PTU – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 2003
Director: Johnnie To
Writers: Nai-Hoi Yau, Kin-Yee Au
Cast: Simon Yam, Maggie Shiu, Lam Suet, Ruby Wong, Raymond Wong Ho-yin, Eddy Ko, Loi Hoi-pang

Release Date: June 21st, 2021
Approximate running time: 87 Minutes 59 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Stereo Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"Set against a Hong Kong that never sleeps, a stolen police gun triggers a suspenseful chain of events. Tracking down his missing gun before dawn, Sergeant Lo first has his car vandalised and is then beaten up. Suddenly he finds himself edged between two gangs on the brink of a bloodbath, whilst at the same time staving off investigations by both Vice Squad and Homicide Units embroiled in their own turf war. His only lifeline is a maverick Police Tactical Unit squad who have one night to help him find his gun." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

PTU comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.2 GB

Feature: 26.8 GB

No information about this transfer is provided. That said, it does appear to come from a dated source. Fortunately, all things considered, this transfer looks very good. Colors and flesh tones look correct, the image looks crisp, black levels fare well, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 5/5 (LPCM Stereo Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with three audio options, a LPCM stereo mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Cantonese, and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. All three audio mixes offer excellent sound quality. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well-represented, and all the audio mixes sound robust when they should. There are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks and removable English SDH subtitles for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 11 seconds, LPCM stereo Cantonese with burnt-in English subtitles), an archival interview with director Johnnie To and actor Simon Yam (18 minutes 14 seconds, LPCM stereo Chinese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Johnnie To (13 minutes 27 seconds, LPCM stereo Chinese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Simon Yam (21 minutes 49 seconds, LPCM stereo Chinese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actress Maggie Siu (12 minutes 51 seconds, LPCM stereo Chinese with non-removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to first pressing), and a twenty-four page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled PTU Absurdity and the Anti-Action Movie written by David West and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Though Hong Kong cinema has changed a lot since its handover to China in 1997, Johnnie To has been Hong Kong cinema’s one constant over the last twenty-five years. His films have an undeniable look and feel to them. And though he is most known for his work within the crime/drama film genre, he is actually a versatile filmmaker who has worked in most of cinema’s genres.

With PTU, Johnnie To once again returns to familiar ground. The narrative, which takes place over the course of one night, pits cops against criminals. with the main theme being an exploration of the extreme measures cops use to get results. Notably, intimidating and/or assaulting criminals until they get the information they need

The narrative revolves around an arrogant Sergeant whose moment of indiscretion leads to him losing his gun. It is this event that sets the narrative that follows in motion. From there, he enlists the help of other officers, who assist him in finding his missing gun. And to further complicate their task, a murder connected to the Sergeants' moment of indiscretion looms large as the narrative progresses.

Once again, Johnnie To assembles an ensemble cast that is all given time to shine in their roles. Lam Suet (Running Out of Time) gives an outstanding performance as Lo Sa, the Sergeant who loses his gun. He delivers a memorable performance that perfectly captures his character's inability to make good decisions. Another performance of note is Simon Yam (Dr. Lamb) in the role of Sergeant Mike Ho, a close friend of Lo Sa.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where PTU does not come out ahead. The premise is executed well, and the narrative does an excellent job of intertwining characters and storylines. And an ironic twist finale provides a very satisfying conclusion to the events that preceded. Also, PTU is a stylish film whose visuals have a Neo-Noir vibe. One of the most memorable scenes is a Mexican standoff that explodes in a hail of bullets. Ultimately, PTU is a film that those who are more familiar with the cinema of Johnnie To are sure to enjoy, while those being introduced to his films might not appreciate some of PTU’s nuances.

PTU gets a first-rate release from Eureka Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, recommended.

Note: Eureka Video has released a standard version that does not come with the slipcover or the booklet.

Written by Michael Den Boer