Bodyguards and Assassins Blu-ray

Bodyguards and Assassins

 (2009)

Bodyguards and Assassins Blu-ray delivers stunning video and audio, but overall it's a mediocre Blu-ray release
'Bodyguards and Assassins' concerns efforts by a group of martial artists to protect Dr. Sun Yat-sen who is popularly referred as the Father of Modern China, from an assassination attempt while visiting Hong Kong to raise funds at the beginning of the 20th century.

For more about Bodyguards and Assassins and the Bodyguards and Assassins Blu-ray release, see the Bodyguards and Assassins Blu-ray Review

Starring: Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Xueqi Wang
Director: Teddy Chan

Bodyguards and Assassins Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, February 28, 2010

Winner of the Best Actor award (Wang Xueqi) granted by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society, Teddy Chan's "Shi yue wei cheng" a.k.a "Bodyguards and Assassins" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors MegaStar. The only supplemental features on this disc are theatrical trailers, TV spots and Making of featurette. With optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles. Region-A "locked".

The Gathering

In Teddy Chan's Bodyguards and Assassins an important man has to make it to a meeting in the heart of Hong Kong where the future of China will be determined. A group of men are asked to escort the man once he arrives in the city. They all agree understanding perfectly well that along the way some of them will be killed. A second group of men are asked to do whatever is necessary to prevent the man from reaching his destination. The year is 1906 and the name of the important man is Dr. Sun Yat-sen.

Before Dr. Sun reaches Hong Kong, we are introduced to his bodyguards. First, is a powerful newspaper tycoon, Li Yue-tang (Wang Xueqi, The Founding of a Republic), who senses that China is on the verge of major political and social transformation. He has a son, Li Chung-guang (Wang Bo-Chieng, Winds of September), who is convinced that his father is a coward because he wants him to stay as far away from politics as possible.

Sum Chung-yang (Donnie Yen, Ip Man) is a gambler who has lost plenty in his life. In addition to money, he has also lost his life (Fan Bingbing, Flashpoint) and daughter to another man.

Ah Si (Nicholas Tse, Dragon Tiger Gate) is a poor rickshaw boy madly in love with a beautiful girl. But he has never had the courage to approach her, which is why eventually Li Yue-tang does on his behalf.

Chow Tofu (Mengke Bateer) is a giant ex-Shaolin monk who likes protecting the weak and poor. He knows kung-fu but does not know how good of a fighter he is.

Lau Yuk-bak (Leon Lai, Fallen Angels) is a beggar who has lost the woman (Michelle Reis) he once loved. He is also a great warrior who isn't afraid of death.

Fang Hong (Li Yuchun) is the proud daughter of General Fang Tian (Simon Yam, Election). When her father is brutally killed by a group of imperial assassins, she joins the men guarding Dr. Sun.

Chen Xiao-bai (Tony Leung Ka Fai, Ashes of Time Redux) is a good friend of Li Yue-tang and leader of the Resistance. One of his ex-students, Yan Xiao-guo (Jun Hu, Everlasting Regret), is also one of his greatest foes. Chen must make sure that Dr. Sun leaves Hong Kong alive. Yan must make sure that he does not.

You could probably guess now what happens once Dr. Sun reaches Hong Kong - a giant battle between his bodyguards and the assassins ensues. Many of them die; some in truly spectacular fashion. At the end, however, Dr. Sun leaves Hong Kong, and soon after that China becomes a republic.

I did not particularly enjoy this film and feel fairly confident stating that anyone who isn't a hardcore martial arts fan would not either. I felt that its constant flip-flopping between action and drama seriously affected its rhythm, which in return made it impossible for me to care about the main characters.

What disappointed me the most, however, is the manner in which Dr. Sun - a legendary man regarded by many in China as one of the greatest politicians the country has ever had - is portrayed in the film. Here, he is nothing but a shadow figure who barely even speaks, not the visionary responsible for the overthrowing of the last imperial dynasty of China.

On the positive side, the many fights that you would see in Bodyguards and Assassins are quite well done. There is one mass scene featuring Leon Lai, in particular, where he encounters a group of assassins that looks terrific. As he fights them, a few of them throw giant hooks that rip his body apart.

Earlier this year, Bodyguards and Assassins won the Best Actor award (Wang Xueqi) granted by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society.

Bodyguards and Assassins Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

Presented in anl aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Teddy Chan's Bodyguards and Assassins arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors MegaStar.

MegaStar continue to impress. The high-definition transfer they have prepared for Bodyguards and Assassins looks fantastic. Fine object detail is terrific, clarity pleasing and contrast levels consistent. Many of the outdoor scenes from the old City of Victoria, in particular, look absolutely stunning. The panoramic vistas from the harbor are also very impressive.

Edge-enhancement and macroblocking are never an issue of concern with this transfer. I also did not detect any traces of serious noise-filtering. When blown through a digital projector, Bodyguards and Assassins also looks notably stable, conveying terrific depth. Finally I did not detect any disturbing flecks, scratches, cuts, or stains to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Bodyguards and Assassins Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

There are four audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 and Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1. For the record, MegaStar have provided optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The audio treatment is every bit as impressive as the video treatment. The Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is loud and truly powerful, with some excellent surround activity. Many of the action scenes, for example, are enhanced with all sort of different audio effects that should put a smile on the faces of those of you who have invested in top-notch audio gear. Furthermore, the dialog is crisp and exceptionally clean. There are no balance issues with Chan Kwong Wing and Peter Kam's music score either. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review.

As expected, dynamically the Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track appears to be identical to the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. I spent quite a bit of time comparing the fight between Leon Lai's character and the imperial assassins, and suffice to say, I could not hear much of a difference. The dialog is, again, clean and very easy to follow.

Bodyguards and Assassins Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

 

Trailers - three theatrical trailers for the the film. Only the third one is with optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles. (1080p).

TV spots - three TV Spots. In Mandarin, not subtitled in English. (1080i).

Making of - a standard featurette broken into four parts - Characters; Set & Makeup; Design; and Action. In Mandarin (and portions of Cantonese), with optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles. (1080i).

Bodyguards and Assassins Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

 

There is nothing in Teddy Chan's Bodyguards and Assassins that you have not already seen elsewhere done better. With other words, I would recommend that you rent this film, if you can, to see whether or not it is something that would like to have in your collections. This said, the Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors MegaStar, looks and sounds excellent. RENT IT.

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