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Motorway AKA Che sau
R2 - United Kingdom - Arrow Films Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (12th March 2014). |
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The Film
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** In what’s been described as Hong Kong’s answer to Nicholas Winding Refn’s Drive, an impetuous rookie cop spends his days poised by the side of the road ready to pursue reckless, speeding drivers in their souped up cars. Ever determined to get his mark, even if they drive more powerful cars than his own customised Audi A4, Chan Cheung works on his own vehicle through the night ever fine-tuning his engine to give him that all-important extra edge. But he soon meets his match in Jiang Xin, a crack escape driver with a penchant to rev up a literal smokescreen, and then manoeuvring an extreme drift technique to rotate the car while stationery. Can Chan Cheung also master the technique in order to get his man, and will his reticent, veteran partner deliver some well-needed wisdom to help the eager rookie in his quest…
Video
Arrow Films have released the Asian car-action thriller "Motorway" onto DVD only in the United Kingdom. The aspect ratio is 1.85:1, and overall, it looks pretty good, obviously coming from a HD master. It does have a couple of very minor flaws though. The film is very dark, with 99% of the movie taking place in dark alleys and open roads during the dead of night. With this, comes a requirement for deep blacks, which I'm glad to say are sufficient throughout. Unfortunately though, the detail does suffer slightly in the shadows in comparison to the rest of the feature. In close-ups, details are well above average for the format, especially in facial blemishes and hair. These details become extremely noticeable as car lights shine onto the characters faces during brief moments. The transfer is generally sharp, though we do lose a little bit of clarity during the chase scenes, especially around the edges of the vehicles involved in the various pursuits. There are no signs of damage to the transfer such as scratches or dust, and I noticed no aliasing or OTT edge enhancement. Overall, it goes without saying that the picture quality of a decent standard, and as one would expect from such a new film. It's not reference quality, but there are no major problems. The disc is PAL, and the feature runs 85:35.
Audio
Arrow Films have provided a single Dolby Digital audio track in the feature's original Cantonese language. With all the car chases, it's exactly what you would expect. Engines roar, tyres squeal, and gear changes clunk, whilst the LFE boosts the brashness of the crunching metal in crashes, gun shots, and the score. Directionality is good throughout as cars race past from one end of the sound field to the other. As per the picture, there are no signs of bother with the sound. I noticed no scratches, no drop outs, and no background hiss. Lip syncing did appear to be a little off one or two times, but as it was only with one character in these scenes, it is obviously a result of the post-production dubbing. Subtitles are provided in English, and are optional.
Extras
The main extra on the disc is an extensive "Making Of" documentary clocking in at just under a hour (57:00). It's mainly behind-the-scenes footage, showing the cast and crew at work, and showing various camera angles during the many stunts. Plenty of interview snippets with various cast and crew members are also included, and add a little more understanding to the events leading up to the filming of certain shots. It seems to be a hard-working yet relaxed set, and although it lacks much needed narration, the documentary is worth watching. There's also some start-up trailers (3:59): - "The Taste of Money" (1:34) - "Exit" (0:56) - "Battle of the Pacific" (1:29)
Overall
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