Three – Well Go USA (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong/China, 2016
Director: Johnnie To
Writers: Ho-Leung Lau, Tin Shu Mak, Nai-Hoi Yau
Cast: Zhao Wei, Louis Koo, Wallace Chung, Kathy Wu, Lam Suet, Eddie Cheung, Michael Tse

Release Date: April 4th, 2017
Approximate running time: 88 Minutes 12 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS:X Cantonese, Dolby Digital Stereo Cantonese
Subtitles: English, Chinese
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.98

"When three disparate souls—a doctor desperate to redeem her reputation (Vicki Zhao, RED CLIFF), a policeman who will go to any length to seek out justice (Louis Koo, TRIAD ELECTION), and a criminal with a gunshot wound to the head (Wallace Chung, DRUG WAR)—are thrown together in the hustle and bustle of an emergency room, a hospital descends from a pristine sanctuary to an explosive battleground. Bullets fly in international award-winning director Johnnie To’s (DRUG WAR, EXILED, ELECTION) latest showdown between cops, robbers, and everyone else caught in the crossfire." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Three on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.5 GB

Feature: 18.8 GB

The source used for this transfer looks excellent. Colors and flesh tones look correct; image clarity, contrast, and black levels are solid.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS:X Cantonese), 4/5 (Dolby Digital Stereo Cantonese)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS:X mix in Cantonese and a Dolby Digital stereo mix in Cantonese. The DTS:X mix is vastly superior to these two audio mixes. Dialog comes through clearly, ambient sounds are well-represented, and they are robust when they should be. That said, this track is a fully immersive sound experience. The Dolby Digital stereo mix sounds clear, balanced, and robust when it should. Included with this release are removable English and Chinese subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English and removable Chinese subtitles), a featurette titled Master Director Johnny To (2 minutes 29 seconds, LPCM stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), and a featurette titled Three Complex Characters (3 minutes 12 seconds, LPCM stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include trailers for other titles available or soon to be released by Well Go USA.

Summary:

Three has a well-executed premise. Three characters who come from different backgrounds, and how, due to a series of events, their lives intersect. These three characters are Chief Inspector Ken, Doctor Tong Qian, and a criminal named Shun. The narrative’s main conflict is derived from Shun’s refusal to get an operation until he can call a friend and consult with them about what he should do. Chief Inspector Ken knows that allowing such a phone call will put lives in danger. And Doctor Tong Qian’s confliction to follow the Hippocratic oath provides the means for Shun to put his diabolical play into motion.

Though Three ends with a bombastic action set piece at this film’s central location, a hospital. Three is more of a suspense film with heavy doses of melodrama. The narrative is meticulously laid out and pacing is never an issue as key moments are given an ample amount of time to sink in. When it comes to building and maintaining tension, Three delivers in spades.

Visually, Three does a great job of reinforcing the tension and maintaining it. With standout moments, visually, being a cat and mouse scene where one of the detectives follows a man who is whistling the same tune that Shun whistles throughout. Another standout moment is Three’s main action set piece, a shootout between cops and criminals that unfolds in slow motion.

The three main characters' motivations are well defined, and the performances from the entire cast are all very good. With this film’s standout performance being Wallace Chung in the role of Shun, he delivers a pitch-perfect performance, which requires his character to spend the majority of his screen time in a hospital bed. Ultimately, Three is a well-made thriller that fans of Johnnie To are sure to enjoy.

Well Go USA gives Three a solid audio/video presentation, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer