Jackie Chan's "Chinese Zodiac CZ12" WARNING: English dub only!

[manicsounds]

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Chine...Blu-ray/94672/

According to the DVDTalk review, the Universal US disc comes only with an English dts-HD MA 5.1 audio track. Not the original Chinese track. Probably the same for the upcoming Universal UK disc as well.

[Lt. Brannigan]

It wasn't filmed in english? I thought that Jackie was aiming for an international audience with this and just went with english.

[disneywildcat]

Apparently, if you want the original version, the Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray are both out of print at DDDHouse and YesAsia. Its seems only out of the original Hong Kong versions, only the VCD is still available.

http://www.yesasia.com/us/cz12-2012-...0-en/info.html

Oh well, it doesn't seem to be worth a import anyway. Still trying to decide whether to import the Hong Kong cut of The Grandmaster.

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by Lt. Brannigan

It wasn't filmed in english? I thought that Jackie was aiming for an international audience with this and just went with english.

No, this was shot with multii-language sync sound including US English, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, and Thai.

[KINGDANGER]

While a good portion of the film is in English, there are a ton of bits that play off of language barriers that seem like they'd lose value from an all English dub. Also, it looks like 13 minutes has been cut from this version. Luckily, I got my copy from DDDHouse long ago.

[Lionclaw]

Yeah, I bought this thinking it was a universal disc by the menu set up, but after looking through the symbols and couldn't find the language option I just accepted it. The middle of the film with that annoying french girl and pirates was almost unbearable. I've had better blind buys. 6/10.

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

No, this was shot with multii-language sync sound including US English, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, and Thai.

What's US English?

[tylergfoster]

Originally Posted by Markgway

What's US English?

I don't know how it would matter in terms of audio vs. subtitles, but I suppose it's to differentiate from British English?

[tenebre6]

wow... why would they release a movie nowadays without original language at all. its not like it was so old they only have a dubbed print or something... and since its been out a year already anyway.. its just a bad move

[toddly6666]

Warning: The movie is awful in Chinese too. The whole middle of the film is absolute conplete filler. The beginning and clinax have some exciting sequences but that's all they had when they wrote the film. The middle filler was just added to extend the film to feature length.

[Lt. Brannigan]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

No, this was shot with multii-language sync sound including US English, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, and Thai.

Thanks for filling me in. But I did some digging after I opened my big fat mouth and discovered that my confusion arose from a half remembered trailer I saw about two years ago.

I'm glad that I didn't pick this up now. Why are we still dubbing movies, I thought we had moved past this unnecessary alteration of movies.

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

I don't know how it would matter in terms of audio vs. subtitles, but I suppose it's to differentiate from British English?

I say US English because the film uses both US and UK English, Oliver Platt and Jackie Chan speak US English while a majority of the remaining cast speak British English.

Similar to Mad Max having both Australian Engiish and US English language tracks.

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

I say US English because the film uses both US and UK English, Oliver Platt and Jackie Chan speak US English while a majority of the remaining cast speak British English.

There's only one language: English.

It can be spoken with American or British colloquialisms, local dialects, but it's still the same primary language.

I can't imagine Jackie Chan ever speaking 'US English' more likely 'Chinglish'!

Similar to Mad Max having both Australian Engiish and US English language tracks.

Both those tracks are English. One has the original Australian accents, the other American accents. Same language though.

[100pr00f]

most of it is recorded in English. Im assuming when another language jumps in subs will jump up on screen like most films that have several languages

I haven't seen it so i don t know until today when it arrives at my steps

[dr. wai]

The dubbing reminded me of the dubbing used for the Spagetti Westerns. Usually this would have bothered me, but it didn't.

[OrlandoEastwood]

I rented the Japanese R2 DVD from a Japanese specialty shop in Columbus about a month ago. The Chinese audio had large portions of the film in English. The film was average. Even for a film that was directed by Jackie Chan himself.

[Iron-Fisted Punk]

WELL?!? REVIEWS? OPINIONS?!?

One slim review on dvdtalk doesn't cut it. Where are the other reviews? I want to know more about this version. What scenes were cut? Do the cuts actually improve the movie, since from what I hear the original cut has a long, groan-inducing middle? Also, this English dub, do all the original actors dub their own voices? How much of this shortened version actually has dubbed dialogue? Is the dubbing really awful? Is the music different?

Also, anyone else find it ironic that a movie with such a pro-china, anti-western message/slant (again, just from what I've read) is given to us in an English only dub???

[steve_dave]

Its a good film but you can tell it Chan is getting too old for these actioneers. A lot of wire work and now obvious stunt men & CGI. The story is a bit long in the tooth but if you enjoy Chan's "Buster Keaton" action style, it'll entertain you. A lot of others may be bored by the extreme slapstick comedy and plot dragging.

I have the HK 3D disc and the English subtitles always appear even when English is spoken. Its a common practice for discs produced in Hong Kong.

[dr. wai]

Originally Posted by Iron-Fisted Punk

WELL?!? REVIEWS? OPINIONS?!?

One slim review on dvdtalk doesn't cut it. Where are the other reviews? I want to know more about this version. What scenes were cut? Do the cuts actually improve the movie, since from what I hear the original cut has a long, groan-inducing middle? Also, this English dub, do all the original actors dub their own voices? How much of this shortened version actually has dubbed dialogue? Is the dubbing really awful? Is the music different?

Also, anyone else find it ironic that a movie with such a pro-china, anti-western message/slant (again, just from what I've read) is given to us in an English only dub???

I believe that the cut footage comes from the middle portion of the movie. I have seen the film twice (once uncut, the other cut) and this version flows smoother. The dubbing is a mixed bag. It didn't bother me, as I stated before. Also, the dubbing isn't "rubber lipped". So it is not that noticeable.

[Iron-Fisted Punk]

Originally Posted by dr. wai

I believe that the cut footage comes from the middle portion of the movie. I have seen the film twice (once uncut, the other cut) and this version flows smoother. The dubbing is a mixed bag. It didn't bother me, as I stated before. Also, the dubbing isn't "rubber lipped". So it is not that noticeable.

I appreciate your words, dr. wai. If this cut actually improves the film, and the dubbing isn't that bad, I might actually get this. Though it's pretty stupid of Universal to not include the original language track, I can live with it. Sounds like the disc has a good BTS feature as well.