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Nightfall (2012) Blu-ray Review

nightfall-blu-ray-coverU.S. Release

  • Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
  • Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
  • Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
  • Audio Codec: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/16-bit), Cantonese Dolby Digital 2.0
  • Subtitles: English
  • Subtitles Color: White
  • Region: ABC (Region-Free)
  • Rating: Not Rated
  • Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
  • Digital Copies: N/A
  • Run Time: 108 Mins.
  • Studio: Well Go USA Entertainment
  • Blu-ray Release Date: May 21, 2013
  • List Price: $29.98

Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2/5]

Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures

(The below TheaterByte screen captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray Discs and losslessly compressed in the PNG format. There should be no loss of picture quality with this format. All screen captures should be regarded only as an approximation of the full capabilities of the Blu-ray format.

The Film

[Rating:4/5]

Nightfall-BD_02

Writer/Director Chow Hin Yeung Roy’s (Murderer) Hong Kong crime thriller Nightfall (Daai deoi bou;大追捕) is a multilayered and believable revenge drama set against a sumptuous backdrop courtesy of cinematographer Ardy Lam.

20-years after being incarcerated for raping and murdering his girlfriend —  a crime he maintained he didn’t commit — the now 40-year-old Wong Yuen-yeung (Nick Cheung; The Stool Pidgeon; Election) has been let out on parole and is seeking revenge on the man he believes framed him. Han Tsui (Michael Wong; Thunderbolt), a famous composer, is Wong’s target, and so is Han’s adopted teenaged daughter Zoe (Janice Man; Turning Point 2), who looks mysteriously like the girl Wong was accused of killing 20-years earlier.

Han is found dead on a beach one night and it falls on veteran detective George Lam (Simon Yam; The Thieves) and his young female partner to investigate. Lam makes the connection between the killing of Han’s daughter 20-year’s earlier and Wong. Immediately suspicion falls on Wong and a game of cat and mouse begins. Wong, who seems to be obsessed with Han’s daughter Zoe, much like he was accused of being 20-years ago with the girl they said he killed, Eva, is leading the police on a strange trail. Lam can’t seem to figure out why Wong, a former chess master with high test scores in math and science and a meticulous personality, has suddenly become so sloppy, leaving them clues that obviously point right back to him as both the killer of Han Tsui and the man stalking Zoe.

In its slow-burning build up and constantly unfolding twists, Nightfall weaves a wholly rapturous and more than believable tale of crime, mystery, and revenge. There’s no doubt that it is helped along in a big way by the atmospheric visual style of Ardy Lam, who imparts a sleek, and modern feel with an ominous urban cast over the proceedings. The imagery of the film becomes almost a third character in the film, helping to set the mood, especially since the main antagonist here, Wong, is a mute (he lost his voice from a suicide attempt, as we learn, in prison).

Chow also keeps us entertained with a few action sequences that feel less over-the-top than they do tastefully placed. One such sequence places Wong and detective Lam in a glass-bottomed tram suspended way in the air for a fight sequence in which Wong makes a daring mid-air escape. It’s a nail-biting, and brilliantly filmed scene.

Video Quality

[Rating:4/5]

Nightfall-BD_01

Nightfall was shot in high definition using the Red One MX Zeiss Ultra Prime and Angenieux HR lenses. Arriving on Blu-ray with the usual AVC/MPEG-4 1080p encodement from Well Go USA, the film looks as good as one would expect a contemporary HD cinematic production to look, showing good contrast, strong textural information, and inky black levels. There are occasional spots of digital noise from the production in what is an otherwise clean image.

Audio Quality

[Rating:4/5]

Nightfall-BD_03

Nightfall gets a Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/16-bit) soundtrack that is both atmospheric and dynamic with clean dialogue and a good balance of sounds across the front and surround channels. A good bit of low frequencies help give the bottom a solid foundation.

Supplemental Materials

[Rating:2/5]

Nightfall-BD_04

Not much here, but the 47 minute making of is an interesting watch.

The supplements:

  • Making of (1.78:1; SD; 00:47:42)
  • Trailer (2.35:1; 1080p/24)

The Definitive Word

Overall:

Nightfall-BD_05

Nightfall is one of the strongest crime thrillers out of Hong Kong to hit Blu-ray so far this year. It has it all, the complex plot, a charismatic detective, revenge, just enough sequences of violence to keep it edgy, but not enough to be gratuitous, and a sleek production. This one is a winner all around.

Additional Screen Captures

[amazon-product]B00BC1UP3I[/amazon-product]

Purchase Nightfall on Blu-ray at CD Universe

Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com

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Nightfall-BD_15

[amazon-product]B00BC1UP3I[/amazon-product]

Purchase Nightfall on Blu-ray at CD Universe

Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com

Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2/5]

 

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