew Interview: Tong Leung, Kaneshiro Takeshi, Chang Feng Yi, Chang Chen, Xhao Wei, Hu Jun, Lin Chi Ling
- Beijing Gala Premiere
- Hong Kong Gala Premiere
- Hong Kong Press Conference
Red Cliff marks John Woo's return to his Asian filmmaking roots following his stint in Hollywood, and with a budget of US$80 million, many have touted this as a blockbuster epic that Asians would be proud of, especially one coming from Woo. A dream project of his, Red Cliff undoubtedly garnered plenty of buzz since Day One, and its casting has been nothing short of a musical chairs game, with actors revolving in and out of the door, especially when Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai had announced their departure from the project, only for the latter to return to fill in Chow's shoes, and Takeshi Kaneshiro to take over the void left by Leung.
Given the result of the movie, I'd dare say that whatever Chow's reasons were to leave the project, he probably would be kicking his own rear now. Red Cliff is nothing short of spectacular and worthy to be ranked up there as far as epic war movies based on a historical context are concerned. Adapting not from the much beloved novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but from more grounded historical accounts, this marks a very ambitious adaptation as it is based on a tumultuous time in China's feuding warlords history, set just about and after the downfall of the Han dynasty, where warlords vie for power and China being split into three large kingdoms led by Cao Cao (played by Zhang Fengyi), Sun Quan (Chang Chen) and Liu Bei (Yong You). Since it would be near impossible to condense the richness of the entire period into a series of films, Red Cliff focuses on one of the turning points and popular milestones, which provides ample opportunity for action sequences, and for wily battle strategies and plans to get formulated and executed.
John Woo's admiration for General Zhao Yun's qualities cannot be more obvious when it is he who opens the first battle proper, with a very familiar character episode involving the rescue of the infant son (and future lord) of his master Liu Bei, thereby sealing his reputation of valor, earning admiration even from enemy Cao Cao. Fans of Liu Bei's camp will undoubtedly cheer at the appearances of his sworn brothers General Guan Yu (who is worshipped as a deity until this very day, and remains one of my favourite characters besides Zhao Yun) and General Zhang Fei, whose gruffness translates to instant war-ready prowess. While Liu's army is clearly routed in a military loss, it explained the dilemma of Liu's leadership. One which is based on sincerity, a quality which persuaded his chief military strategist and genius all round Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) to join his cause, but one which lacked military strength in numbers, despite having some of the best generals of the time under his leadership.
Which of course Cao Cao admires and probably is envious about, given his superior strength in numbers came from surrendering armies, whose loyalty remains questionable, and of course with individual generals who can't surpass the abilities of those from Liu. Playing the king like a puppet and having him issue a decree for permission to pursue Liu Bei who has fled southwards, he sets his sights also on warlord Sun Quan, for a more personal reason akin to the story of Helen of Troy. Zhuge Liang, knowing their current weakness, seeks an alliance between the armies of Liu and Sun Quan, and this forms most of the first half, where he had to play envoy to cajole and persuade, especially in convincing Sun Quan's most trusted advisor Zhou Yu (Tony Leung) that war is inevitable and they should form a win-win partnership.
And here's where great minds think alike, and watching both Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang do a friendly pit against each other is nothing short of amazing, where so little says so much. It helps of course that both Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro have been paired up as leading men on screen before, in Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express and in Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's Confession of Pain too, lending some much established and credible chemistry as men who share admiration in each other's ability, especially when Zhou Yu seemed to have a fairer balance between fighting skill and intellect. With one side having highly disciplined soldiers with good morale, and the other having renowned generals to be leaders, it doesn't take a genius to realize the advantages gained in fending off a common enemy together.
The fight sequences were pure spectacle, with old school wire work combined with technological wizardry to showcase some large scale battle sequences at a macro level, or to highlight the immense naval numbers that Cao Cao brings to battle. Formations and strategies take centerstage in a first major confrontation on land, where one gets to see John Woo's interpretation of Zhuge Liang's "ba-gua" (8 stratagems) strategy, made more entertaining through the continuation of what we have already seen in each general's fighting ability, each given a unique style befitting the characters in folklore, such as Guan Yu and his Guan Dao (Green Dragon Crescent Blade) and Zhao Yun (Hu Jun) and his spear. There's the usual bellowing cape and slow motion in Woo's signature style, but these were kept to a minimum, as are the pigeons (though they do make an appearance, but serving some purpose).
