Kansen rettô Blu-ray Review
Kansen rett�
Score: 58
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
Despite being Region-A locked, the Blu-ray of 'Kansen rettô' offers adequate image and sound quality, complemented by an engaging, albeit melodramatic film.
![Kansen rettô Blu-ray Front Cover](https://images.mightychroma.me/reviews/small_kansen_retto_blu_ray_front_aa545c6f72.jpeg)
Disc Release Date
Video: 61
The 1080p Blu-ray presentation of "Kansen rettô" by Panorama exhibits a theatrically correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio and offers generally strong fine detail and clarity, though it is somewhat inconsistent with heavy color manipulation, slight edge enhancement, and light noise reduction. Overall, it provides a decent, if not stellar, visual experience.
Audio: 66
The Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track delivers a solid audio experience with clear dialogue, potent bass, intelligent use of rear channels, and minimal distortion, though it primarily relies on a front-heavy mix with notable ambient moments and dynamic helicopter pans.
Extra: 53
Supplemental extras on a Region-Free SDVD include a ‘Making of’ featurette and two original Japanese trailers, all presented without English subtitles but with optional Traditional Chinese subtitles.
Movie: 56
"While 'Kansen rettô'—aka 'Pandemic'—presents a compelling narrative blending drama, horror, and romance, it suffers from inconsistent pacing and clichéd characters, diluted by an hour of unnecessary filler, despite effective messaging and noteworthy special effects.”
![Loading](https://images.mightychroma.me/content/xlarge_Mighty_Chroma_Square_Logo_0973ab8c2d.png)
Video: 61
Pandemic's Blu-ray video presentation, courtesy of Panorama, is framed in a theatrically correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio and employs a 1080p resolution with MPEG-4 AVC encoding, locked to region A. The initial scenes command attention with their overly vivid color palette, designed to differentiate locales like the Philippines through intense, primary hues that can border on garish. This is an intentional cinematic choice rather than a display error. Moving into Tokyo’s main narrative, the color grading shifts to a more subdued palette with occasional yellow/green tints. Unfortunately, this results in whites showing some blooming and blacks losing depth, leading to occasional crushing. Skin tones remain relatively consistent, though some scenes do portray ruddy cheeks or slightly off complexions.
The high-definition transfer offers inconsistent results. While close-ups effectively reveal the nuanced suffering of the infected with strong fine detail and pleasing clarity, other aspects falter. The picture sometimes lacks the sharpness Blu-ray enthusiasts expect, evident in the softness around edges and limited detail in hair and fabrics unless captured in close-up. Some scenes exhibit mild edge-enhancement and light noise reduction, particularly those with intentional color manipulations such as heavy orange tints accompanied by light pulsations.
Despite these issues, the urban scenes fare much better, showcasing rich and well-saturated greens, blues, grays, and blacks. Additionally, the transfer is free from macroblocking and has minimal stability issues. The image remains clean without disturbing scratches, marks, flecks, or stains. Overall, this is a decent presentation that displays strengths in certain areas but does not reach exceptional levels across all parameters. It remains an interesting visual experience that could benefit from finer detail and consistent coloring throughout.
Audio: 66
The Blu-Ray audio presentation of "Kansen rettô" features a Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which proves to be robust and effective in delivering an immersive auditory experience. This generally front-heavy mix is punctuated with moments of ambient surround sound, although it falls short of providing a consistent 360-degree soundscape. Notable audio elements include dynamic helicopter pans that traverse the room effectively, enhancing spatial realism. Bass response is satisfyingly solid, underpinning the rhythmic beating of the score without distortion, though it recedes during more melodramatic score shifts.
Dialogue fidelity is a strong point with clear, stable, and warm integration into the front speaker array, ensuring comprehensibility throughout most of the film. However, there was a minor lapse in dialogue level in one scene, which was an isolated instance and did not significantly detract from the overall audio quality. Additionally, the high-frequencies are well-balanced, avoiding any harshness that could detract from the listening experience.
The rear channels are intelligently utilized to add depth without being overpowering. Goro Yasukawa's music score is well-integrated and free from balance issues, allowing for an undisturbed viewing experience. Importantly, no audio artifacts such as pops, cracks, hissings, or dropouts were detected, emphasizing the reliability of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Overall, despite its lack of complexity, this audio track prioritizes critical elements like score and dialogue effectively, making it a solid choice for viewers.
Extra: 53
The Blu-ray extras for "Kansen rettô" offer a modest yet insightful peek behind the scenes, though their accessibility is hindered by a lack of English subtitles and their placement on a Region 3 NTSC SDVD. The featurette includes comprehensive raw footage from film production, showcasing cast and crew interactions and directorial guidance, but remains unintelligible to non-Japanese speaking audiences unless they can read Traditional Chinese subtitles. The package also contains two original Japanese trailers, again with only Chinese subtitle options available.
Extras included in this disc:
- Making of: A standard featurette with behind-the-scenes footage. Primarily in Japanese with option for Traditional Chinese subtitles.
- Trailer 1: The original Japanese trailer for "Pandemic". In Japanese with Traditional Chinese subtitles.
- Trailer 2: Another original Japanese trailer for "Pandemic". In Japanese with Traditional Chinese subtitles.
Movie: 56
Takahisa Zeze's "Kansen Rettô" (2009), also known as "Pandemic," presents a multifaceted narrative set against the backdrop of an avian influenza outbreak. This film, from Hong Kong-based distributors Panorama, delivers a blend of drama, horror, and romance that, while ambitious, risks leaving its audience divided. The basic premise aligns with the tense suspense of familiar outbreak thrillers like Wolfgang Petersen's "Outbreak" and Robert Wise's "The Andromeda Strain," albeit with a distinctly Japanese aesthetic and thematic approach.
