I have to start with the fact this blu ray has magnificent quality! it was my first blu ray and i definatly dont regret this buy!

But as for the movie! well there isnt a single sentence to sum up this movie! for me this is now right up there in the top 10 movies of all time! definatly around #4! the acting is superb! very believeable! its not often you come across such an epic asian movie but this is beyond my expectations!

This movie is based on the novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” and while it does follow the storyline to the exact detail there are some things that they have changed which i assume is to make it more dramatic and movie like! Tony Leung played his role as Zhou Yu perfectly and caught the very essence of Zhou Yu! and as for Takeshi Kaneshiro playing the great mastermind Zhuge Liang! it was such a delight watching this man in the movie, he is amazingly brilliant and again playing the character perfectly to the last detail! and my last favourite character was Nakamura Shido as Gan Xing! a funny yet hardened character in the movie! also playing the character perfectly!

Even if your not a fan of these kinds of movies i would still reccomend it! i would even go as far as to say it is at some points a bit of a tear jerker! It is so fun watching this movie! I didnt even really notice it was a subtitled movie because i was so engrossed by it! it has fighting, gore, romance and intense relationships between friends/brothers/family! i hope John Woo creates another masterpiece such as this based around the warring states period! i simply cant stress this enough, BUY THIS BLUE RAY! YOU WONT REGRET IT! EPIC MOVIE! 10/10 oh and by the way, to those of you against “flying people” ITS A METAPHORE!

To fill in a little more information not provided in the listing here for the 2008 Red Cliff (Special Edition) Blu-ray.

Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (Chinese)
Video: HD 1080p24/16:9 2:35:1 (Feature) 480i (Extras – Standard Definition)

Part I: 145 minutes
Part II: 141 minutes

Subtitles: Burnt in English

Excellent film, both the video and audio are demo quality. Although Part II lagged a bit, I am quite pleased with my purchase.

We had tried to see this film at the cinema but the projector broke down 30 mins before the end so we were keen to see the DVD. The Special Edition is much longer than the Cinema version (set aside 4 hours) but this only gives greater depth and understanding to what is truely a cinematic experience. Beautifully acted and filmed the sub titles do not detract from what is an entertaining and and at times edge of the seat visual experience that keeps you guessing until the very end as to what the outcome will be. If you have seen the shorter cinema version this longer version will make you realise that a complex film had been unfairly shortened. Great battle scenes and not unecessarily gory for the sake of it yet balanced by some good gentle moments and thoughtful dialogue between the characters. Get in a nice takeaway Chinnese meal and enjoy a feast for the eyes. Red Cliff [Special Edition DVD] [2008]

I originally bought the cut down 2hr 30min. version of this film (big mistake), even though I knew that the full film was nearly 5hrs. long, thinking that it would still be a good movie (and it is). But the editing left so much out that as to be seen, the shorter version tends to be more confusing because of it. I now have this version and I’m glad I have, it is a true masterpiece of cinema. If you regard yourself as a film buff and a fan of epic cinema then there are certain movies that should be in your collection,Lawrence Of Arabia, Spartacus, Braveheart, Gladiator,(to name just four) and Red Cliff (special edition).
I have only one criticism of the film, and that is the subtitles. I’m not a great fan of subtitles and so a lot of good foriegn language movies have passed me by (my loss). On this film the subtitles are rather small and hard to read, depending on the background, and sometimes the dialogue between characters is quite fast so they change quickly. But don’t let that put you off, this film is truly awesome and on blu-ray looks and sounds superb.

Highly Recommended. A Must Own.

This movie is fantastic. Not a movie I would usualy pick up in a shop or try, but a Friend highly recomended it to me, and I am glad he did. I’m glad I picked it up on Blu-Ray, the DTS Master Audio soundtrack, and picture quality is awsome. I thought I would just watch 10 minutes to see what it was like, but couldnt stop watching for the length of the film. The film has HUGE battle scenes, top special effects, and a great story line. A real winner!

This is the best Blu-ray disc I have bought so far as the quality of both the picture and audio I feel is better than Kingdom of Heaven or Troy. Some scenes gave the impression that they were 3D it is that detailed.
The story is good and will keep you entertained – even though it is about four and a half hours spread over 2 discs. Don’t get the other version of this film as I understand that it is only 2 and a half hours long, so you will miss a lot.
This is a John Woo film so plenty of action and all done on a grand scale – some of the overview shots are amazing.
Ok the extras are lacking and the subtitles are burnt on, no dubbed English version, but don’t let that put you off, if you enjoy epic films like this then don’t hesitate – JUST BUY IT. Brilliant.
I can only hope John Woo will make another film like this soon.

Five stars even if the subtitles are really bad! You can barely read them and they disappear off the screen so fast sometimes, silly and spoiling! And I often think the interpretations in these films leave a lot to be desired, but again acceptable in this epic. The film is majestic, brilliant, perhaps the best of its kind, and I’ve watched quite a few lately. The action is great, verging on the silly at times, but can be forgiven. The stars are superb, particularly the strategist, you wouldn’t think a feather could convey so much, but it does. The Viceroy is wonderfully portrayed, and the final battle scene, perhaps one of the biggest in scope I have seen in a movie. Highly recommended.

I haven’t enjoy a John Woo film since Hard Boiled. He is finally going to Hong Kong Where he can do what he wants in a brilliant way. The Blu-ray quality (image and sound) is nearly perfect. Just a bit disappointed by the burnt-in-english subtitles. The Documentary is a bit of a let-down as it looks like a Press Kit than anything else.

I am not exactly sure what problem people have with this release. I saw the “Theatrical Cut” in the cinema, a version that combined the two films together with a patronising american voice over, and it was amazing, now having the chance to see it in its original form is even better, not only are we introduced to a new series of plot lines, but new characters and a film that deserves to sit up there on your shelves.

This is not a random martial arts film, this is John Woo’s Epic. It is not simply about two armies beating the hell out of each other, but a multi layered narrative about friendships, warfare and philosophy. The use of the tea making ceremony is incredibly important.

I’m not quite sure what problem people have with the subtitles, I can read them on a 32″ HD TV, and if you want to skip the trailers, just fast forward, it’s not complicated.

My only problem with the discs is that I would have liked a few more special features, but thats personal taste and holds nothing against the film.

If you don’t want to think, and just want to watch bad martial arts, go and watch a film with Jason Statham, if you want something that is entertaining and beautiful, I recommend this film.

Make no bones about it, this movie is phenomenal and that is no exaggeration. Introduced to you in a short English narrative, the movie is an epic to rival any other modern war movie. It is typical of most movies of this type, two clashing dynasties, one oppressive the others are humble, modest and outnumbered. However, you cannot consider that a let-down, the story branches out from just another heroic war epic to a gloriously written and filmed masterpiece. The cinematography, as with all John Woo movies is incredible, something he especially excels in in Asian cinema, moreso than Hollywood.

This movie is a war movie like few others, it was not scripted to just excite you with a war-mongering gorefest. It mesmerises with military strategy and the tactical nous you would expect out of a Sun Tzu manual. The story develops to much more than just a battle of two dynasties, it engrosses you and you will enjoy it if you already love the genre.

All you need from the synopsis is written above, but the main characters a military geniuses- unlikely heroes. As the characters are introduced, some in shoddy make-up and costume, the focus will centre around the strategists but noone is left withstanding.

Like I sadi, this movie is phenomenal. I would quite easily rank it up there with Cult Classics such as Full Metal Jacket or Apocalypse Now. THey may very well be of a different era, but war movies do not get much better than this.