- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit), English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/16-bit)
- Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
- Subtitles Color: White
- Region: A (Region-Locked)
- Rating: PG-13
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Digital Copies: N/A
- Run Time: 93 Mins.
- Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
- Blu-ray Release Date: April 9, 2013
- List Price: $29.98
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(The below TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Jet Li blasts to Blu-ray in a visually stunning new wuxia adventure directed by Ching Siu-Tung (An Empress and the Warriors). Ostensibly a film based in the Chinese Legend of the White Snake, this is a film and story that goes beyond its boundaries, offering something weird, wild, and action-packed. In a world where demons and humans reside side-by-side even as their dimensions are meant to be separate, the creators of The Sorcerer and the White Snake give us a world of talking animals, strange beasts, and Eden-like reveries as a backdrop to epic martial arts battles.
The story revolves around the powerful monk, Abott Fahai (Li) who battles demons that have crossed over into the world of humans. When a young herbalist doctor Xu Xian (Raymond Lam) is saved by a beautiful white snake demon named Susu (Huang Shengyi) after her mischievous sister, green snake (Charlene Choi) nearly drowns him, white snake becomes smitten with him and he falls in love with her. She takes human form to become his wife, but the Abott sniffs out who she really is and an epic battle ensues to force her back to where she belongs and save the world from ruin.
The Sorcerer and the White Snake is filled with action sequence upon action sequence, a wonderful lighthearted sense of whimsy, and, most of all, a rich love story at its center that propels the story forward. While the ending does break down into a somewhat overbearingly saccharine and sappy conclusion, it’s not enough to thwart the events that preceded it. This is a fun-filled romp all the way, rich in visual detail, elaborate choreography, and magnificently beautiful costumes.
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Magnolia Home Entertainment gives The Sorcerer and the White Snake a strong AVC/MPEG-4 1080p encodement of its 35mm (Super 35) source. The image is sharp and crisp with strong contrast and lots of natural texture and a thin layer of grain. Colors are lively and vibrant, particularly the primaries like reds, blues, and greens which really leap from the screen.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
The Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit) soundtrack is dynamic and often aggressive in its panning of discrete sounds into the surround channels. The low frequencies are deep without being too unwieldy, while the highs sound just right. Dialogue is clean without clipping and atmospherics are natural and encompassing, imparting a spacious feel to the overall soundscape.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
The Sorcerer and the White Snake comes with a small slate of brief production featurettes, all in standard definition plus a brief expose from AXSTV and the original theatrical trailer in HD.
- Behind the Scenes with Jet Li: Fighting, Stunts, & Laughs (2.35:1; SD; 00:06:17)
- Behind the Scenes: Visual Effects and Production Design (2.35:1; SD; 00:06:50)
- Behind the Scenes of the Beauties and the Beasts (2.35:1; SD; 00:05:21)
- AXSTV: A Look at The Sorcerer an the White Snake (SD; 00:02:58)
- Theatrical Trailer (2.35:1; 1080p/24)
- BD-Live
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
Although The Sorcerer and the White Snake does at times feel like it is drifting dangerously close to being too campy or way too surreal, it is always pulled back from the ledge and kept in check. The end result is a satisfying, thrilling, and fun adventure with Jet Li and the charming Huang Shengyi at the center.
Additional Screen Captures
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BestBuy.com:
Purchase The Sorcerer and the White Snake on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
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[amazon-product]B00BWTXKNM[/amazon-product]
[amazon-product]B00B1CGCQM[/amazon-product]
[amazon-product]B00B1CGF7I[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase The Sorcerer and the White Snake 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:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
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