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A remake / update of Jet Li's first feature film is as slick as the original was rough around the edges. A fine technical presentation and a sizable set of extras make the Blu-ray release from Well Go USA worth a viewing, if not owning.
Shaolin: Collector's Edition
Release Date: October 25, 2011
Studio: Well Go USA Entertainment
Packaging/Materials: Two-disc Blu-ray case
Year: 2011
Rating: R
Running Time: 2:11:04
MSRP: $32.98
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
1080p high definition 2.35:1
Standard and high definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: Mandarin 5.1, English 5.1 / Dolby Digital: Mandarin 2.0, English 2.0
Stereo
Subtitles
English, Spanish
English
The Feature: 4/5
In the Henan Province warlords are battling over territory in China's post-imperial, fledgling republic. General Huo Jie (Andy Lau) and his army have taken over Dengfeng City, and their adversary has fled to the Shaolin Temple for protection and refuge. Though the Buddhist monks there are renowned for both their compassionate ways and formidable martial arts skills, this doesn't stop Huo from charging into the temple, intent on killing his enemy and solidifying his victory. The abbot tries to persuade him to spare the man's life, but Huo is ruthless and shoots the man dead, injuring the abbot in the process. Before leaving the temple, Huo adds insult to injury by defacing one of its placards, belittling the Shaolin as "no big deal."
Despite having control of the city, Huo continues to scheme for power. Arranging a marriage between his daughter and the son of another warlord would put him in a critical position, but Huo's second-in-command, Cao Man (Nicholas Tse), has other ideas about how to accomplish that goal. By working with European powers they would gain access to formidable weaponry like machine guns and canons, but Huo is unwilling to sacrifice his or his country's independence for such military resources. By rejecting Cao's efforts, Huo unwittingly offends and alienates his longtime subordinate, leading to a bloody coup just as Huo is about to make his own power move. With Huo's wife and young daughter seriously injured in the melee, Huo turns to the Shaolin Temple for help. Though the monks don't hesitate to assist and provide refuge to the man who once offended them, kindness and compassion ultimately cannot undo Huo's karmic fate. Having lost everything he once held dear, Huo turns to the ways of the Shaolin, and becomes a monk himself. Though it's doubtful he will reach enlightenment in his current lifetime, the lessons he will learn in his struggle to change will no doubt be invaluable in the next. However the schemes of his former subordinate will eventually force him to come out of hiding and put his newfound way of life and beliefs to the test.
Though it was intended as an update or remake of Jet Li's first feature film, "Shaolin Temple," "Shaolin" actually bears little resemblance to its predecessor. Featuring some of the most popular Hong Kong film stars working today, fight choreography by veteran action choreographer Corey Yuen, and a special appearance by Jackie Chan as a long-suffering temple cook, this film is as high profile and slick as the other is largely unknown and rough. The story of course is a familiar one, especially for anyone who has seen Roland Joffé's "The Mission" starring Robert DeNiro and Jeremy Irons. But the redemptive journey of its main character is similarly well charted, with a satisfying - if somewhat more melodramatic (and of course kung fu laden) - payoff. The film's only significant issue is the somewhat shoe-horned contribution by Chan, who gets his own requisite fight sequence, but one that bears a more lighthearted tone compared to the other more serious parts of the movie. For Chan fans, this likely won't matter, but anyone interested in narrative cohesiveness will likely find the experience jarring. Still, of the recent spate of Hong Kong films making their way stateside and distributed by Well Go USA, "Shaolin" proves to be one of the more entertaining and enjoyable.
Video Quality: 4.5/5
The 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer features inky blacks, strong contrast, and excellent detail and sharpness. The color palette tends to be earthy and drab, making scenes almost monochromatic at times, though spots of color - usually in the silk dresses and jackets worn by the affluent - are rich and deeply saturated. The transfer shows no signs of excessive sharpening or noise reduction, though fades to and from black can have a slight posterizing effect. However it's a minor issue in an otherwise great looking picture.
Audio Quality: 4/5
The release includes two 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks in Mandarin and English (the disc menu indicates it as Cantonese, but this has been disclosed by the distributor as an authoring error). I chose the Mandarin track to review as it's the film's original language, and dialogue in it is consistently crisp, clear and intelligible. Surround effects, used strategically for the action sequences, are likewise nicely balanced and enveloping. Low frequency effects don't come into play until the film's grand finale, but explosions, drum beats and thundering hoofbeats all exhibit great depth and fullness.
Special Features: 3/5
The extras are thorough, if somewhat lacking in structure in some sections. Those with a more casual interest in the film's production will likely prefer the "Making of" pieces as they condense the more raw materials of the "Behind the Scenes" and "Interviews" into a more digestible form. However those looking for more detail should be pleased with the uncut sections as they include over four hours of material.
[Disc One - BD]
Deleted Scenes (43:53, HD): Includes subplots exploring the back story of some of the supporting characters, such as the opera singer and one of the junior monks.
International Trailer A (2:12, HD, DD5.1)
International Trailer B (2:02, HD, DD5.1)
Theatrical Trailer (2:12, HD, DD2.0)
Previews: Precede the main menu loading and include "Stool Pigeon," "Little Big Soldier," and "A Better Tomorrow," each presented in high definition.
[Disc Two - DVD]
Behind the Scenes (1:59:28, SD): Video footage from the set is presented with minimal editing or structure, but provides a flavor of production conditions and atmosphere. Most of the material focuses on the film's action and fight sequences, but also includes a number of the more critical dramatic scenes.
Interviews (SD): Subjects talk about the story, how they interpreted and approached their characters, interactions with members of the cast, and other topics.
Making Of (39:30, SD): Includes eight, approximately two-minute web shorts covering different aspects of the production and a longer electronic press kit style piece that includes selected parts of the behind-the-scenes and interview footage.
Recap
The Feature: 4/5
Video Quality: 4.5/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: 4/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4/5
Well Go USA turns in a fine presentation for an entertaining martial arts epic set during China's early days as a republic. The release's special features are significant and thorough, though some sections are little too raw to be easily digestible for the more casual fans.
Shaolin: Collector's Edition
Release Date: October 25, 2011
Studio: Well Go USA Entertainment
Packaging/Materials: Two-disc Blu-ray case
Year: 2011
Rating: R
Running Time: 2:11:04
MSRP: $32.98
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
1080p high definition 2.35:1
Standard and high definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: Mandarin 5.1, English 5.1 / Dolby Digital: Mandarin 2.0, English 2.0
Stereo
Subtitles
English, Spanish
English
The Feature: 4/5
In the Henan Province warlords are battling over territory in China's post-imperial, fledgling republic. General Huo Jie (Andy Lau) and his army have taken over Dengfeng City, and their adversary has fled to the Shaolin Temple for protection and refuge. Though the Buddhist monks there are renowned for both their compassionate ways and formidable martial arts skills, this doesn't stop Huo from charging into the temple, intent on killing his enemy and solidifying his victory. The abbot tries to persuade him to spare the man's life, but Huo is ruthless and shoots the man dead, injuring the abbot in the process. Before leaving the temple, Huo adds insult to injury by defacing one of its placards, belittling the Shaolin as "no big deal."
Despite having control of the city, Huo continues to scheme for power. Arranging a marriage between his daughter and the son of another warlord would put him in a critical position, but Huo's second-in-command, Cao Man (Nicholas Tse), has other ideas about how to accomplish that goal. By working with European powers they would gain access to formidable weaponry like machine guns and canons, but Huo is unwilling to sacrifice his or his country's independence for such military resources. By rejecting Cao's efforts, Huo unwittingly offends and alienates his longtime subordinate, leading to a bloody coup just as Huo is about to make his own power move. With Huo's wife and young daughter seriously injured in the melee, Huo turns to the Shaolin Temple for help. Though the monks don't hesitate to assist and provide refuge to the man who once offended them, kindness and compassion ultimately cannot undo Huo's karmic fate. Having lost everything he once held dear, Huo turns to the ways of the Shaolin, and becomes a monk himself. Though it's doubtful he will reach enlightenment in his current lifetime, the lessons he will learn in his struggle to change will no doubt be invaluable in the next. However the schemes of his former subordinate will eventually force him to come out of hiding and put his newfound way of life and beliefs to the test.