Perhaps it is the success of the fight sequences that had left some lamenting for more, but bear in mind this is just but the first half of the movie, setting things up. The major war sequences of course are left in the second movie which we will get to see come early next year. Like The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, expect the next movie to go on an all out assault. I felt that already is a fair balance of drama and action here, especially when this installment has to cover a broad base given numerous characters, which should provide fans (of Three Kingdoms) something to cheer about. Chang Chen provides his Sun Quan with enough self-doubt, and in a small story arc has to seek his inner confidence ala King Leonidas in 300, while model Lin Chiling's much touted debut movie appearance, was limited to just a few scenes of lovey-dovey moments, which unfortunately for audiences in Singapore, her sex scene with Tony Leung got edited out in order for distributors to get a PG rating to put more bums on seats.
I had wondered how Tony Leung would have faired as Zhuge Liang instead of Kaneshiro, but felt that the musical chairs casting somehow became a blessing in disguise. Kaneshiro's good looks might have made some doubt his ability to play the smartest man alive during the era, but he did an excellent job in bringing out the humility and self-deprecation of the man whose never flashy nor overconfident of his abilities, and one who swears his talents to his lord Liu Bei. Tony Leung on the other hand brought about a fine balance of brains and brawn to the Zhou Yu character, whom I suspect in Woo's version, would be credited with much success for his part in Red Cliff, rather than the accolades all going to Zhuge Liang. After you see the reliable Tony Leung in this role, you'll know for sure that Chow Yun-Fatt could probably never had brought the kind of gravitas Leung brought to the role.
Forget about the pretender of a Three Kingdoms movie in Ressurection of the Dragon. John Woo's Red Cliff is the real deal, even though this is just the first installment of a two parter meant for an Asian release, while those in the Western World would have to settle for a shortened, combined movie, one which I suspect Vicky Zhao's role as Princess Sun ShangXiang would probably be reduced, along with various instances where scenes were allowed to indulge to showcase some CGI used in an unprecedented manner for an Asian movie. To address the confusion of different run time from different publications, I did a clocking of the movie, and it runs a total of 2 hours and 24 minutes credit to credit (but that's the Singapore edited version).
Red Cliff is hands down highly recommended, not only for those familiar with the story (and who're likely to find fault with some minor tweaks to supporting characters in involvement and names), but makes a great entry point to the rich stories of brotherhood, valor, bravery which sits snugly in any John Woo movie, and I guess to reintroduce a whole new generation to the era of the warring states, especially to our friends in the West. John Woo had given plenty of respect to the source material, and his meticulous treatment had shone through some of the slower scenes, such as taking time to highlight the peacetime roles of the various generals of the Liu Bei camp. This movie, even though its half of a movie, goes into my books as a contender for movie of the year, and I can't wait to continue where it left off!
Wow, very excited about this. I grew up playing the Dynasty Warrior games and have read Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
I just checked out the presale price at Yesasia and it is $43.99!!! That is pretty high and I have never seen any HK Blu-rays. pro-bassoonist, do you think the quality is going to warrant a $43.99 price tag? I will be pretty disappointed if I drop that and the Blu-ray is only slightly better than SD-DVD.
Wow, very excited about this. I grew up playing the Dynasty Warrior games and have read Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
I just checked out the presale price at Yesasia and it is $43.99!!! That is pretty high and I have never seen any HK Blu-rays. pro-bassoonist, do you think the quality is going to warrant a $43.99 price tag? I will be pretty disappointed if I drop that and the Blu-ray is only slightly better than SD-DVD.
Thanks so much that is better. I hope the quality is good! I have seen a couple of Japanese Blu-ray imports but nothing from HK so far. I love Japanese and Korean DVDs, but HK DVDs always seemed to be of lesser quality.
Last edited by Vendetta-akk; 09-04-2008 at 02:47 PM.
Can't wait for the Mei Ah watermark on this one...
Have they really done that on Blu-rays. If that has been the case please let me know, I will cancel my order. To pay $30 for a Blu-ray with a burned in watermark, I will be pissed off. I want to see this film very badly, but if I wanted to watch it under poor conditions, I would have just downloaded it.
Last edited by Vendetta-akk; 09-04-2008 at 07:14 PM.
There is an electronic watermark on their titles. It appears a few times, maybe for a couple of seconds or so in on of the corners of the image. I expect this on crappy Zoke's Mainland discs, but not a proper HK hidef release.
My shipped already as well!!! I am alittle bummed out about the watermark and don't know what to expect with HK Blu-ray import quality, but I am still excited to see this. I guess if the quality sucks, I can always Ebay it and buy it again when a better quality release comes out.
