Police Story 2 DVD Talk Review

[gfanikf]

www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/r...p?ID=26542 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=26542)

I'm passing on it but mostly cause I don't like the film.

I'm really waiting for the Shaws and the Lo Wei flicks.

[morgoth]

Just got this today. I can't wait to see it but I had to stop and comment on the picture quality. Ya know how bad the quality is on Police Story 1? Well, they seemed to have fixed the problem. This movie has superb picture quality! ALERT ALERT-picture quality is fixed!

[gfanikf]

Thats great to hear.

[Markgway]

This movie has superb picture quality!

Don't get too excited. They've reddened the skin tones again. The IVL image is superior.

[gfanikf]

Yeah but the skin tone issue is fairly minor when composed to the out of sync IVL audio. Plus I just don't even care about the skin tone thing.

[morgoth]

I don't know about skin tones but the picture does look just a tad off. Other than that and some graininess it is great. In the opening of the movie they show the highlights from PS 1 and in comparing the 2 picture qualities I have to say tha this is far superior.

I didn't know this movie is 2 hours long. I must have seen a really shortened version when i saw this on FX a few years ago.

[killer meteor]

This DVD uses the 2hr Japanese cut. The HKL and Megastar DVDs uses the superior, shorter HK cut.

[morgoth]

If you don't mind me asking, how long is the HK cut and what is superior about?

I will check back in an hour or 2. i have to see the rest of the movie:p

ANd why the hell do I have to keep logging in! My computer usually keeps me logged in for like a week.

[The Running Man]

Ya know how bad the quality is on Police Story 1? Well, they seemed to have fixed the problem. This movie has superb picture quality! ALERT ALERT-picture quality is fixed!

Note:

Brian White doesn't "fix" problems...he causes them.

FS's print of part 2 was better than FS's print of one...that's why DD's part 2 looks better than part 1.

[morgoth]

I have no problems with the picture quality on this.

I remember somebody saying that Brian White tampered with PS 1. I am mixed up now.

[The Running Man]

I have no problems with the picture quality on this.

That's due to FS...not Brian White.

Nothing was "fixed" because they didn't fix anything.

If they "fixed" something that would be because they re-released Police Story 1 with a better transfer not because PS 2 came out with a better transfer, and one that mostly they didn't do anything on, except screw with the skin tones.

[morgoth]

So you are just saying that I should have said "tampered with less" rather than "fixed"?

[The Running Man]

:lol

Yeah, I guess...

I find it funny that's like the best compliment one can really say about Mr. White and his "resotoration methods".

[morgoth]

Yeah I guess i just wanted to strongly point out that the picture is much better on Poilce Story 2 compared to 1. DD is 4/5 so far not counting the IA movies which I won't watch. Thumbs up to you Brian White for not screwing with the picture very much. :D

[The Running Man]

DD is 4/5 so far not counting the IA movies which I won't watch.

Huh?

[morgoth]

Meaning 4 out of the 5 Dragon Dynasty movies I have seen have great picture quality.

Now that I am speaking fo this I have to say that The Protector has the same heavy graininess in some scenes that I noticed in the movie theater. This wasn't as big of an issue on the TYG disc.

So overall, 4/5:D

[killer meteor]

But he shouldn't be tampering with the masters, which are more or less decent. I dread to think how the more colourful Shaw films will look because they tend to have a more varied colour mix, both in regard to photogaphy and production design. A touch of pink could result in a disgusting picture

[morgoth]

Well, hopefully somebody has told him that if he messes with these Shaw movies then he can kiss my purchases good-bye along with a good # of other people as well. He seems to be listening after the uproar on the pic quality of PS 1. We can only hope I guess.

[killer meteor]

He - or someone on his team - have done this colour tampering on the last half dozen HKL titles they worked on - why I don't know. Police Story 1 DD was excessivly worse than the others whilst PS2 is more in line with his other pinky jobs. So he hasn't got the message at all. Why? Could it be he's trying to take credit for "restoring" what doesn't need restoring for the sake of who knows?

[morgoth]

I don't notice the pinkness and when I paused it (which I did many times) the picture was very good.

[killer meteor]

The pinkiness is quite obvious in comparisons. Anothe problem with DD's PS1 and HKL's Fist Of Fury PE is overdone contrast, resulting in blooming whites. Not very nice and again not on the FS masters

[morgoth]

It is pretty disturbing that they can't leave the prints alone. At least we have small signs of improvement.

