Once
Upon A Time In Shanghai
(2014/Well Go USA Blu-ray)
Picture:
A Sound: B Extras: C Film: A-
Shanghai
1930s, a golden time when the rich prospered and gangsters ruled.
Thousands flocked toward Shanghai seeking fame and fortune, and
brother Ma is one of them. Believing if you work hard you can make
it rich, and if you can't you can take it by force, but between the
slums, gangsters, the triads and foreign powers, peace is fragile as
a flower and only the strong survives. Brother Ma has made a promise
to never get involved or take sides, but when his friends get caught
in between a power struggle in Shanghai, can he afford such luxury?
In
Ching Po-Wong's Once
Upon A Time In Shanghai
(2014), Ma is a young man dreaming of working in Shanghai and seeking
his fortune, but in a city full of vice and corruption the only those
who are strong and vicious are the ones who survive to become rich.
Ma lives in the slums and somehow befriends the boss of strongest
mob, together they protect the weak from the strong. By following
the 'rules' they somehow keep the peace. When the old Triad and
Japanese mobsters starts killing his new found friends and family,
Ma's right hand of justice just won't stand by quietly, that
sometimes violence is the only way to protect those who have none.
This
remake of the 1972 Shaw Brothers ShawScope actioner The
Boxer From Shantung
is an amazing martial arts film remake, a story about love, honor and
friends. When you mix the philosophy of believe in hard work and
using force to taking what you want, it is a recipe for violence,
tragedy and revenge.
The
1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer looks terrific,
shot on a RED EPIC HD camera, while the
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is consistently good with a
mix of quiet and active moments. Extras
include a making of the film and trailers.
-
Ricky Chiang