Wow, I'm surprised it's already out in DVD/Blu-ray. I was at Singapore back in July when they just released in theatre. I wanted to watch it but didn't have time. I'm glad I can watch it now after waiting for only 2.5 months
I recommend the movie...great entertaining movie! The second part of the movie is scheduled to release NEXT YEAR. Keep in mind that this is only part 1 of the movie.
Can't wait for the Mei Ah watermark on this one...
Yes, there is a waterwark on the top left of the screen in the black bar area. Also for scope aspect viewers the subtitles are at the bottom of the screen in the black bar area as well.
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Originally Posted by Jumong
I recommend the movie...great entertaining movie! The second part of the movie is scheduled to release NEXT YEAR. Keep in mind that this is only part 1 of the movie.
Terrific set-up for what is going to be a great second film. Tony Leung is excellent throughout and the film does a great job of highlighting important figures while showcasing some of the amazing military tactics. The transfer is very good, but not the best of these Hong Kong films.
Just finish with this movie...Here is a quick review on PQ and AQ..
PQ: (5/5) This is a reference disc. It is very clean with extraordinary details. I would say, it is way too details. I believe this may even top PotC3 in PQ. The color was very accurate and vibrant. The only catch with this release is, yes, the "Mei Ah" logo does pop-up every now and then on the upper left corner. It is in gray color. Quite irritating at time.
AQ: This is a tough one. First off, I only have 5.1 speakers. Here is the breakdown between the three different codec.
PCM7.1 = Dialogue is very clear
DTS HD-Master 7.1 = Loud, super heavy bass, your sub will get plenty of workout
Dolby TrueHD 7.1 = Gorgeous surround sound.
Yes, this disc does present three different output with three different codec that are quite different from each other. It is really up to each individual to decide which work best for them. I personally prefer Dolby TrueHD, as I felt that the sound is the most balance and natural among the three. However it is not perfect. Some of the body hit sound weak compare to DTS-Master. The plus with TrueHD is that the surround is much more livelier than the other two mixes. Which make one feel like as if he/she is in the center of the action.
Overall, I would give AQ a (4.5/5) Cause non of the three mixes feel complete to me. Each mixes is missing something. However, it is still an overall excellent sound quality. Do be warn that my setup is 5.1.
Hope this brief review is useful to those interest in picking up the Blu-Ray version. It worth every penny to me. Except for the annoying "Mei-Ah" logo. Other than that, highly recommended!
Just finish with this movie...Here is a quick review on PQ and AQ..
PQ: (5/5) This is a reference disc. It is very clean with extraordinary details. I would say, it is way too details. I believe this may even top PotC3 in PQ. The color was very accurate and vibrant. The only catch with this release is, yes, the "Mei Ah" logo does pop-up every now and then on the upper left corner. It is in gray color. Quite irritating at time.
AQ: This is a tough one. First off, I only have 5.1 speakers. Here is the breakdown between the three different codec.
PCM7.1 = Dialogue is very clear
DTS HD-Master 7.1 = Loud, super heavy bass, your sub will get plenty of workout
Dolby TrueHD 7.1 = Gorgeous surround sound.
Yes, this disc does present three different output with three different codec that are quite different from each other. It is really up to each individual to decide which work best for them. I personally prefer Dolby TrueHD, as I felt that the sound is the most balance and natural among the three. However it is not perfect. Some of the body hit sound weak compare to DTS-Master. The plus with TrueHD is that the surround is much more livelier than the other two mixes. Which make one feel like as if he/she is in the center of the action.
Overall, I would give AQ a (4.5/5) Cause non of the three mixes feel complete to me. Each mixes is missing something. However, it is still an overall excellent sound quality. Do be warn that my setup is 5.1.
Hope this brief review is useful to those interest in picking up the Blu-Ray version. It worth every penny to me. Except for the annoying "Mei-Ah" logo. Other than that, highly recommended!
Thanks Kono and others for your words of wisdom. Will be receiving my copy anytime.
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Originally Posted by franky8138
Thanks for your short review
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Originally Posted by Vendetta-akk
Yes thanks for the review!!! I am more excited about receiving this now that I know the PQ & AQ are solid.
You're welcome Thanks mod for creating this thread for Asia blu-ray release. =) I'm just happy to be able to contribute.
I'll try to get some other Asia blu-ray review here soon... Here are the two rare review titles to look forward to ~
An Empress and the Warrior
Resurrection of the Dragon
All countries
Argentina
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Chile
China
Colombia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Denmark
Finland
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
India
Latvia
Lithuania
Malaysia
New Zealand
Norway
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Red Cliff (John Woo)
Linear Mode
