Johnnie To's Vengeance - HK

[Volume11]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

Could you list them?

This is my first HK Blu-ray Disc, but my impression is they're usually bested technically by US/UK counterparts, like Mad Detective.



So you've seen this film? Where would you rank it among To's work? What do you think is his greatest film so far?

Sorry to ask so many questions, but this and the UK release of Mad Detective will be my first Johnnie To films when the Blu-rays arrive, so I'm curious to get some perspective.

The quality of the discs vary depending on who is releasing them, like PTU on Blu (which is a top five To film IMO) has a watermark that pops up. Not a huge deal but it can be very distracting to some. But, a good portion of the deltamac releases have a rather obvious level of contrast boosting present (ala Mad Detective). That being said, the majority of these titles won't see the light of the day in the U.S. for some time and if they do they likely will be the same encode used in HK ala deltamac to dragon dynasty. In Mad Detective's case its solely (as Im sure you know) because it was a Eureka MOC release approved by To (who also requested a few scenes be cut that he didn't like that DO appear in the HK version). However, this will be the exception, not the rule. For the most part ordering HK titles is fine and you likely won't get a better version elsewhere (Red Cliff and Mad Detective notwithstanding).

As for what titles I would suggest I would start with Exiled. Its a sequel to another To film called the Mission and, IMO, is vastly superior and easily one of To's best offerings (I would at least suggest renting the Mission just to understand the character dynamics and relationships in this film as y ou will be lost otherwise and not understand the first fifteen minutes). Overall the PQ is solid and despite some hiccups EASILY bests the DVD release in every way. Next, I would go with Election 1 and 2. The PQ is so so with some slight EE and possibly contrast boosting ( I have nothing to compare it to but it appears artificially boosted), but all in all very solid and two of Tos better works (and looks to be the same encode the US Tartan DVD releases used. Could be wrong but to my recollection it appeared that way so you likely wont find a better version). If the watermark doesn't bother you I would next suggest PTU. The picture quality, all in all, is very good but the story is the winner here. Its a Kurosawa remake (loosely) set in modern HK where an officer loses his gun to thugs and relies on a Police Tactical Unit to help him hunt it down for him. Despite the set up seeming like a typical HK cop thriller its more of a pensie and oddly structuered art film. Svet reviewed it here and I think he game it 3 out of 5 (one of his few) but I would rank it higher. Like a lot of To films, it grows on you as you think about it and revisit it.

As for other random titles, I would look into Protege. Again, the PQ appears to have been contrast boosted but in general the picture does look very solid. It doesn't get a lot playtime on forums in terms of the quality of the story but its a winner. Its about a undercover agent trying to work his way up in a drug trade that reaches from HK to mainland China all while during his home life interacting with a female neighbor that is a junky and her child. It also had a twist ending I didn't see coming.

As side note, I think Sparrow is mediocre at best and doesnt even feel like To film and I would place Exiled way above Election 1 and 2, although I love both.

And, if you want to rent some good To films and you don't mind the mediocre quality I would highly suggest Throwdown. Its by and far my favorite To film and to me represents his best and most artistic effort.