Initial D [Blu-ray]

Buy This Item Initial D [Blu-ray] by Tai Seng  Available from Amazon  $19.95  on 8-27-2008     An exciting, often funny live-action adaptation of the popular Japanese comic book and anime series, <i>Initial D</i> comes across like <i>Rebel Without a Cause</i> with a slight superhero twist. Starring a largely Chinese cast led by Taiwanese music star Jay Chou, and made by the co-directors of <i>Infernal Affairs</i>, Wai Keung Lau and Siu Fai Mak, <i>Initial D</i> (a huge hit in Japan) is the story of Takumi (Chou), the reserved, adolescent son of a former racing champion turned tofu maker (Anthony Wong). Since his mother's recent death, Takumi has been on the receiving end of his father's frustrations, causing him to withdraw and tell no one that in the wee hours, while he's delivering tofu to his dad's sleeping customers, Takumi's secretly mastering the art of "drifting," a form of racing that gives a driver an advantage on curving roads. Pressured into competing with aggressive street racers looking for a bout, Takumi comes out into the open about his skill, leading to a renewal of his relationship with his dad and an unexpected collision with the girl (Anne Suzuki) he loves. A visual treat that keeps finding novel ways of shooting multiple challenges between the same drivers over the same road on pitch-black nights, <i>Initial D</i> is a fine entry in the racing genre, seasoned with snappy comic relief. <i>--Tom Keogh</i> Reader Reviews Since nobody has reviewed the Blu-ray transfer, I might as well. I will start off by saying that I have this on DVD as well and this review will be based in comparison to it in terms of video/audio quality. At first I was a bit skeptical about this one, I am not too familiar with studios doing transfers from over seas. But just wow, this video transfer is definitely a step up from the DVD! The clarity and color is just superb and it was definitely a joy to watch again. You can actually see the detail in skin tones (like most great transfers) and during the races it pretty crystal clear to keep up with the action. My only gripe about the transfer is that some scenes are a hit and miss. Like you can catch some noise in some scenes (most notably in the Gas Station scenes) and BLACKS are sometimes crushing (most notably during in-car scenes at night). Sorry but I am still running a standard 5.1 DD and in terms of the audio quality its nearly identical to the DVD's 5.1 DD. If anyone gets to test the Cantonese LPCM let me know how it turns out! I actually watched this movie in English DD and the dubbing is so-so as expected but fitting. All in all if you are a fellow Blu-ray enthusiast, I actually would recommend this one and being at 19.00 smacks, its actually worth more than that sitting nicely in your collection. TESTED ON: Sony Playstation 3 Sony Bravia KDL40v2500 (1080p) Harman Kardon AVR146 with Polk Surrounds and MTX SW2

Initial D [Blu-ray] Available from Amazon Price: $19.95 Updated on 8-27-2008.

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