The
Rooftop (2013/Well Go USA Blu-ray)
Picture:
B Sound: A- Extras: D Film: A-
Jay
Chou is Wax, a drifter with out a cause and a resident of the poor,
but happy community of the rooftop citizens, but upon meeting the
girl of his dreams, Sian (a movie star), his world is turned up side
down. As he does everything, from singing to dancing, to impress
her, and to just have a good time with her. But then he has to deal a
spoiled, jealous movie star who wants Starlet for himself and a rival
gang who want to take over the community in The Rooftop
(2013).
Not
to be confused with the 1989 Robert Wise film of the same name, but
with more than a little bit of the same plot, Chou also directs this
tale of a free-spirited martial artist and he protects his community,
friends and those he cares about from the gangs, bullies and debt
collectors. Sian (Hsin Ai Lee) is a rising young star who is working
to pay her father's debts. Wax decides to joins the acting troupe as
a stuntman, in order to get closer to Starlet. However the jealous
movie star of the film has other plans for Starlet and gets in their
way and tries to ruin Wax's reputation. While he and Starlet's
relationship is encouraged and supported by his friends and
community, his fighting skills have little defense against the
gossiping tongues, but when gang leader stages a revolution, Wax must
fight to save Starlet when she becomes a hostage.
The
movie was a lot like Grease with a Romeo and Juliet/West
Side Story plot: a young man and woman from two different classes
falling for each other and must over come the odds. As the character
tries to get the girl he pretends to be a gentleman, keeping her from
the fighter side of his nature, but ironical must use his fighting
skills to save her in the end. The film was beautiful and well
choreographed with a lot of funny and amusing singing and dancing.
The town, scenes, community village were however a bit too neon to
look realistic, but then it is a musical.
The
1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image looks like the musical
film version of Hairspray
more than
a little and like that film, this is shot in the Super 35mm film
format with its own heightened and stylized color with a fine
transfer meant to evoke Classical Hollywood musicals (especially
those produced in three-strip
Technicolor) and though the color has some limits, this is a fine
transfer (almost as good as Hairspray,
reviewed elsewhere on this site) and could not look much better than
it does here. The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is even more dynamic with
the capacity to more than handle the music, sound effects dialogue
and any fantasy designs the filmmakers come up with. Too bad we
don't get any extras.
-
Ricky Chiang
