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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Tokyo Olympiad
    Genre:Documentary

    Reviewed In Issue 26 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    The Athletes Of The 1964 Olympics.

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 1.5
    Sound Rating: 1.5
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
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    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): Criterion Collection
    (Catalog Number): CC1227L
    (MPAA Rating): Not Rated
    (Retail Price): $99.95
    (Running Time In Minutes): 170
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): No
    (Theatrical Release): 1965
    (LD Release Date): 11/9/96
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):

    Credits Information
    (Director): Kon Ichikawa
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
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    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.22:1

    DVD Sound Information
    (DVD Soundtrack): Mono Sound
    (Theatrical Sound): Optical Mono
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (Remastered Dolby Digital): No
    (Remastered DTS Digital Surround): No
    (Additional Languages):

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    The Criterion Collection’s Tokyo Olympiad documents the 1964 Olympics in its original 170 minute version. Unlike the nearly-destroyed edited version (93 minutes) that was released in the United States, with its trite narration, Kon Ichikawa’s first documentary was critically acclaimed around the globe. 51 Chapters on this CAV LaserDisc cover everything between the opening and closing ceremonies, highlighting the arrival of the athletes, the lighting of the flame and events like gymnastics, track events, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, boxing, judo, biking, shooting, soccer, horse-jumping, basketball, water polo, volleyball, boating, races and marathons. This is an extraordinary documentary that captures the enormity of the Olympics by focusing on the smaller details—never resorting to hype or cliché.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The picture, framed at 2.22:1, is inconsistent throughout and marred with noise, grain and artifacts. Sometimes images are overbright with washed out colors and weak brown blacks, other times fully saturated or even oversaturated. Images are wanting in sharpness and detail.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The sound is distorted monaural.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz): No
    (Aggressive System Surround): No
    (Intense 25Hz Bass): No
    (Deep Bass Challenging): No
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield): No
    (Aggressive Split Surround): No
    (Center Back Surround Imaging): No
    (Directionalized Dialogue): No
    Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
    Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    Superb Cinematography:
    Reference LaserDisc:
    Collector Edition: