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Release: Jun 28, 2018 - Author: Muck47 - Translator: Tony Montana
- external link: IMDB
Compared are the Uncut Hong Kong Version and the Extended Cut (both available on the German Blu-ray by T.V.P. - The Vengeance Pack)
- 26 differences - Length difference: 125.7 sec (= 2:06 min) In 2008, the hugely altered Export Version of the classic Black Mask starring Jet Li was released (comparison) on Blu-ray for the very first time in the US. In 2011, a Blu-ray based on an HD master of the Uncut Hong Kong Version was released in Hong Kong. In April 2018, a German Blu-ray was released. And in addition to the Export Version and the Uncut Hong Kong Version, there is an "Extended Version" based on the Uncut Hong Kong Version. Last but not least, the German 4-disc set contains a so-called Extended Export Version. Basically, this is the regular Export Version to which the additional bits of violence from other versions have been added. Recently, the comparison between the Uncut Hong Kong Version and the Taiwanese Version was released (click) and it already reveals what to expect with the Extended Cut. As often, and this particularly goes for Jet Li movies, the Taiwanese Version is some kind of exclusive Alternate Version. Some of the added dialog looks like footage from a workprint but there is some more violence as well. Unfortunately, the additional footage on the Geman Blu-ray only consists of SD inserts from the cheap Taiwanese DVD. Furthermore, there is an Export Version with a few additional scenes for the international market (comparison). These scenes also made it in the Extended Cut and it should also be mentioned that the actual Taiwanese Version lacks a few scenes as well (comparison). The Extended Cut is based on the Uncut Hong Kong Version and the exclusive scenes from both the Taiwanese and the Export Version have been added. So all in all, this really is the longest version ever so far. Unfortunately, the Extended Cut is not entirely complete though because there are two mishaps that happened in the production process. Starting with the bomb defusion scene, the Extended Cut lacks approx. 7 seconds. In addition to that, the hospital scene lacks a shot from the Taiwanese Version. Last but not least, the Extended Cut misses a shot that is in the Taiwanese Version, Uncut Hong Kong Version, International Export Version and even the Extended Export Version. Runtimes: * Hong Kong Cut on German Blu-ray: 99:22 min * Extended Cut on German Blu-ray: 101:29 min Time index refers to Uncut Hong Kong Version (German Blu-ray) / Extended Cut (German Blu-ray) 07:03 / 07:03-07:08
Subsequent to the nerd comment, the employee says that this was the reason he liked Tsui. 4.8 sec
Here, and also later on when there is extended footage in the middle of the shot, there is no switching back and forth resp. the entire shot is in SD to avoid quality changes within a shot. All in all, there is more than 1 minute of footage which would have been available in HD from the Uncut Hong Kong Version but which the Extended Cut only contains in SD because of that. Another issue is the arguable decision to blur the lower part of the picture in order to cover up the fact that there are hardcoded English subtitles - as there were on the source of these inserts, the Taiwanese DVD.
07:16 / 07:21-07:34 The employee also says Tsui was probably rich. The other employee states he was probably good at all kinds of house work due to his physique. 13.4 sec
07:19 / 07:37-07:40 A first comment about Tsui at the beginning of the shot. 2.2 sec
07:28 / 07:49 The subsequent shot of the co-worker starts insignificantly earlier. 0.5 sec 07:41 / 08:02-08:06 According to the subtitles, the co-workers stutter something about his girlfriend waiting for him. 4.5 sec
07:49 / 08:15-08:23 More dialog during the entire scene - Tsui wants to know how much there is to win. Similar to further dialog from the regular versions shortly afterwards. 8.3 sec
08:22 / 08:56-09:05 The co-workers keep telling Tracy that Tsui is possibly still a virgin because he is incredibly inexperienced. The subsequent shot of Tsui starts 10 frames earlier which is why the Extended Cut contains the entire shot is SD. 9.1 sec
16:55 / 17:38-17:56 Additional footage from the Export Version for the very first time resp. the footage is in HD because of it: Tsui is searching for Rock in order to tell him something about the bomb. All Asian versions lack the scene with Tsui at the police station. He asks about Rock and is being told Rock had gone to the hospital. 17.8 sec
Missing Scene in the Extended Cut / Alternate 18:23-18:30 / 19:24-19:27 Oddly enough, the shot of Rock turning around ends earlier. Actually, he says something at the end of the shot - which exactly happens like this in both the Uncut Hong Kong Version and Taiwanese Version. Then some ticking clocks plus the flickering monitor earlier (starting with number 35).
The Extended Cut contains a small additional scene with more dialog from the Taiwanese Version instead. The weird thing is that the actual Taiwanese Version only shows this scene 7 seconds later - subsequent to the described scene from the Uncut Hong Kong Version. At the very beginning, there are 7 identically equal frames (starting with number 78) of the flickering monitor resp. the end of the here starting shot in the Uncut Hong Kong Version.
Uncut Hong Kong Version 3.7 sec longer 18:31 / 19:28-19:31 A further comment by Rock. The shot looks a lot like the previously described one from the Uncut Hong Kong Version but the comment is different in the Taiwanese Version and so are the subtitles. So these actually are two different shots in the Taiwanese Version and T.V.P. missed out on using one of these for their Extended Cut. 2.8 sec
Subsequently afterwards, the shot of Tsui in the phone booth starts 1 second earlier in the Taiwanese Version, which was not reconstruced for the Extended Cut. 21:15 / 22:15 The transitional exterior shot is insignificantly shorter in the Taiwanese Version. In the Extended Cut, there are only additional frames of black screen right before the shot starts - because this originates from the HD master and it simply differs that way - please see the subsequent alteration as well. 0.2 sec 21:17 / 22:17-22:22 The aquarium shot starts much earlier in the Export Version. The Extended Cut contains the entire shot from another HD source... 5.3 sec
...which is pretty obvious due to the different color grading from the international master.
Alternate 22:47-22:50 / 23:52-23:59 Another insert from the Export Version: When Tsui remembers, there are sparks for a brief moment. The shots of Tsui before and after are a little different in the Uncut Hong Kong Version for that very reason resp. there is no fading. Extended Cut 3.7 sec longer
23:08 / 24:17-24:26 Insert from the Export Version: A few more poser shots of Tsui. Tsui's comment from the off simply starts later resp. it is the same as in the Uncut Hong Kong Version. 9.3 sec
The following 4 scenes are all part of a sequence with a length of almost 45 seconds that was completely missing in the Export Version. Alternate 23:31-23:36 / 24:50-24:56 Yuek-Lan earlier in the Uncut Hong Kong Version. As compensation, the remaining part of the shot is being played much slower in the Extended Cut (and also in the Taiwanese Version). Screenshots only for the Uncut Hong Kong Version, the second screenshot illustrates the slowed down moment. Extended Cut 0.6 sec longer
23:46 / 25:06-25:07 King Kau gets touched longer. 1.8 sec
Contrary to the office scene at the beginning and the 'defuse the bomb' scene, the 12 seconds until the next extended scene begins originates from the HD source. 23:58 / 25:19-25:23 King Kau reaches for the squirt gun and shoots at Yuek-Lan. 4.5 sec
24:02 / 25:27-25:29 King Kau spins. 1.5 sec
25:00 / 26:27-26:38 King Kau and Rock use sign language at first. 10.8 sec
25:11 / 26:48-26:52 After King Kau raises his hand, he saluates. Rock is not impressed. 4.3 sec
Exactly 10 minutes later, there is a flashback of some former encounter with Tsui and Yuek-Lan (explosions on a bridge). In the Taiwanese Version, the scene plays in regular speed while any other versions contain that scene in slow motion - the here compared Extended Cut contains worldwide used slow motion version as well. Missing Scene in the Extended Cut 62:14 / 63:56-64:04 The Extended Cut is missing yet another little scene right before the added violence from the Taiwanese Version: Additional shot of the assailant grabbing the cop's hands. Quite a bummer, as this shot can be seen basically everywhere else (= in the International Export Version, the Uncut Hong Kong Version, the Taiwanese Version and even T.V.P. Extended Export Version). + 0.7 sec
62:14 / 63:56-64:04 Cut in both the Export Version and the Uncut Hong Kong Version resp. an exclusive scene in the Taiwanese Version: After the killer grabs the arms of the two cops, there is a further shot of the arms being painfully twisted and there is a close-up of the killer as well. Several people then show up as backup. 7.8 sec
Missing Scene in the Extended Cut Subsequently afterwards, the Extended Cut lacks a further close-up of the cop who got pulled aside. Also missing in the Extended Export Version resp. still exclusively in the Taiwanese Version.
62:26 / 64:15-64:16 More violence exclusively in the Taiwanese Version: Additional close-up of the killer hitting the guy on the head with the scalpel - blood spatter included. 1.1 sec
There are also random changes between HD/SD material during this and the subsequent extended scene in T.V.P.'s extended version, even though all shots are identically equal here. 62:30 / 64:21-64:29 Once again, more violence exclusively in the Taiwanese Version: Additional shots of the killer under fire and the subsequent shot of the killer starts earlier as well: He gets shot in the head. 8.4 sec
65:28 / 67:27-67:30 Same here: Further shots & two bloody hits. 3 sec
74:36 / 76:37-76:41 At the end of the shot, Tracy walks forward and tries to find something on the shelf. 4.4 sec
Starting in minute 86/88, there are several shots of a timer and the counter is consistently higher in the Taiwanese Version. For the Extended Cut, said alteration has been ignored resp. the shots are from the Uncut Hong Kong Version. The end credits of the Taiwanese Version differ as well and the Extended Cut contains the end credits from the Uncut Hong Kong Version. |
