A reason NOT to get the new Hard Boiled....

[blammo]

I've been lookin for a review to tell me if the 2nd disc in this new version was worth the extra $16 bucks. And , apparently, it ain't!
In fact, the whole presentation is bad.

http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Boiled-Two-Disc-Ultimate-Yun-Fat/dp/B000N4SHNK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-9541537-8642824?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1185110026&sr=1-1

[gothamknight]

Thankyou, Sir Blammo for that.

I really didn't want "another" copy of the movie (though I would have got it if the reviews were right).

The box art is nice, however.

[jspartan]

Good...ok decent bonus materials.

However, the presentation is just poor. You get dubtitles (which are a text version of the English dub track) instead of remastered proper English subtitles. The box art itself lists the wrong specifications and Bey Logan's commentary is hardly the best I've ever heard.

Terence Chang speaks good English, John Woo speaks decent English, and Chow Yun-Fat speaks passable English (not a jab at them just observations ;)). Why couldn't they record a commentary in English and offer optional subtitles? Heck, why not give the hardcore fans something to really enjoy...a commentary in Cantonese with English subtitles?

Imagine...

Commentary with Chow Yun-Fat, Producer Terence Chang, Director John Woo, Archivist Bey Logan, and Guests Michael Bay & Brett Ratner

That would have been an awesome commentary track. Heck, even without the "guests," it would still rock.

Also, why is the Dragon Dynasty trying to be the new "Hong Kong Legends?"

I know most of the employees that worked on the Hong Kong Legends titles have moved to work on the Dragon Dynasty but fans of the films want more than just interview featurettes. I can only stand listening to an interview for so long before just shutting it off.

Why couldn't they put together a documentary on the making and legacy of the film?

Paramount Home Entertainment couldn't get most of the actors for 1900 but they sure made two decent featurettes for it.

Warner Home Video has included great documentaries on the Pre-Code Hollywood era and the craft of movie editing. Not to mention a very lengthy documentary for King Kong (1933).

I'm sure Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung would have found time for at least a couple of ten minute sit down interviews. Even Tom Hanks found time to do a five minute interview for Philadelphia and Eddie Murphy was interviewed on the set of Doctor Dolittle for Beverly Hills Cop. And reclusive Bill Murray recorded his inteview for Stripes on the set of Lost in Translation.

Even if they couldn't interview them, at least a brief documentary on the cult status of the film.

Uggh. This was such a huge opportunity to do the right thing and it just failed.

[blammo]

Thank you, Jspartan, for that expalnation of "dubtitles".
I gotta admit, I was kinda confused about what they actually were.

And the whole "cropping & stretching the image" technique they use for the dvd completely kills any idea of buying it.