Enter the Dragon (1973) (40th Anniversary Edition) (Remastered)

[Cactus]

Blu-ray.com review is up: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Enter.../57334/#Review

[tylergfoster]

A couple of things I noticed comparing the caps I just loaded:

I think the slight oversaturation of reds is apparent (cap 2).
The blonde woman's sweater totally changes color in the new transfer (cap 4).
Another issue is contrast (caps 1 and 5) -- the new one looks a little dark.
I see detail being lost to that contrast / softness in some caps (5 - Bruce's sleeve, 6 - Bruce's abs).

[Roy Batty]

So the review is up, and I must respectfully disagree with our man, Kenneth Brown:

That said, Enter the Dragon has quite simply never looked better; I seriously doubt it could look much better than it does here. It not only outclasses, out-paces and out-maneuvers its 2007 counterpart (which, by comparison, is backed by an aged master and a less-than-exacting encode), it features a far more natural, film-like image, largely free of the anomalies that afflict its 2007 predecessor. Anomalies are all but MIA -- there aren't any major bouts of artifacting, banding or aliasing to contend with -- and both color accuracy and contrast consistency are exceedingly faithful to the filmmakers' intentions. Detail is more satisfying too, edge definition is more precise, grain is much more refined, and artificial sharpening and noise reduction either haven't been implemented or have been employed so judiciously as to not hinder the presentation in any way. Again, some viewers will confuse the film's widespread softness and more troubled shots as signs of a botched transfer, but such subjective complaints should be dismissed. Objectively, this is now the definitive presentation of Enter the Dragon, and I can't imagine a respectful remastering ever being more rewarding than this. Of course, I said the same thing years ago about the 2007 release. Only time will truly tell if the 2013 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray remains the definitive be-all, end-all release of the film, or if future fans are in store for an unforeseen 45th or 50th Anniversary miracle.

Yeah, gone is the nasty aliasing with its jaggies from the previous release, but any other department was better on the old one.

Detail "more satisfying", edge definition "more precise"? I have yet to watch this in motion, of course, but looking at the screencaps I would say we are not seeing the same discs.

Just take a look at that shot of Lee standing on te cemetery and compare the old release with the new one.

Not only contrast is boosted (oh, that bane of SO many BD's transfers!) with highlights clearly overblown, but the new transfer looks like something taken from some Tarantino & Rodriguez grindhouse homage, as if projected on some sticky and noisy projector with a dim and dirty bulb. The new transfer is the definition of "smeary", with the distinct blurry look that you would get from a poor print of a telecine transfer. Could that be it? Are we looking at a telecine job –and not a very good one at that– instead of a proper digital scan?

I wouldn't be so fast as to consider this as "subjective complaints" to be dismissed, and it certainly doesn't look like the natural softness to be expected on a faithful transfer of this film.

And looking at how most of the grain has been turned into chroma noise, I wouldn't call the DNR applied here "judicious", either.

"Objectively" the "definitive presentation of Enter the Dragon"? Not by a long shot.

[tylergfoster]

Originally Posted by Roy Batty

And looking at how most of the grain has been turned into chroma noise, I wouldn't call the DNR applied here "judicious", either.

Your other criticisms are up for debate, but I would be shocked if DNR was used on this. This is a very grainy transfer. Soft, yes. Smeary, no.

[Roy Batty]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

Your other criticisms are up for debate, but I would be shocked if DNR was used on this. This is a very grainy transfer. Soft, yes. Smeary, no.

Again, just from the screencaps, I don't see real grain but chroma noise.

[Lantz]

Originally Posted by Roy Batty

So the review is up, and I must respectfully disagree with our man, Kenneth Brown:


Yeah, gone is the nasty aliasing with its jaggies from the previous release, but any other department was better on the old one.

Detail "more satisfying", edge definition "more precise"? I have yet to watch this in motion, of course, but looking at the screencaps I would say we are not seeing the same discs.

Just take a look at that shot of Lee standing on te cemetery and compare the old release with the new one.

Not only contrast is boosted (oh, that bane of SO many BD's transfers!) with highlights clearly overblown, but the new transfer looks like something taken from some Tarantino & Rodriguez grindhouse homage, as if projected on some sticky and noisy projector with a dim and dirty bulb. The new transfer is the definition of "smeary", with the distinct blurry look that you would get from a poor print of a telecine transfer. Could that be it? Are we looking at a telecine job –and not a very good one at that– instead of a proper digital scan?

I wouldn't be so fast as to consider this as "subjective complaints" to be dismissed, and it certainly doesn't look like the natural softness to be expected on a faithful transfer of this film.

And looking at how most of the grain has been turned into chroma noise, I wouldn't call the DNR applied here "judicious", either.

"Objectively" the "definitive presentation of Enter the Dragon"? Not by a long shot.

Agreed. The review was just a bit too forgiving in the PQ department IMO. But then it is a matter of taste. If one prefers this film to have that vintage look (why not call it grindhouse) then I can sure appreciate the merits of the new transfer, particularly with regard to colour timing. But it is revisionist.

Can't wait to see a few other reviews. They should pop up soon.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Roy Batty

Again, just from the screencaps, I don't see real grain but chroma noise.

