Armour Of God - Mediumrare Entertainment - 7th September 2015

[Geoff D]

newgen, those caps are most welcome but d'you think you could spoiler them if you do that again? (Ditto for the quoters.) Makes the page a pig to load.

[IcePrick]

Originally Posted by newgen2005

2.0 is 5.1 Downmix

Is it the Fortune Star mix or the HKL mix? Are there any syncing issues like there were with Riki-Oh?

[WaverBoy]

Originally Posted by IcePrick

Is it the Fortune Star mix or the HKL mix? Are there any syncing issues like there were with Riki-Oh?

Did the HKL mix have rotten new sound effects like the Fortune Star atrocity, or did it have the original sound effects? If it had new sound effects, I would think it would be just as worthless.

[reason108]

Originally Posted by newgen2005

Came in the post today. Transfer looks quite soft (DNR?), but it isn't the upscaled print used on the HK/Japanese discs.

Disc is locked to region B.

2.0 is 5.1 downmix.

Special Features;

Jackie Chan Interview 4:25 (SD)
Willie Chan Interview 4:02 (SD)
UK Promotional Trailer 01:31 (SD)
Original Theatrical Trailer 4:05 (SD)

Disc Title: THE_ARMOUR_OF_GOD
Disc Size: 21,452,978,535 bytes
Protection: AACS
BD-Java: No
Playlist: 00000.MPLS
Size: 0 bytes
Length: 1:38:30.154
Total Bitrate: 0.00 Mbps
Video: MPEG-4 AVC Video / 0 kbps / 1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: Chinese / Dolby Digital Audio / 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
Audio: Chinese / Dolby Digital Audio / 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Audio: English / Dolby Digital Audio / 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
Audio: English / Dolby Digital Audio / 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Subtitle: English / 0.000 kbps

Thanks for the screenshots!

Here are a few screenshots off the Kam & Ronson blu-ray:
AOG 1.jpg

AOG 2.jpg

AOG 3.jpg



The screenshots you posted are a lot better than the FS blu-ray that K&R released. I am glad that I will be getting the Medium Rare blu-ray. Too bad about the audio but I would guess that it is the same as the K&R one. I wonder where Medium Rare got their print from? Either way, it is time to sell the K&R once this arrives!

[saltysam]

I'm no expert but I can't say I noticed any of these added sound effects surely they would stand out a mile?

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by saltysam

I'm no expert but I can't say I noticed any of these added sound effects surely they would stand out a mile?

They tend to sound very 'clear', for want of a better word, they sound much too modern compared to the dialogue and the music.

I remember listening to the 5.1 remix on Police Story 3 in the remastered IVL set and being horrified by the machine guns, the effect they used sounded more like a burst of static!

[Markgway]

I would hazard a guess that the 'Midnight Rider' massacre would be a good place to check for new gunfire.

[DEF!]

Watch it last night. I'm not really one for an ear for sound so can't really comment on the audio. I was quite pleased by the picture quality though.

It is soft at times but it didn't scream DNR to me. There is still grain in the image and the detail is still there so it's light DNR if it has been used. If it is an upscale it's a good one IMO. The colours are strong and there is a good amount of detail if it is an upscale.

I feel like it's probably more likely just an old soft HD master but I might be wrong. Certainly I'm happy with it. (Although there is obviously room for improvement)

As for the film it's self. I haven't watched it since I had it on VHS. Loved it.

[Fabs]

It looks great. I might have to grab it as this is one of my top Jackie films. Love the Indiana Jones-style adventure, the car chase, the monk fight, and Jackie's humor is as good the 50th time watching it as it was the first.

[IcePrick]

The Amazon listing has now finally been fixed.

[newgen2005]

Originally Posted by IcePrick

The Amazon listing has now finally been fixed.

I emailed them on Monday [emoji1]

Sent from my SM-A500FU using Tapatalk

[newgen2005]

[malcy30]

There is a mistake in the Amazon link from the product page here. It takes you to a dead listing on Amazon and not the correct one. Means the price tracking does not work.

Please can this be fixed.

[reason108]

Just received my copy today and was able to perform a nice comparison between Medium Rare and the Kam & Ronson blu-ray. Medium Rare must have really cleaned up the master they were given or they used a different source. All that weird "noise" that was present in the K&R release is gone. Also, there are some color timing differences. I am not 100% sure which version is more correct cause it has been an extremely long time since I saw this movie in the theater. I just remember the monk`s cavern being very dark. Perhaps it was closer to the Medium Rare color timing than the Fortune Star one. It would not be the first time that FS messed with the color timing of a JC classic. The same thing happened on Operation Condor for some of the night scenes. It is almost like they removed a filter that was supposed to be there. Not sure. But check out my link to Operation Condor that shows an example of what I am speaking about. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...202245&page=14

Audio is 2.0 and 5.1 Cantonese with an English dub. I think the 2.0 Cantonese soundtrack sounded the best but as others have mentioned, it sounds cleaner/clearer than you would expect an original soundtrack to sound. But, nothing stuck out like it did not belong there and I have no idea if it is a down-mix/re-mix or whatever. If Medium Rare decides to release more of these titles then as long as they are good as this one, count me in! This is the best this film has ever looked, outside of the butchered US version which is true HD on the blu-ray. This version will be my "go to" version unless we get a 4k scan someday.



