Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video (both):

Audio:

DTS-HD Master Audio Korean 1983 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1983 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
LPCM Audio Korean 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit

Bitrate:

 

Description: Following his role as a naval hero in the period epic The Admiral: Roaring Currents, Choi Min Sik plays a retired sharpshooter this time in the period blockbuster The Tiger: An Old Hunter's Tale, which marks the actor's second collaboration with director Park Hoon Jung after the 2013 crime drama New World. The period drama also co-stars Jung Man Shik (A Hard Day) as a Joseon hunter under the Japanese army, young actor Sung Yu Bin (The Trip around the World) as the retired hunter's son and Japanese actor Osugi Ren (Chasuke's Journey) as a Japanese government official.

In 1925 during the Japanese occupation, retired top hunter Chun Man Deok (Choi Min Sik) moves to a hut in a mountain with his son Seok (Sung Yu Bin). Obsessed with tiger skins, Japanese government official Maejono (Osugi Ren) decides to kill all the tigers in the country. The extermination is also an act to destroy Joseon's morale since tigers are the symbol of the country's national spirit. However, their plan doesn't go as well as expected because the remaining tiger is still missing. Joined by Seok, Gu Kyung (Jung Man Sik), the leader of the Joseon hunters ruled by the Japanese army, is assigned to find that tiger but it won't be an easy task because Chun Man Deok is determined to protect the last tiger of Joseon.

 

 

The Film:

Excerpt from IrishFilmCritic located HERE

Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

The Tiger: An Old Hunter's Tale looks solid on Blu-ray from Well Go USA - and the 1080P produces an acceptable presentation despite a modest bitrate. Probably more kudos to the film's impressive art direction. The CGI tiger sequences are, for the most part, fast-cut edited and I thought they worked fine within the context of the film's plot. There are some beautiful sequences - snow, autumn leaves... blood. Without comparing to the Korean Blu-ray, I thought it was a quite a decent HD video presentation.

So, Eureka do a more robust transfer - double the bitrate of the US BD. The image shows as brighter, tighter and... greener - which, for all I know - maybe more accurate. One thing I can state for certain is that the UK transfer looks superior in-motion. It's a gorgeous film and the CGI does not look clunky at all. Advantage Eureka.   

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

1) Well Go USA - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Well Go USA - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Well Go USA - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Well Go USA - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Well Go USA - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

More Blu-ray Captures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Well Go USA - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

BOTTOM LINE:
I liked this film and loved the premise but my complaint would be that the film is, almost, too intense. The Koreans can tend to overreach in their cinema and this would be a typical  'over-produced' example. I was reminded of the subtler 1996's The Ghost and the Darkness (Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer), which I really liked, where the double tiger combination killed some 900 villagers - a fictionalized account of the 'Tsavo Man-Eaters', two lions that attacked and killed workers at Tsavo, Kenya, during the building of the Uganda-Mombasa Railway in East Africa in 1898. It's an exciting premise and I appreciated the man-beast conflict elevated to a metaphysical level. The Well Go USA Blu-ray produces a fine presentation - worthy of an exciting night in the Home Theater. The price is right.

 

My type of film - a modern-made creature-feature and it includes historical context. Strap yourself in - this is one mean tiger and one extreme ride. Sure - recommended if you, also, enjoy 'man vs. beast' thrills!