[killer meteor]

There's a comparison here - www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/D...tory_2.htm (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews28/police_story_2.htm)

[morgoth]

You have to look close, but yeah, it is pinkened. You can mostly tell in the day scenes. The picture does actually look a bit sharper though for DD.

[morgoth]

Special features are good.

Like PS 1, they are skimpy compared to the other DD releases. THere is another great 34 minute interview with the stuntmen(and woman). The commentary wasn't very good. I turned it off after an hour. The "location guide" was good but Bey Logan did a couple of stupid acting bits that were incredibly stupid. It was weird but luckily he only did it a couple of times. I didn't get the other special feature with Ratner and Logan. What was the commentary for? Did they just need 8 more minutes to talk?

[Markgway]

DVD Beaver are talking rubbish when they say that the R1 is better - they nearly always give the R1 versions the nod. That they don't even mention the obvious colour discrepancy proves this.

Yeah but the skin tone issue is fairly minor when composed to the out of sync IVL audio.

I wouldn't say minor. Just because one is bad doesn't excuse the other. I would agree - just - that the audio sync is more problematic.

Plus I just don't even care about the skin tone thing.

Maybe so? But lots of people do which is why I mention it. Better to be informed than ignorant.

[The Running Man]

DVD Beaver are talking rubbish when they say that the R1 is better

I've never really been a fan of that website, despite how popular it is.

[kermit]

Id give the IVL release the nod aswell for another reason, that DD cover for PS2 is hideous.

[killer meteor]

The fact that the audio track is OOS on the IVL gives the DD the edge but we may be better off waiting for the HD releases

[kermit]

only the mono

[morgoth]

The Eglish dub I also thought was pretty good.

I agree with you Kermit(I think you said this)that the cover blows. PS 1 has a great cover. This is just as bad as the Seven Swords DVD.

[killer meteor]

only the mono

Yeah but the mono soundtrack is the bona fide original. FS's 5.1 mixes are awful

[kermit]

I think the 5.1 for PS1 and PS2 are perfectly acceptable.

[Markgway]

It's obviously a matter of opinion - but I'm surprised any true fan would defend these 5.1 mixes. They're the audio equivilent of colourization or cropping.

[The Running Man]

Speaking of "true fan", I detest reading reviews by people that know less about the films they are talking about, and maybe even the very genre they belong to, than I do.

That DVD Talk review is bogus.

[morgoth]

Most of Fortune Star's mixes are bad but it is always nice to have an English dub.

[killer meteor]

English dubs, regardless of quality, are worthless when the original film is screwed up by bad remixing or colour screwing. I only really like the Shaw dubs

[Sifu Socky]

Speaking of "true fan", I detest reading reviews by people that know less about the films they are talking about, and maybe even the very genre they belong to, than I do.

I second that motion. Five quid says that reviewer borrowed most of his 'interesting HK cinema trivia' from the DVD commentary, sigh.

And I also take issue with their assertion that PS2 was the 'weakest' of the franchise. How so? Did they forget that First Strike stinks like a dead skunk in a cupboard?

[killer meteor]

Maybe they were just trying to forget First Strike

[Sifu Socky]

Or they never actually saw it, more like. :o

[morgoth]

I thought First Strike was a lot of fun, but it is no Police Story 2.

Question on the interview with the stuntmen(and woman) on the DD release.

I recognized Benny Lai and Mars, but who are the other 4?

Ben Lam has to be the guy with his hat on sideways but I am SO bad at recognizing faces.

[bertie wooster2]

Speaking of "true fan", I detest reading reviews by people that know less about the films they are talking about, and maybe even the very genre they belong to, than I do.

Speaking as just an average fan, I'm not that keen on aggressively arrogant people.
Granted, it's not as in-depth as your reviews (which I do enjoy and appreciate), but I hardly think that's reason to "detest" it. Calm down dear.

[The Running Man]

Breath easy sweetheart, no one's being aggressively arrogant.

It's not about being an expert, it's about pretending to be one in the review and obviously not being one.

[morgoth]

Sweetheart? Are you in prison RM?




Can anyone name everybody in the stuntmen interview?

[The Running Man]

I was...but now I'm.....ON THE RUN!

You know....cause my name is....ah forget it. :b