| On the 27 inch TV, the picture quality is very good but on the 47 inch screen, it is just about average. The print itself is almost flawless. There are very few imperfections but even that surprised me for a brand new film. The transfer itself lacks detail and isn't as clear as it should be on the big TV. There are also a few times when the picture looks too bright. These are relatively minor complaints. This doesn't look like a brand new Hollywood release, but it is good enough. The picture is good, just not what I was expecting from such a recent release.
There is a 5.1 Dolby Digital track and a DTS track. Both are in Mandarin. I found both mixes to be well done and they really put you in the center of the action. One scene in particular when Zhang Ziyi is playing the "Echo Game". Andy Lau hurls beans at an array of drums arranged in a circle. In the middle is Zhang Ziyi and she has to replicate the sounds with her sleeves while dancing. What starts as a bean at a time, eventually the whole bowl is hurled with beans hitting several drums. The rear speakers are used very well to make it sound like you are in the middle of all the drums. Overall, the mix is very well done and the surrounds are used to good effect.
The subtitles are very readable and are free of spelling and grammatical errors. In the very beginning they tend to go by very fast but I was able to follow them. They are timed well with the spoken dialogue and stay on the screen long enough to read once the movie begins.
There are few extras on this DVD. There are trailers, stills and talent profiles. |
Technical Notes:
