Hero (1997) Blu-ray Screenshot (Patreon)

Video

A rather ugly effort from 88 Films this time out begins with notable noise reduction. Hardly any grain remains in the image, diluting any and all fine detail from the frame. The waxy look dominates, and there's no suggestion of Hero ever looking akin to actual film stock. And, even without the challenge from grain, the encode is sloppy, leaving artifacts strewn about and further eroding the source's definition.

Supposedly from a new scan, if that's true, then it was produced at sub-HD resolution. Visible aliasing mars distant lines, and even in close, image breakup continues to be an issue.

The only positive thing left to say is the decent enough color (but still bland) and solid contrast. Even without natural fidelity, Hero has depth thanks to the visual range.

Audio

English dubbing and original Cantonese mono both come in DTS-HD. Both are awful, although the dub wins in terms of audio quality (speaking nothing of the dub itself). The Cantonese track is difficult to even listen to in places, the score stuck at a murky mid-tone. There's zero range to speak of. Fights only worsen things. Muddy bass accompanies every strike, more obnoxious than anything, as if mastered with the low-end setting cranked to high.

Subtitles are forced when selecting Cantonese, and even if you're a capable speaker, that's not a negative. Muffled lines fall apart, murky at best, and more akin to a dusty record. Many of 88 Films' vintage Shaw Brothers genre releases recently sound more modern.