Fortune Star:

[Show spoiler]Fortune Star 1.jpg

Medium Rare:

[Show spoiler]Medium Rare 1.jpg

Fortune Star:

[Show spoiler]Fortune Star 2.jpg

Medium Rare:

[Show spoiler]Medium Rare 2.jpg

[Fabs]

Is it the uncut version that is on the Kam & Ronson BD? I'm thinking about buying it. The PQ looks great, even if it is DNR'd, it's still a huge step up from Kam & Ronson. I also like the cooler color timing of the Medium Rare.

[newgen2005]

Originally Posted by Fabs

Is it the uncut version that is on the Kam & Ronson BD? I'm thinking about buying it. The PQ looks great, even if it is DNR'd, it's still a huge step up from Kam & Ronson. I also like the cooler color timing of the Medium Rare.

Kam & Ronson is the same cut as Mediumrare.

[OldPangYau]

So, final verdict... Fortune Star seems to be footing the bill to have newer restorations of these films done. Between this, Legacy of Rage, and Story of Ricky, there's hope yet to see other titles get a second chance. Not including the "higher end" restorations such as the L'Immagine Ritrovata restorations of A Better Tomorrow and the four "non-Enter the Dragon" Bruce Lee films. I'm most hoping for Police Story and Young Master to get "re-restored" as those are two of my favorite JC films yet they're two of the most disappointing masters from FS. Both plagued with contrast problems and washed out colors.

However, we definitely need a company other than MediumRare to release them... AOG was a prime example of them throwing their hands in the air and saying "F*** it" and putting it on Amazon after a six month delay as a DVD-only listing "hiding" the blu-ray. Perhaps 88 Films with their newer Asian film series could have a go, although they seem to be aiming more towards Shaw Brothers at the moment.

Oh well, rant over

[newgen2005]

Originally Posted by OldPangYau

However, we definitely need a company other than MediumRare to release them... AOG was a prime example of them throwing their hands in the air and saying "F*** it" and putting it on Amazon after a six month delay as a DVD-only listing "hiding" the blu-ray.

I was gutted as I preordered AOG months ago and 3 days before it was released Amazon cancelled my order (item no longer available), it was a great too...now it is almost double the price I was going to pay! Not sure what happened to Amazon's listing?. I messaged them the other day to have a moan...they decided to let me have it for the preordered price and they corrected the listing. [emoji1]

Sent from my SM-A500FU using Tapatalk

[Killer Meteor]

Originally Posted by reason108

J

Audio is 2.0 and 5.1 Cantonese with an English dub. I think the 2.0 Cantonese soundtrack sounded the best but as others have mentioned, it sounds cleaner/clearer than you would expect an original soundtrack to sound. But, nothing stuck out like it did not belong there and I have no idea if it is a down-mix/re-mix or whatever.

]

Compare the sound effects on the 2.0 track with the 5.1 (gunshots, punches etc) then compare them to the English track. If they sound the same across the board, then it's sadly likely the 2.0 track is a downmix.

Really though, do folks here not know what 80s HK movies should sound like?

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by OldPangYau

So, final verdict... Fortune Star seems to be footing the bill to have newer restorations of these films done. Between this, Legacy of Rage, and Story of Ricky, there's hope yet to see other titles get a second chance. Not including the "higher end" restorations such as the L'Immagine Ritrovata restorations of A Better Tomorrow and the four "non-Enter the Dragon" Bruce Lee films. I'm most hoping for Police Story and Young Master to get "re-restored" as those are two of my favorite JC films yet they're two of the most disappointing masters from FS. Both plagued with contrast problems and washed out colors.

However, we definitely need a company other than MediumRare to release them... AOG was a prime example of them throwing their hands in the air and saying "F*** it" and putting it on Amazon after a six month delay as a DVD-only listing "hiding" the blu-ray. Perhaps 88 Films with their newer Asian film series could have a go, although they seem to be aiming more towards Shaw Brothers at the moment.

Oh well, rant over

I really hope Fortune Star didn't pay for this restoration, as that would make me angry considering there is no official HK release from them using an actual restoration.

Also, I hugely echo your sentiment about Police Story. I hope I can see an actual HD restoration of that soon (of the international cut, not the Japanese one).