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BLACK JACK
Review by Alex Haberstroh
Stars: Sparky Thornton, Julie Maddalena
Director: Osamu Dezaki
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Prologic (English and Japanese)
Video: 2.35:1 Widescreen
Subtitles: English
Studio: Manga
Features: See Review
Length: 90 Minutes
Release Date: April 24, 2001
Film ***1/2
From its very opening, Black Jack is a very
taut and intelligent anime thriller that never lets up.
Geared towards adults, the films plot concerns a
master surgeon for hire named Black Jack, a disfigured genius to whom people will pay
enormous fees for his skills. When,
one-by-one, people known to the world as super humans, for their enhanced
abilities in the fields of the arts, sciences, or athletics, start dying of horrible
diseases, Black Jack is coerced into discovering what caused their demise, and how to stop
it.
Watching
Black Jack, I was immediately impressed not only by the originality of the plot,
but also its cleverness (this movie also boasts some incredibly believable and detailed
medical scenes). The film poses many powerful
questions about the cost of fame and fortune, and also the lengths science could, and
should, be allowed to go in the name of discovery, before becoming unethical, and even
inhumane. Is it wrong to test one, if that
one could result in saving fifty? Is the
individual or the group more important? Black
Jack pauses on such issues as it moves toward the conclusion of its story.
All in all, this is an engaging film that kept me interested from start to finish. I loved it and, for those who arent already fans of anime, this film is one worth taking a chance on to see if you like the format. However, I would keep this one out of the hands of children, due to the realistic nature of the medical scenes and the amount of blood thats involved.
Video ***1/2
Even though the film itself has a soft hue to it, the transfer looks fantastic, with colors coming through naturally and brightly. Flesh tones are very lifelike, and the color contrast and black levels come across really well.
Audio ****
Something of a surprise: for Black
Jack, Manga includes an impressive audio track. The
dialogue is mostly center channel oriented and crystal clear. Occasionally there are great moments of
directionality, where voices can be heard coming from off screen. The rear surrounds are active, being utilized for
anything from buzzing medical equipment and explosions, to screams, and even the score.
A very impressive mix by
Manga!
Supplements **
Included on the disc were
previews for other Manga DVD releases such as RayEarth, Perfect Blue, Ghost in the
Shell, Street Fighter Alpha, and others. As
usual, rounding out the package is a detailed Manga DVD catalogue, as well as a Manga
catalogue for merchandise and weblinks.
Summary:
With a great video and audio transfer, this gripping tale is worth checking out. Manga should be happy with their final product; this ones a winner.