| Video: This is the same transfer as the previous edition from Universe Laser. The widescreen image is reasonably clear and colorful. There is no apparent grain or print damage. The picture looks a bit soft at times, probably due to lack of anamorphic enhancement, and there is some occasional minor compression artifacting. While not bad in its own right, it does suffer in direct comparison to the superior region 1 transfer. Grade: B-
Audio: The original Japanese language track is presented in 5.1. It sounds sharp and clear. The Chinese 2.0 track is low and muffled. The Chinese 5.1 track is fuller and clearer, but still not as good as the Japanese track. Grade: A-
Extras / Menus: The only extra is the film's theatrical trailer. It's in widescreen, and the video quality is noticeably inferior to the actual film. It's in Japanese with (poor) English subtitles. Most of the menus are static and without sound. Only the chapter select menu has animated film clips in the selection windows. Grade: C-
Final Analysis: This re-release is essentially the same as the previous edition from Universe Laser, with a few minor differences. The video transfer, audio tracks, and even the menus are all the same. This version has superior cover art, and the subtitles are presented a bit differently. Instead of a dedicated English subtitle track, this version displays the English subs simultaneously with Chinese text. The font size is thus reduced, but the actual script is the same (even the typos). While the old way was better, these subs aren’t hard to read or to get used to. Overall, the only things either HK edition of GxM have over Sony's region 1 version are a more accurate subtitle translation, and a lower price tag. Final Grade: B- |
Technical Notes:
