WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Jackie Chan’s First Strike
Genre:Action Adventure

Reviewed In Issue 31 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Jackie Chan, Chen Chun Wu & Jackson Lou

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 3.5
Sound Rating: 3
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
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Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): New Line Home Video
(Catalog Number): ID4713LI
(MPAA Rating): PG13
(Retail Price): $39.98
(Running Time In Minutes): 84
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1997
(LD Release Date): 10/98
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): Stanley Tong
(Screenplay/Written By): Stanley Tong, Nick Tramontane, Greg Mellott & Elliott Tong
(Story): NA
(Music): J. Peter Robinson
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Oliver Wong
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor): Peter Cheung, HKSE & Chi Wai Yau, HKSE
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): Leonard Ho
(Co-Producers): NA
(Producers): Barbie Tung

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography): Technovision & Panavision
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1

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

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Set against the backdrop of the international arms race, Jackie Chan’s First Strike stars Chan as a Hong Kong police officer who is contracted by the CIA and a Russian intelligence organization to retrieve a stolen Ukranian nuclear warhead. From the snow-capped mountains of the Ukraine to a shark-infested water park in Australia, Chan pursues a rogue CIA agent and is forced to defend himself in ways that only Jackie Chan can—by using anything within arms reach as a weapon!

LaserDisc Picture:
The DTS® Digital Surround LaserDisc, matted at 2.35:1, exhibits the same generally pleasing transfer as the Dolby® Digital LaserDisc reviewed in Issue 26. Images are generally sharp and detailed, with good shadow delineation and mediocre contrast. Color fidelity is oversaturated, with brownish fleshtones and deep, undefined blacks. Noise and occasional artifacts are apparent throughout.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The DTS Digital Surround soundtrack is not as bright sounding as was the Dolby Digital soundtrack on the previously released LaserDisc. The sound is more in character with the fuller sounding matrix PCM soundtrack version. Dialogue is completely lacking in spatial integration. Bass extension is occasionally deeper sounding in music passages and overall soundtrack sonic clarity is better. Even so, the soundtrack is too bright to be considered a high quality sonic experience, despite an aggressive surround presence that is at times effective.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz): No
(Aggressive System Surround): Yes
(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:
No
Superb Color Fidelity:
No
Superb Cinematography:
-
Reference LaserDisc:
No
Collector Edition:
No
DVD To LaserDisc Comparison: