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A high octane action-adventure movie blows in from Mainland China and proves highly entertaining, if a bit overlong. Despite it’s slim collection of extras, the Blu-ray is worth at least a rental thanks to a solid audio and video presentation.
Wind Blast
Release Date: July 3, 2012
Studio: Well Go USA
Packaging/Materials: Blu-ray keepcase with slipcover
Year: 2010
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1:58:50
MSRP: $29.98
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
AVC: 1080p high definition 2.35:1
Standard and high definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: Mandarin 5.1 / Dolby Digital: Mandarin 2.0
Stereo
Subtitles
English
English
The Feature: 4/5
Four lawmen, led by a detective nicknamed “Leopard” (Duan Yihong), are in pursuit of Zhang Ning (Xia Yu), a sometime street fighter turned killer. Though his crime took place in the metropolis of Hong Kong, his flight from authorities has taken him to the isolated environment skirting the Gobi Desert, where he and his girlfriend Sun Jing (Charlie Yeung) hope to evade their pursuers for good.
It’s easier said then done though, especially when Leopard and his colleagues, who include a strongman (Li Zhang), a sharpshooter (Dahong Ni) and an expert driver (Jing Wu), have already chased them this far and show no signs of fatigue.
Complicating matters – for everyone – is the arrival of two seasoned assassins (Francis Ng and Yu Nan) sent to find Zhang and take him back to their boss. What he wants with Zhang is not clear, but escape is going to be nearly impossible now with both the cops and the criminals in pursuit.
The action-adventure mash up that is Gao Qunshu’s “Wind Blast” proves to be a breath of fresh air in a genre that has become rather predictable. Combining the western with the cops/robbers thriller, the film never goes for tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top action like Robert Schwentke’s “Red” or Michael Davis’s “Shoot ‘Em Up,” but it does push the boundaries of the physically plausible while keeping things strangely believable. Or maybe the action is executed with such flair – whether it’s a sharpshooter igniting a cigarette lighter while on horseback or a high speed showdown between a Jeep and a dump truck – that real world physics just don’t matter anymore; it’s all about enjoying the spectacle.
Such high octane action does have a shelf life, however, and that’s where “Wind Blast” is none the wiser. Easily improved by shaving 20-30 minutes from its run time, the film begins to suffer from over-indulgence by the third act. After a point, like Zhang’s poor girlfriend, who spends most of the film looking green from motion sickness, we just want it to be over even though we know it’s been one helluva ride.
Video Quality: 4/5
The 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer is framed at 2.35:1 and features impeccable sharpness and detail. Though at times the image may border on being excessively crisp, there’s no indication of overused sharpening tools. To emphasize the desert environment, color has been largely drained from the image (though the arid setting and earthy colors of the wardrobe wouldn’t have provided much to showcase anyway). As a result, black levels and contrast suffer, looking noticeably flat in bright, sunlit scenes, but really held back in the handful of scenes set in a mountain cave. However, what may be considered problematic fits in perfectly with the film’s gritty, western aesthetic.
Note: There’s a brief shot of sexual content that has been obviously blurred out by, what I assume to be, Chinese censors. Although I’ve heard about these kinds of measures being taken for what the Chinese government considers objectionable material, this is the first time I’ve come across it in a release distributed to the United States.
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Dialogue in the Mandarin language 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is consistently clear and detailed. Surround activity can be fairly aggressive, with seamless rear channel panning and nicely localized gunfire effects. Low frequency effects are likewise well-implemented, giving depth and power to large vehicle engines, stampeding horses and various explosions.
Special Features: 2/5
Making Of (25:05, SD): Made up of seven, electronic press kit featurettes, the topics cover the initial concept and inspiration for the script, shooting in the desert, and other standard topics.
Behind-the-Scenes (23:40, SD): Video footage from production looks at makeup testing, shooting in the desert canyon, and moments of the director working with the cast.
Theatrical Trailer (1:31, HD)
Pre-Menu Trailers: Include "The Viral Factor" (1:16, HD), "My Way" (2:11, HD), and "Let the Bullets Fly" (1:48, HD).
Recap
The Film: 4/5
Video Quality: 4/5
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Special Features: 2/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4/5
Well Go USA delivers a great looking presentation for a somewhat overlong, but still entertaining, action-adventure film from Mainland China. The release’s special features are perfunctory, but the strength of the feature makes the Blu-ray worth at least a rental.
Wind Blast
Release Date: July 3, 2012
Studio: Well Go USA
Packaging/Materials: Blu-ray keepcase with slipcover
Year: 2010
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1:58:50
MSRP: $29.98
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
AVC: 1080p high definition 2.35:1
Standard and high definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: Mandarin 5.1 / Dolby Digital: Mandarin 2.0
Stereo
Subtitles
English
English
The Feature: 4/5
Four lawmen, led by a detective nicknamed “Leopard” (Duan Yihong), are in pursuit of Zhang Ning (Xia Yu), a sometime street fighter turned killer. Though his crime took place in the metropolis of Hong Kong, his flight from authorities has taken him to the isolated environment skirting the Gobi Desert, where he and his girlfriend Sun Jing (Charlie Yeung) hope to evade their pursuers for good.
It’s easier said then done though, especially when Leopard and his colleagues, who include a strongman (Li Zhang), a sharpshooter (Dahong Ni) and an expert driver (Jing Wu), have already chased them this far and show no signs of fatigue.
Complicating matters – for everyone – is the arrival of two seasoned assassins (Francis Ng and Yu Nan) sent to find Zhang and take him back to their boss. What he wants with Zhang is not clear, but escape is going to be nearly impossible now with both the cops and the criminals in pursuit.
The action-adventure mash up that is Gao Qunshu’s “Wind Blast” proves to be a breath of fresh air in a genre that has become rather predictable. Combining the western with the cops/robbers thriller, the film never goes for tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top action like Robert Schwentke’s “Red” or Michael Davis’s “Shoot ‘Em Up,” but it does push the boundaries of the physically plausible while keeping things strangely believable. Or maybe the action is executed with such flair – whether it’s a sharpshooter igniting a cigarette lighter while on horseback or a high speed showdown between a Jeep and a dump truck – that real world physics just don’t matter anymore; it’s all about enjoying the spectacle.
Such high octane action does have a shelf life, however, and that’s where “Wind Blast” is none the wiser. Easily improved by shaving 20-30 minutes from its run time, the film begins to suffer from over-indulgence by the third act. After a point, like Zhang’s poor girlfriend, who spends most of the film looking green from motion sickness, we just want it to be over even though we know it’s been one helluva ride.
Video Quality: 4/5
The 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer is framed at 2.35:1 and features impeccable sharpness and detail. Though at times the image may border on being excessively crisp, there’s no indication of overused sharpening tools. To emphasize the desert environment, color has been largely drained from the image (though the arid setting and earthy colors of the wardrobe wouldn’t have provided much to showcase anyway). As a result, black levels and contrast suffer, looking noticeably flat in bright, sunlit scenes, but really held back in the handful of scenes set in a mountain cave. However, what may be considered problematic fits in perfectly with the film’s gritty, western aesthetic.
Note: There’s a brief shot of sexual content that has been obviously blurred out by, what I assume to be, Chinese censors. Although I’ve heard about these kinds of measures being taken for what the Chinese government considers objectionable material, this is the first time I’ve come across it in a release distributed to the United States.
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Dialogue in the Mandarin language 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is consistently clear and detailed. Surround activity can be fairly aggressive, with seamless rear channel panning and nicely localized gunfire effects. Low frequency effects are likewise well-implemented, giving depth and power to large vehicle engines, stampeding horses and various explosions.
Special Features: 2/5
Making Of (25:05, SD): Made up of seven, electronic press kit featurettes, the topics cover the initial concept and inspiration for the script, shooting in the desert, and other standard topics.
Behind-the-Scenes (23:40, SD): Video footage from production looks at makeup testing, shooting in the desert canyon, and moments of the director working with the cast.
Theatrical Trailer (1:31, HD)
Pre-Menu Trailers: Include "The Viral Factor" (1:16, HD), "My Way" (2:11, HD), and "Let the Bullets Fly" (1:48, HD).
Recap
The Film: 4/5
Video Quality: 4/5
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Special Features: 2/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4/5
Well Go USA delivers a great looking presentation for a somewhat overlong, but still entertaining, action-adventure film from Mainland China. The release’s special features are perfunctory, but the strength of the feature makes the Blu-ray worth at least a rental.
