Drug War (Johnnie To, Louis Koo)

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Drug-War-Blu-ray/77792/

http://www.theadmiralscorner.blogspo...e-to-2012.html

[EPlay]

I recommend this movie. Saw it theatrically a couple of months ago and will get the blu. (If this follows the price structure of Well-Go's "New World", I'm hoping we can get it during Best Buy's Upgrade and Save for $10.00.)

Engaging lead performances and a gritty crime thriller, which To does so well. (Although he also ventures into romcoms and lighter action pieces.)

[JMK]

Drug War Blu-ray Review

[exolstice]

I hated this movie, it felt like a propaganda film with about as much subtlety as a sledgehammer to the genitals. The final 20 minutes, while entertaining, are complete nonsense.

[LateReg]

Originally Posted by exolstice

I hated this movie, it felt like a propaganda film with about as much subtlety as a sledgehammer to the genitals. The final 20 minutes, while entertaining, are complete nonsense.

Propaganda for what?

[SimBelm]

One of the top films of the year for me. To fluidly orchestrates one exhilarating set piece after another with such precision and without resorting to unnecessary explanations of the elaborate plans made by the key characters (whilst still letting the audience understand them completely). David Bordwell wrote a great piece on the film particularly in regards to the way it only drops a specific piece of exposition once and never again, sometimes dangling a clue in front of you which you will only understand later in the film (if you're paying attention). By cutting off all the usual fatty exposition found in modern action films as well as rejecting the cliche tendency of police procedurals to focus on the cops' emotional relationships and back stories, To leaves you with 72 hours of pure intrigue and action condensed into less than 2, a cat and mouse play which is both suspenseful and engrossing.

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by SimBelm

One of the top films of the year for me. To fluidly orchestrates one exhilarating set piece after another with such precision and without resorting to unnecessary explanations of the elaborate plans made by the key characters (whilst still letting the audience understand them completely). David Bordwell wrote a great piece on the film particularly in regards to the way it only drops a specific piece of exposition once and never again, sometimes dangling a clue in front of you which you will only understand later in the film (if you're paying attention). By cutting off all the usual fatty exposition found in modern action films as well as rejecting the cliche tendency of police procedurals to focus on the cops' emotional relationships and back stories, To leaves you with 72 hours of pure intrigue and action condensed into less than 2, a cat and mouse play which is both suspenseful and engrossing.

The scene in the

[Show spoiler]harbor

made me .

[onetet]

For those who've seen a fair number of To's earlier films, which would you compare this to?

Considering a blind buy... I'm a big fan of the gritty, realistic, (almost Sopranos-y) tone of the Election movies; but much less so the more stylized films like Exiled.

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by onetet

For those who've seen a fair number of To's earlier films, which would you compare this to?

Considering a blind buy... I'm a big fan of the gritty, realistic, (almost Sopranos-y) tone of the Election movies; but much less so the more stylized films like Exiled.

Breaking News

[Todd_Gaines]

Originally Posted by onetet

For those who've seen a fair number of To's earlier films, which would you compare this to?

Considering a blind buy... I'm a big fan of the gritty, realistic, (almost Sopranos-y) tone of the Election movies; but much less so the more stylized films like Exiled.

This film has both. The gritty and the style. The gritty for the first 2 acts and the style in the final act. Running out of Time is the To film I would compare it to. Due to the heavy focus of cop vs criminal.

[Todd_Gaines]

Originally Posted by blu-ray_girl_fan

Breaking News

I thought Breaking News at first as well. But I think Richie Ren was a much bigger and badder badass than Louis Koo. Although I did enjoy Koo a lot in Drug War and I can see the connection based on Cop vs. Criminal, but in Breaking News it is more about a team vs. the cops and Running out of Time is more 1 vs 1 mind game similar to Drug War.

[onetet]

thanks for the feedback, I'll give it a shot--especially since it's at such a reasonably price for a new release.

I generally love To, but every once in a while he puts out a film (including the waaaaay-broad slapstick comedy Blind Detective, which I saw recently at TIFF) that veers wildly away from my taste.

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by onetet

thanks for the feedback, I'll give it a shot--especially since it's at such a reasonably price for a new release.

I generally love To, but every once in a while he puts out a film (including the waaaaay-broad slapstick comedy Blind Detective, which I saw recently at TIFF) that veers wildly away from my taste.

Well, he has to appeal to widely divergent local audiences. Hong Kongers love the "nonsense" movies (most notably characterized by Stephen Chow), but those are essentially incomprehensible outside of Hong Kong, even by other Chinese people.

[onetet]

Originally Posted by blu-ray_girl_fan

Well, he has to appeal to widely divergent local audiences. Hong Kongers love the "nonsense" movies (most notably characterized by Stephen Chow), but those are essentially incomprehensible outside of Hong Kong, even by other Chinese people.

Yeah, I got that sense from the very international crowd seeing it in Toronto, which was half rapturous and half befuddled/annoyed/dismayed in their reaction. Actually, I got a kick out of watching it--but it's definitely not a movie I would need to keep on my shelf.

[zachnix18]

I definitely enoyed this. While very fast paced and complex, the film is very rewarding. You watch an hour and a half of intense drama and get an epic final shootout for the ages. Def the best shootout all year.

[trip66]

I'm probably gonna blind buy this, I love every single Johnnie To film I've seen (the ones I seek out at least). He's like a cool cross between Micheal Mann, John Woo, and Jean-Pierre Melville. I think I read somewhere that To said his favorite film is Le Samourai. Now, if only we can get The Mission on blu....

[drbikeshorts]

My dilemma is which version to get?
The US disc gets a great review, but the Asian MegaStar disc comes with 7.1 audio.
I don't suppose anyone has an opinion on which version is best?

[tylergfoster]

This is the kind of movie I like to imagine will get sequels that follow the ripple effects of the first movie until the scope is HUGE.

[EPlay]

Originally Posted by trip66

Now, if only we can get The Mission on blu....

I would love that, too. Is there even a decent DVD release? The Tai Seng I own is very poor.

[synnerman]

Originally Posted by EPlay

I would love that, too. Is there even a decent DVD release? The Tai Seng I own is very poor.

None that I'm aware of. The current DVDs are not even anamorphic. At least, none that are English friendly (I recall hearing there was a decent French DVD, but no English subs). Unfortunately, most of the early MilkyWay Image films have awful DVDs (A Hero Never Dies, Too Many Ways to Be No. 1, The Longest Nite, The Odd One Dies). I still live in hope that maybe Criterion might one day pick them up and release them in a box set.