I shouldn't think that it'll be too much of an issue in motion, it'll just look like grain for the most part. And yes, there does appear to be a reduction in detail vs the old one, but (as I said previously) it's not the first new transfer I've seen from Warners that trades in a smidge of fine detail for a more colourful and far more filmic look. If people want to play 'toggle the cap' when they actually watch their movies that's up to them, but in motion I've little doubt that the new EtD will be gratefully received at casa de Geoff.

Besides, the jaggies from the old transfer are history. Huzzah!

[Tech-UK]

Technicalities aside, I am going to purchase the new release, but only when it gets a standard amaray release with a price tag to match.

[Vakulinchuk]

I don't understand... what's the meaning of such a release without the original chinese audio track?

[Roy Batty]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I shouldn't think that it'll be too much of an issue in motion, it'll just look like grain for the most part. And yes, there does appear to be a reduction in detail vs the old one, but (as I said previously) it's not the first new transfer I've seen from Warners that trades in a smidge of fine detail for a more colourful and far more filmic look. If people want to play 'toggle the cap' when they actually watch their movies that's up to them, but in motion I've little doubt that the new EtD will be gratefully received at casa de Geoff.

Besides, the jaggies from the old transfer are history. Huzzah!

Yeah, the jaggies were what stopped me from getting the old release, but I would rather not have to trade those for the contrast-boosted, over-saturated image on the new release, which looks to me quite less filmic, if you ask me.

Of course, I have no way to know for sure whithout a back-to-back comparison with a film print that had miraculously remained frozen in time with no color degradation, but the color palette on the previous release looks much more spot-on to me as the one I would expect on this movie. It maybe showed a little too cold, blue-ish push, but preferable to the orangey cast on the new release.

And I really find it very hard to believe that the difference in detail on these two screencaps

old transfer

new transfer

stems only from the artificial sharpness applied to the old one.

If the second shot, the one from the remaster, really were a faithful representation of the image on the film, you would never be able to make it look like the first one, no matter how much sharpening you applied to it (not without introducing way more artifacts that are not present there).

[Geoff D]

Well, we've got no frame of reference either way. Those colours did actually exist before the modern trend for blue and orange took hold. IMO the gaudy colour seems like a nice fit for the movie's cheesy comic book style. And I'll take that every day of the week and twice on sundays just to get rid of those damned jaggies. (Heck, if the new Blu-ray turned out to be as bad as the incorrect caps suggested, then I'd have had no problems ignoring both Blu-rays and going back to the DVD for future viewings.)

As it is, I'm very much looking forward to getting the new Blu-ray.

[Cactus]

Originally Posted by Vakulinchuk

I don't understand... what's the meaning of such a release without the original chinese audio track?

It's an english film?

[Blu2u]

Originally Posted by Vakulinchuk

I don't understand... what's the meaning of such a release without the original chinese audio track?

English is the intended audio track. A Chinese track in this case would be a dub.

[Lantz]

Originally Posted by Roy Batty

Yeah, the jaggies were what stopped me from getting the old release, but I would rather not have to trade those for the contrast-boosted, over-saturated image on the new release, which looks to me quite less filmic, if you ask me.

Of course, I have no way to know for sure whithout a back-to-back comparison with a film print that had miraculously remained frozen in time with no color degradation, but the color palette on the previous release looks much more spot-on to me as the one I would expect on this movie. It maybe showed a little too cold, blue-ish push, but preferable to the orangey cast on the new release.

And I really find it very hard to believe that the difference in detail on these two screencaps

old transfer

new transfer

stems only from the artificial sharpness applied to the old one.

If the second shot, the one from the remaster, really were a faithful representation of the image on the film, you would never be able to make it look like the first one, no matter how much sharpening you applied to it (not without introducing way more artifacts that are not present there).

In my eyes, the new transfer in those caps looks smudgy by comparison.

[Roy Batty]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

Your other criticisms are up for debate, but I would be shocked if DNR was used on this. This is a very grainy transfer. Soft, yes. Smeary, no.

Originally Posted by Roy Batty

Again, just from the screencaps, I don't see real grain but chroma noise.

Here:

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

That's not grain but chroma noise.

[Guydowood]

They have it, but not many.....

enter.jpg

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Roy Batty

And I really find it very hard to believe that the difference in detail on these two screencaps

old transfer

new transfer

stems only from the artificial sharpness applied to the old one.

If the second shot, the one from the remaster, really were a faithful representation of the image on the film, you would never be able to make it look like the first one, no matter how much sharpening you applied to it (not without introducing way more artifacts that are not present there).

Heh. The jaggies consume the horizontal detail something chronic and the vertical detail looks to be on par. I'm literally seeing nothing extra in the old one, right down to the detailing on the little yellow flags on the junk at the bottom of the frame. Soft? Yes. Smudgy? No.

[mrpink134]

So is it worth it? I might have to wait until the price drops

[Kryptonic]

$35 is very steep for a one-disc set with a bunch of junk thrown in. And it's missing the best extra on either set. Disappointing.

[Smoker25]

The German blu is coming out in 10 days and it's only €12.99. No special packaging, just a plain ol' keep case. It's the exact same disc as the one in the US.