Draped in murky colors for Danny's depressing moments and brightly lit during his upbringing to a sense of normality, this DVD transfer is a notable one. It handles both styles without trouble. There's no color bleeding and no sign of the black levels graying out either. It captures the multiple tones of the film as it's intended. Movement is quick and the transfer makes sure every frame is maintained with equal clarity. (****)
Audio is disappointing, even with a DTS track. The problem is the soundtrack, obnoxiously pumping out bass, drowning out the action and impact of Jet Li's strikes. It's hard to listen to, and it's not mixed well either. There's little if any surround channel action, leaving the stereo speakers to take most of the beating. Dialogue is the only section of the disc maintained properly, the subtle speaking parts picked up clearly. (***)
This is a confusing DVD treatment in the special features department. The unrated edition is barely that, apparently including a few brief snippets of action and nudity the MPAA didn't allow. It barely qualifies as a new cut. There's also an "extended" version, sloppily splicing in new scenes, as the sequences are cut in from somewhere else on the disc. These scenes aren't mastered equally either. These brief moments are not available any other way. You'll need to watch the entire film to see them.
Actual extras are barely worth watching. Director Louis Leterrier Unleashed is a waste of time as the filmmaker takes a few moments to discuss his background and then delves into his actors. It's 9-minutes, and there's far more footage of the film than of the director.
Serve No Master is like the rest of the disc, explaining the plot of the film, which isn't necessary since if you own the disc, you've seen the film. Jet Li and Bob Hoskins discuss the story, and briefly their characters. Again, it's padded with film footage to come in, again, around 9-minutes.
Collar Comes Off is another feature that goes over the plotline, and while it promises behind-the-scenes footage, it barely delivers. It's 12-minutes, and that's excessively long. Two music videos close the disc out. (*)
Marketing departments must love "unrated." Apparently, the cut used here was the version released in Europe, and the few seconds of extra footage only means the studio didn't re-submit this to the MPAA for home release. Buy it for the surprising movie, not the "footage not seen in theaters!" You'll be greatly disappointed.
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Article comments
1 - LegendaryMonkey
I can't really explain why... but I LOVED this movie. I LOVED IT. It completely changed my mind about Jet Li (who I didn't much like before this). Sucks that the DVD isn't great.