The storyline follows Dr. Matsuoka (Satoshi Tsumabuki) and Dr. Kobayashi (Rei Dan) as they grapple with a rapidly spreading virus in Japan. Starting with a patient exhibiting alarming flu symptoms in a provincial ER, the situation escalates to a national crisis. The narrative dissects the chaos of emergency rooms inundated with patients, insufficient medical supplies, and the collapse of public order leading to government intervention. The depiction of social upheaval and governmental response is sincere and evocative, effectively highlighting mankind's vulnerabilities in the face of catastrophic outbreaks.
While "Pandemic" is well-shot across locations in Japan and the Philippines, offering a visually compelling experience, it is not without its flaws. The film's pacing is notably inconsistent, rendering its runtime somewhat bloated with unnecessary filler that could detract from its overall impact. Additionally, the character development is reliant on archetypes that may seem cliched, and some of the special effects appear jarring in their execution. Nevertheless, Zeze's narrative weaves an unmistakable and timely message: humanity's hubris can be its downfall. This thematic undercurrent becomes particularly salient given contemporary concerns about global pandemics. Overall, "Pandemic" demands an open-minded audience willing to appreciate its earnest critique of human fallibility amidst speculative yet plausible disaster scenarios.
Total: 58
"Kansen rettô," directed by Takahisa Zeze, offers a gripping depiction of a pandemic scenario that resonates with its potent message. Released as a Blu-ray by Hong Kong-based distributors Panorama, the film benefits from competent audiovisual presentation. The image quality, though slightly soft, maintains an adequate level of clarity to effectively convey the story's tension and atmosphere. The sound design is well-balanced, focusing on clear speech delivery and a compelling score that underscores the unfolding drama.
Technically, the Blu-ray delivers a satisfactory experience, albeit not without its limitations. The Region-A lock may be a hurdle for those outside this region without compatible players, but within this constraint, it performs admirably. The picture quality, while lacking in stunning sharpness, is sufficient for an engaging viewing experience. Audio elements are robust, contributing significantly to the immersion without overwhelming the viewer.
Extras on the disc are limited and predominantly tailored to Chinese-speaking audiences, which might reduce their appeal to international viewers. Nevertheless, the film itself remains the core attraction. Despite a tendency towards overacted melodrama, "Kansen rettô" emerges as an engaging narrative with a significant social message.
In conclusion, "Kansen rettô" on Blu-ray is a commendable release despite its regional limitations and somewhat modest technical attributes. The disc’s image and sound quality meet essential standards, and the film's message is both timely and compelling. While not a flawless package, it remains a worthwhile addition for genre enthusiasts and those interested in pandemic-themed storytelling.
avforums review by Mark BotwrightRead review here
Video: 60
The disc itself is locked to region A. The first scenes will likely strike your eyes as unremittingly garish, with colours that should come with a health warning, but fear not, you haven't accidentally...
Audio: 70
The dialogue is for the vast majority of the film amply provided for by the centre speaker, though there was one scene which seemed to lapse in terms of level, but this was a comparative drop in the ocean...
Extras: 40
All extras appear on a supplemental DVDMaking of - 27:46The usual clips of cast and crew preparing for shots, filming scenes and receiving instructions from the director....
Movie: 40
Pandemicis an odd mish-mash of a film, it contains all the elements of a decentOutbreakstyle thriller but enshrouds what should by rights be a 90 minute rollercoaster with an added hours worth of filler...
Total: 50
The picture doesn't stun but more than does its job, if in a slightly soft way, whilst the audio adds a little more flourish but stays fairly grounded to the pillars of realising the speech and score....
Blu-ray.com review by Dr. Svet AtanasovRead review here
Video: 70
All in all, this is still a very pleasing presentation of an interesting film, which is yet to be released on Blu-ray in North America....
Audio: 80
The bass is not overly active but it is pleasingly potent, the rear channels intelligently used, and the high-frequencies not overdone....
Extras: 60
In order to view them in North America, you must have a Region-Free Blu-ray player or a Region-Free SDVD player....
Movie: 70
Shot on locations in Japan and the Philippines, Pandemic blends drama, horror, and romance in a way that could potentially frustrate some viewers....
Total: 70
It is, however, Region-A "locked", so keep that in mind if you reside in a Region-B territory and do not have the proper equipment to view its content....
Director: Takahisa Zeze
Actors: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Rei Dan, Ryôko Kuninaka
PlotIn a bustling modern-day Japan, a deadly new virus begins to spread rapidly, causing panic and chaos. The virus, a highly contagious airborne pathogen, exhibits symptoms similar to the common flu but quickly escalates, leading to severe respiratory failure and death. Amid this escalating crisis, we follow the experiences of a dedicated young doctor who desperately seeks a cure, a determined nurse on the front lines trying to save lives, and a bereaved woman grappling with her personal loss and societal breakdown. As hospitals overflow and the death toll rises, the government places cities under quarantine, intensifying the tension and fear among the populace.
Parallel storylines unfold, highlighting the collective struggle and response to the epidemic. Scientists race against time to develop a vaccine, facing bureaucratic obstacles and ethical dilemmas. Citizens find themselves gripped by paranoia and distrust, with the breakdown of social order leading to violent confrontations and acts of desperation. Authorities enforce strict measures that challenge ethical boundaries, and survival instinct pushes individuals to their limits. Set against a backdrop of urban decay and human suffering, the narrative delves into the core of human resilience, exploring how society grapples with an existential threat and the lengths people will go to protect their loved ones.
Writers: Takahisa Zeze, Takashi Hirano, Atsuyuki Shimoda
Release Date: 17 Jan 2009
Runtime: 138 min
Rating: N/A
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese