A Chinese Odyssey Series (2 Discs Blu-ray)

[pro-bassoonist]

YesAsia Link:
http://www.yesasia.com/us/stephen-ch...0-en/info.html

Set to be released on September 11.

1920 x 1080p FULL HD
WIDESCREEN 1.85:1
Cantonese dts-HD Master Audio 6.1、
Cantonese Dolby Digital TrueHD 6.1、
Mandarin Dolby Digital Ex 5.1
Subtitles : Traditional, Simplified Chinese, English, Japanese & Korean

The Austin Chronicle:

Wildly ambitious and structurally frustrating, yet quite funny and entertaining, Jeff Lau's first film since the disappointing Chow Yun Fat vehicle Treasure Hunt is also his best since his absurd 1993 masterpiece Eagle Shooting Heroes. And while this two-part epic (Pandora's Box, the first installment, plays this weekend; the second film, Cinderella, comes in two weeks) never quite achieves the relentlessly inventive comic momentum of Eagle Shooting Heroes, A Chinese Odyssey: Pandora's Box does manage to surpass it in terms of sheer imagination and fantasy. Based on the legend of the Monkey King, the film offers an unusual mixture of Chinese mythology, "Wu Xia Pian" fantasy, crude comedy, romance, melodrama, sci-fi, and, well - probably whatever else Lau could think of. Tc. A mischievous god who was destroyed some 500 years ago for his rebellious ways, the Monkey King holds the key to locating the powerful (and painfully long-winded) Longevity Monk, another mythological being whose very flesh is desired by the many gods and devils attempting to track him down. The first installment unfolds gradually as various supernatural beings descend on Joker's camp, all attempting to accomplish two things: figure out if he is really the Monkey King, and find and eat the much-sought-after Longevity Monk. Director Lau keeps the pace moving at breakneck speed, filling the screen with enough comedy, romance, action, monsters, and special effects for two movies, while Chow and his trusty sidekick Ng Man Tat give deliriously comic performances appropriate to the picture's crazed goings-on. Outrageous highlights include a giant spider monster that pulls the Joker's tooth, an incredible Fantastic Voyage-styled battle inside an opponent's body "Don't step on my intestines!" cries the King Bull), hilariously repeated time-travel attempts, and the most brutal penis abuse ever played for laughs. This is one of the wildest fantasies that the Hong Kong cinema has produced recently, and also marks a solid comeback for director Lau, as well as yet another hit for superstar Chow. One complaint, though, is the abrupt, cliffhanger finale that ends, not unlike Back to the Future: Part II, right in the middle of the story, leaving viewers in suspense until the sequel arrives.

More outrageous fantasy and comedy from stylish director Jeff Lau and superstar goofball Stephen Chow, this second installment satisfyingly concludes the epic story line begun in the original, in addition to providing many thrills and laughs along the way. Picking up where Pandora's Box left off, Cinderella gets off to a rip-roaring start as Chow is accidentally sent 500 years backward in time to witness the original destruction of the Monkey King, the mythical god to whom he may or may not have a supernatural connection. After yet another temporal screw-up, Chaiu lands himself right into the hands of the villainous King Bull and his lackeys, a clan of rebellious monsters who are searching for the fabled Longevity Monk. As if all this wasn't confusing enough, Chow winds up falling in love with a young goddess, Zixia, despite the fact that he is already married, and thus finds himself torn between two loves, two worlds, and two personalities. Lau's direction seamlessly blends a wild variety of genres with ease and confidence, signaling a growth in his abilities since the scattershot Chow Yun-Fat vehicle Treasure Hunt. Chow, as usual, is a delight, particularly when he takes on the mischievous persona of the Monkey King. Fun special effects and action sequences also abound, with the finale -- the Monkey King's final battle with the King Bull atop a flying chunk of land headed directly towards the sun -- being especially spectacular. If you missed the original film - forget it, you'll never understand what's happening in this picture, but if you saw and enjoyed the first part, you'll no doubt have a great time with this terrific follow-up.

Pro-B

[kpkelley]

DDDhouse.com link

Curious to see how Chow's interpretation influenced Jet Li's Monkey King in Forbidden Kingdom.

[kono]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

DDDhouse.com link

Curious to see how Chow's interpretation influenced Jet Li's Monkey King in Forbidden Kingdom.

Very different... Chow's version is a classic tale of romance, a very beautiful film with wonderful score, it is actually one of my all time favourite movie from him.

While Jet Li's version, blah.. I bought it just because Li Yifei and BingBing girl, oh yeah, and the AQ.

[lch]

i love this movie, it's the most touching show chow has perform.
i have the dvd set but the video and sound has some sync problem.
i wonder if they fix it in the bd version and is there any other extra (dvd set just have a short chow's interview).

[pro-bassoonist]

YesAsia link:

http://www.yesasia.com/us/stephen-ch...0-en/info.html

Pro-B

[dai]

Any reviews of this set yet?

[freddiecarr]

I received it today. This is one of my favourite movies and i'm fairly happy with the PQ.

Obviously don't expect too much since it is an old film and old cantonese movies usually had bad pq originally.

But I'm happy with what i have seen so far.

[freddiecarr]

Oh one thing i forgot to mention that was quite annoying.

in part 2, the aspect ratio keeps changing, one minute the picture fills the screen completely (16:9) it you jump to the next scene there might be a small black bar about an inch thick, jump to the next scene the black bar might only be 1/2 centremeter wide.

I havent seen the whole movie yet but this seemed to occur throughout the movie.

Just had another look, yep its definately annoying, probably better to watch it in 16:9 rather than just scan.

[rover2002]

Eny watermark?
Thanks

[dabouck5]

sweet. just ordered my copy off yesasia. got it for 36.99 after i used a coupon that i found online.

[AnimeOnBlu]

Originally Posted by rover2002

Eny watermark?
Thanks

It is released my Mega Star, not Mei Ah. It should not have a watermark.

[kpkelley]

Just got this today will post sometime next week with my impressions, watching Iron Man and The Godfather Collection first.

This is released on 2 BD-25 discs. Case is kinda cool looking but I would have preferred a plastic case or two instead.

[dabouck5]

did you order yours from yesasia? if so how long did it take?

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by dabouck5

did you order yours from yesasia? if so how long did it take?

I ordered from DDDHouse and shipping took one week shipped on 09/11 received 09/18.

[almo89]

I watched a bit of it yesterday. This is definitely an upgrade from the DVD set I got a while back. Not close to reference quality, but as far as an old HK film goes, I think this will be as good as it looks. For part one, the beginning scene looks kinda soft, but it looks much better after.

[Morphine]

I got mine from DDDhouse today, very fast service, recommended

[kpkelley]

I watched this yesterday(Patriots bye week) and enjoyed the films very much. They are certainly very comic in their styling. The pq is not disappointing, but the nature of these films limits the visuals a bit. There is a lot of fog and the production value is certainly low. That being said I am certain they have never looked this good before.

[lch]

the price at yesasia has drop, it's now 36.89.
few days ago, it's 40+

[Dark Lord]

Is it Region B friendly?

[Clueless_Monkey]

Originally Posted by Dark Lord

Is it Region B friendly?

Yes, the discs are region free.