Though it was intended as an update or remake of Jet Li's first feature film, "Shaolin Temple," "Shaolin" actually bears little resemblance to its predecessor. Featuring some of the most popular Hong Kong film stars working today, fight choreography by veteran action choreographer Corey Yuen, and a special appearance by Jackie Chan as a long-suffering temple cook, this film is as high profile and slick as the other is largely unknown and rough. The story of course is a familiar one, especially for anyone who has seen Roland Joffé's "The Mission" starring Robert DeNiro and Jeremy Irons. But the redemptive journey of its main character is similarly well charted, with a satisfying - if somewhat more melodramatic (and of course kung fu laden) - payoff. The film's only significant issue is the somewhat shoe-horned contribution by Chan, who gets his own requisite fight sequence, but one that bears a more lighthearted tone compared to the other more serious parts of the movie. For Chan fans, this likely won't matter, but anyone interested in narrative cohesiveness will likely find the experience jarring. Still, of the recent spate of Hong Kong films making their way stateside and distributed by Well Go USA, "Shaolin" proves to be one of the more entertaining and enjoyable.
Video Quality: 4.5/5
The 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer features inky blacks, strong contrast, and excellent detail and sharpness. The color palette tends to be earthy and drab, making scenes almost monochromatic at times, though spots of color - usually in the silk dresses and jackets worn by the affluent - are rich and deeply saturated. The transfer shows no signs of excessive sharpening or noise reduction, though fades to and from black can have a slight posterizing effect. However it's a minor issue in an otherwise great looking picture.
Audio Quality: 4/5
The release includes two 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks in Mandarin and English (the disc menu indicates it as Cantonese, but this has been disclosed by the distributor as an authoring error). I chose the Mandarin track to review as it's the film's original language, and dialogue in it is consistently crisp, clear and intelligible. Surround effects, used strategically for the action sequences, are likewise nicely balanced and enveloping. Low frequency effects don't come into play until the film's grand finale, but explosions, drum beats and thundering hoofbeats all exhibit great depth and fullness.
Special Features: 3/5
The extras are thorough, if somewhat lacking in structure in some sections. Those with a more casual interest in the film's production will likely prefer the "Making of" pieces as they condense the more raw materials of the "Behind the Scenes" and "Interviews" into a more digestible form. However those looking for more detail should be pleased with the uncut sections as they include over four hours of material.
[Disc One - BD]
Deleted Scenes (43:53, HD): Includes subplots exploring the back story of some of the supporting characters, such as the opera singer and one of the junior monks.
International Trailer A (2:12, HD, DD5.1)
International Trailer B (2:02, HD, DD5.1)
Theatrical Trailer (2:12, HD, DD2.0)
Previews: Precede the main menu loading and include "Stool Pigeon," "Little Big Soldier," and "A Better Tomorrow," each presented in high definition.
[Disc Two - DVD]
Behind the Scenes (1:59:28, SD): Video footage from the set is presented with minimal editing or structure, but provides a flavor of production conditions and atmosphere. Most of the material focuses on the film's action and fight sequences, but also includes a number of the more critical dramatic scenes.
Interviews (SD): Subjects talk about the story, how they interpreted and approached their characters, interactions with members of the cast, and other topics.
Benny Chan (42:50)
Andy Lau (25:05)
Nicholas Tse (4:53)
Jackie Chan (9:31)
Fan Bingbing (6:57)
Wu Jing (14:38)
Yu Xing (10:17)
Yu Hui (4:03)
Xiong Xinxin (3:26)
Bai Bing (5:35)
Children of Shaolin (4:17)
Shaolin Abbot (9:21): The abbot provides a history of the Shaolin Temple and culture and shares his opinion of the film.
Making Of (39:30, SD): Includes eight, approximately two-minute web shorts covering different aspects of the production and a longer electronic press kit style piece that includes selected parts of the behind-the-scenes and interview footage.
Recap
The Feature: 4/5
Video Quality: 4.5/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: 4/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4/5
Well Go USA turns in a fine presentation for an entertaining martial arts epic set during China's early days as a republic. The release's special features are significant and thorough, though some sections are little too raw to be easily digestible for the more casual fans.
