(aka "Lashou shentan" or "Hard Boiled" or "God of Guns" or  "Hot-Handed God of Cops" or "Ruthless Super-Cop")

 

directed by John Woo
Hong Kong 1992

 

Violence as poetry, rendered by a master—brilliant and passionate, John Woo’s Hard Boiled tells the story of jaded detective “Tequila” Yuen (played with controlled fury by Chow Yun-fat). Woo’s dizzying odyssey through the world of Hong Kong Triads, undercover agents, and frenzied police raids culminates unforgettably in the breathless hospital sequence. More than a cops-and-bad-guys story, Hard Boiled continually startles with its originality and dark humor.

Posters

Theatrical Release: September 12th, 1992 - Toronto Film Festival

Reviews    More Reviews  DVD Reviews

DVD Comparison:

Long Shong Int. (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Fox/Lorber- Region 1 vs.  Mei Ah Region 0 NTSC vs.  TF1 Vidéo (France)- Region 2- PAL vs. Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Vincent Bouche for the TF1 Captures and  Enrico for the Mei Ah Region 0 screen captures

(Long Shong International - Region 0 - NTSC  LEFT  Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC MIDDLE -. Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers

 

Distribution

Long Shong International

Region 0  - NTSC

Fox/Lorber - Winstar

Region 1  - NTSC

Mei Ah 
Region 0  - NTSC
Runtime 2:16:12 2:07:24 2:07:24
Video 1.60:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 4.19 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

1.70:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate:6.80 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

1.77:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 7.41
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

Bitrates:

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

Bitrate:

Fox

 

Bitrate:

Fox

Audio DUB: Mandarin (Dolby Digital 2.0) Cantonese (Dolby Digital 1.0), English (Dolby Digital 1.0)

Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1) + Mono + DTS, Mandarin (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles English, Chinese (simplified) - simultaneously burned in English, None English, Chinese (traditional + simplified) Japanese, None.
Features Release Information:
Studio: Long Shong International

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterbox - 1.60:1

Edition Details:
• None

DVD Release Date: April 2004

Keep Case

Chapters 4

Release Information:
Studio: Fox Lorber

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterbox - 1.70:1

Edition Details:
• Color, Widescreen
• Commentary by John Woo
• Production notes
• Theatrical trailer
• 3-D Motion Menus
• Widescreen letterbox format

DVD Release Date: October 3, 2000

Keep Case

Chapters 30

Release Information:
Studio: Mei Ah

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.77:1

Edition Details:

Database - text screens -bios etc.

 

DVD Release Date: March 19th, 2002

Cardboard Case

Chapters 12

 

 

(TF1 Vidéo - Region 2- PAL LEFT vs.  Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

 

DVD Box Covers

Distribution

TF1 Vidéo

Region 2- PAL

Criterion Collection Spine # 9

Region 1  - NTSC

Runtime 2:02:00 (4% PAL speedup) 2:07:20
Video

1.77:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 7.37
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.92:1 Overmatted
Average Bitrate: 5.73 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

Bitrates:

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

 

TF1 Video + Criterion

 

 

TF1 Video + Criterion

 

Audio Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1 + Mono)
French (Dolby Digital 5.1 + Mono)
Cantonese (Dolby Digital 1.0), English (Dolby Digital 1.0)
Subtitles French (forced on Cantonese soundtracks) English and none
Features Release Information:
Studio: TF1 Vidéo

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.77:1

 

* Edition Details

- "A L'Epreuve du Temps" documentary (documentary is mostly in English with French subtitles. everything else is in French, or Cantonese with French subtitles)
- Alternate Scene
- Interview with Tony Leung
- Interview with Nicolas Saada
- Photo Gallery
- Filmographies
- Theatrical Trailer
- Promotional trailers
- Web link

DVD Release Date: Nov 21st, 2002
Digipak Case

Chapters 18

Release Information:
Studio: Home Vision Entertainment

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen  - 1.92:1 (overmatted)

 

Edition Details:

• Optimal image quality: dual-layer edition 
• Audio commentary by John Woo, producer Terence Chang, filmmaker Roger Avary, and critic Dave Kehr 
• Trailers for 11 of Woo’s Hong Kong films 
• A student film by Woo 
• Optional English subtitles and dubbed track 
• Guide to Hong Kong crime films 
• Notes on Hard Boiled 

 

DVD Release Date: June 16, 1998
Keep Case

Chapters 45

Comments:

Addition:

The Long Shong DVD is filled with problems - ghosting, severely cropped, hazy. It does sport an intermission where a color bar flashes for an instance and then a black screen, but not a reason to get this DVD in my opinion. It is filled with artifacts and the burned in dual subtitles are the final nail in the coffin. Add to that no Extra features and an appalling low bitrate. Take a pass.

NOTE about the Long Shong version: This is the only uncut version of John Woo's classic film, Hard Boiled, available on DVD. It features approximately 5 minutes of additional footage not found in any other DVD release, including the coveted Criterion DVD. The extended scenes include an extended hospital evacuation/shootout sequence. Please note that due to the distributor using a master that came in two parts, there is a gap on the DVD containing a black screen. All you have to do is fast forward through it.

**********

There are many fans of this film and, because of that, three of these editions at one time or another were OOP (Out of Print). Mei Ah have re-mastered their first effort and added 5.1 sound. All editions seem to have some issues. The TF1 Video edition has by far the best image, but most unfortunately no English subtitles (only French and an option for a French DUB). The new Mei Ah has no Extras worth speaking of, comes in a nice cardboard box, has flaws in the subtitles, is the only edition, aside from the TF1, that is anamorphic and the picture is slightly cropped and very saturated. Okay, the Criterion has the best Extras, is severely over-matted (cropped) and has the original Mono sound. The Fox - Lorber release is the best of the three English subtitled releases with the 'fullest' image (still miles away from the TF1 Video), a directors commentary and the original mono sound. I've read that the Mono sound is better than the 5.1/DTS offering on the Mei Ah - so our recommendation is quite scattered. TF1 for image, Mei Ah/TF1 for audio, Criterion for Extras. As a package with English subs, I would consider the Fox/Lorber.

NOTE: The Meh AI DVD is the only DVD that has an actual English translation of the Cantonese dialog.  The FOX and Criterion DVDs are dubtitles, which means they are based off the English dub.

  - Gary W. Tooze

 

 





DVD Menus

(Long Shong International - Region 0 - NTSC  TOP -  -. Fox Lorber - Region 1 - NTSC MIDDLE LEFT -. Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE RIGHT TF1 Vidéo - Region 2- PAL BOTTOM LEFT vs.  Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM RIGHT)


 

 


Screen Captures

( Long Shong Int. - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. Fox Lorber - Region 1 - NTSC 2nd -. Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC 3rd -- TF1 Vidéo - Region 2- PAL - 4th vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)


 


( Long Shong Int. - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. Fox Lorber - Region 1 - NTSC 2nd -. Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC 3rd -- TF1 Vidéo - Region 2- PAL - 4th vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 


 

( Long Shong Int. - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. Fox Lorber - Region 1 - NTSC 2nd -. Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC 3rd -- TF1 Vidéo - Region 2- PAL - 4th vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 


 

( Long Shong Int. - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. Fox Lorber - Region 1 - NTSC 2nd -. Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC 3rd -- TF1 Vidéo - Region 2- PAL - 4th vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 



( Long Shong Int. - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. Fox Lorber - Region 1 - NTSC 2nd -. Mei Ah Region 0 - NTSC 3rd -- TF1 Vidéo - Region 2- PAL - 4th vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 


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Report Card:

Image:

TF1 Video

Sound:

Mei Ah/TF! Video

Extras: Criterion
Menu: Criterion

 

 


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