Review by Leonard Norwitz

 

Studio:

Theatrical: MBC Television

YA Entertainment (USA)

 

Disc:

Region: 1

Runtime: 880 min

Episodes: 16 X 55 minutes each

Case: Hard cover w/ two volumes

Release date: January 8th, 2008

 

Video:

Aspect ratio: 4:3

Resolution: 480i

 

Audio:

Korean DD2.0

 

Subtitles: English, none

 

Extras:

• Excerpt from Episode 1 of Mr. Duke (20 Min.)

• Running Blog: Side Dishes (60 Min.)

 

 

 

The Film:

Score : 8>6. The series begins with a bang. Shin Hee, Hyun Woo and Ja Young are enjoying some sort of reunion with drinks at a restaurant/bar. Shin Hee offers her friends a ride and, even though drunk – drunker than either of her friends – she drives off into the night. Erratic driving and impaired judgment notwithstanding, along with pleas by her Ja Young to pay attention and even to stop the car, Shin Hee eventually plows right into some unfortunate fellow crossing the street. Hyun Woo, apparently without his seat belt fastened, goes sailing through the windshield. When Shin Hee comes to, miraculously with only minor injuries, she reviews the results of her handy-work: everyone dead or unconscious, she knows not which. Frightened, but undaunted, Shin Hee manages to position Ja Young behind the driver's seat, while she takes the passenger's. There she lies, feigning insensibility, until rescue vehicles arrive.

Excerpt of review from LensViews located HERE

 

 

Image:

Score: 8 (6~7/9). The score of 8 indicates a relative level of excellence compared to other standard definition DVDs on a 10- point scale for SD DVDs. The score in parentheses represents: first, a value for the image on a 10-point scale that accommodates both standard and high-definition DVDs – where any score above 7 for an SD is outstanding, since the large majority of high definition DVDs are 8-9.5. The second number in parentheses indicates how that image compares to what I believe is the current best we can expect in the theatre or, in the case of made-for-TV fare. As mentioned earlier the production values have much in common with MBC's All About Eve, the latter having a more saturated and denser image, while Truth went for a more naturalistic look. Enhancement and artifacts were at a minimum – hardly noticeable unless you were looking for them. All in all, a pretty good image considering it's not being progressive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio & Music:

Score: 7/8 The balance of dialogue to music to background sounds were, with only with brief exception right on the money. Being the sort of television drama that it is, there isn't much call for audio effects, and in that Truth does not disappoint. The music score was particularly good, making good use of American and European pop in the background to lend texture to the scene.

 

 

 

Operations:

Score: 9/7. As my DVD collection grows, I've become rather fond of compact box designs. By YAE standards, Truth qualifies: a simple, sturdy outer sleeve with an open end for two standard DVD cases. Each case holds three discs (Episodes 1-9 and Episodes 10-16 + the Special Features). Note additional comments under Extra Features.

 

Extras:

Score: 5. YAE offers two Bonus Features. The first is a twenty-minute excerpt from Mr. Duke, a series starring Choi Ji Woo – and which looks promising. The second is a new idea from YAE that they call "Side Dishes." In its present form, Side Dishes consists of a bloggish commentary that appears as subtitles during a rerun of Episode One. As the name suggests, Side Dishes is a veritable potpourri of comments – from Korean culture, traditions and language, to some bio information on the stars, to even a few admittedly bad jokes. My feeling is that this is a great idea presented in the wrong format. Since the comments rarely refer to the action above the titles, the episode itself becomes a distraction. More important, what might have taken 5-10 minutes to read through, now requires an hour. And if I wanted to review any bits at a later time, I would have no way of scanning through the dishes to find the place I needed. So, along with any bonus episodes from other series YAE wants to promote, the Extra Features might include the title, "Side Dishes," under which there would be chapters in text form, such as: Cast, Production Notes, Korean Language, Korean Culture & Traditions, Korean Humor, etc.

 

 

Bottom line:

Score: 7. Truth gets off to a great start and, until it sort of collapses under its own weight in the final episodes, rivets the attention. Recommended for its brilliantly layered examination of lying and loyalty, and its heartfelt performances by all concerned, especially the two rivals, the staggeringly beautiful and sensitive, Choi Ji Woo (soon to become Korea's most popular actress) and the seductively sinister Park Sun Young.

 

Leonard Norwitz
January 8, 2008