Che Part 2 - Guerrilla Blu-ray

Che Part 2 - Guerrilla

 (2008)

Biography | Drama | War



After the Cuban Revolution, Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio del Toro) is at the height of his fame and power. Then he disappears, re-emerging incognito in Bolivia, where he organizes a small group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits to start the great Latin American Revolution. The story of the Bolivian campaign is a tale of tenacity, sacrifice, idealism, and of guerrilla warfare that ultimately fails, bringing Che to his death. Through this story, we come to understand how Che remains a symbol of idealism and heroism that lives in the hearts of people around the world.

For more details about Che Part 2 - Guerrilla on Blu-ray, see the Che Part 2 - Guerrilla Blu-ray Review

Starring: Benicio del Toro
Director: Steven Soderbergh

Che Part 2 - Guerrilla Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (slightly modified from its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1), encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Steven Soderbergh’s Che: Guerrilla arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.

As expected, the second installment in director Soderbergh’s epic looks just as impressive as the first one. Contrast is terrific, clarity excellent and detail, especially during the panoramic vistas showing the Bolivian jungles, incredible. The color-scheme is also very impressive. Greens, blues, yellows, browns, blacks and whites are lush and well saturated (this is where it really shows that a Red One Camera has been used). Furthermore, neither edge-enhancement nor macroblocking are a serious issue of concern. For the record, when blown through a digital projector Che: Guerrilla also looks incredibly stable. To sum it all up, Optimum Home Entertainment’s treatment of this film is indeed very strong, and I would be shocked if the rumored Criterion release offers any substantial improvements. This being said, the only reason I am not giving Che: Guerrilla our highest score is because I am somewhat displeased with the distributor’s decision to include forced PAL-encoded subtitles before the main feature. (Note: This is a Region-B “locked” disc. Therefore, unless you have a native Region-B or Region-Free player, you won’t be able to access its content. Additionally, those of you with native Region-B players in North America will not be able to access the main feature due to the inclusion of the earlier mentioned forced PAL trailers, which will prevent you from accessing the main feature).

Che Part 2 - Guerrilla Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Spanish (with portions of English) DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.

Once again, this is a terrific track with truly impressive dynamic levels. The bass is rich and potent, the rear channels very active and the high frequencies not overdone. The shootouts will certainly test your audio system. They are not overly aggressive, but the quality of sound is superb. The final clash between Che’s rebels and the government forces for example is notably well mixed – it literally feels as if the action takes place right in front of us. As expected, the dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. Furthermore, Alberto Iglesias' outstanding music score sounds excellent. There are no pops, cracks, or hissings that I detected. For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

Che Part 2 - Guerrilla Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Che Blu-ray Announced in the UK, Extras Listed - April 30, 2009