| DVD Released by : Modern Audio/Vidcon |
| Player reviewed with : Malata DVD-N996 |
| Receiver reviewed with : Sony 925 |
| Features: |
| Cantonese and Mandarin Soundtrack |
| English and Chinese Subtitles |
| Not Enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs |
| Running Time : 90 mins. |
HER NAME IS CAT 2: JOURNEY TO DEATH features Almen Wong as Sam, a beautiful woman who just happens to be raised to be a killer since childhood. Her adoptive father was a general and she became his bodyguard. When her father is killer by her uncle, she waits until the time is right to get her revenge. Along with her sister, Yoyo, Sam seizes the opportunity to avenge her father by obtaining a computer chip with valuable biological warfare information embedded in it. She hopes to sell it to get enough money to payoff those that would protect her uncle. Roy Cheung meets Sam on a bus and becomes the unknowing custodian of the chip when Sam stores it in a wound in his shoulder. When Sam and Roy get lead off the bus at gunpoint, the two get split up. Roy escapes with help from Sam's sister, who just happens to help him because they have a common ! enemy. Roy's no angel either. He has just escaped from Hong Kong because he had his Triad boss killed for taking his girl. Now in Thailand, he doesn't even know why he is being sought after. Yoyo lets Roy get some sleep and then kicks him out. He then finds a friend who he knows from the internet IRC. His friend is a cop who tries to help him. Soon, Roy meets up with Sam again and the truth is revealed about the chip that was in his arm. Yoyo has already removed the chip from his arm but he's still a wanted man. When his friend is killed, he seeks revenge. Along with Sam, he attempts to help Yoyo who is betrayed when she goes to sell the chip.
HER NAME IS CAT 2: JOURNEY TO DEATH has little to do with HER NAME IS CAT, if anything at all. It also lacks much of which made the first movie very watchable. Gone is the interesting cinematography and intense action scenes. This movie lacks all the style of the original. Don't waste time trying to see how this movie relates to the first one. From what I can tell, it's by name only. While there are some action scenes, there aren't many and it's kind of sloppy when there is. This movie is disappointing when compared to the original but on it's own I'd say it's comparable to a television movie or direct to video release.
The picture quality is decent. There are some slight specks on the print but overall it is in very good condition. The colors and black level are both good. The picture holds up well on the 47 inch screen but it exaggerates a scene or two were the detail isn't so good. There are some minor artifacts but on a smaller screen the picture will probably be fine. Even on the large TV these flaws weren't bad enough to be distracting. The picture quality is slightly better than most imports. The movie is presented in it's correct aspect ratio.
The audio is actually surprising. The music is very clear and the mix is pretty good. There's no activity from the rear speakers but the front ones and center channel sound fine. Overall, the audio is a step above average.
The subtitles are burnt on the print, therefore not removable. There is both Chinese and English subtitles. The spelling and grammar are pretty well done with only minor errors. The subtitles are on the print of the film so you can fill up your widescreen TV with the picture and not worry about cutting them off.
There are no extras on this DVD. The menu is very basic and there are no extras on this DVD. The options on the menu are to view the chapters, select the language, or play the movie.
Buy, rent, or pass? If you are expecting a clear cut sequel or even prequel to HER NAME IS CAT that has the same look and feel of the first movie, than sadly this is a pass. If there are any references to the other movie at all, they are too small to even go crazy trying to draw a correlation. The action scenes aren't particularly exciting. There is a decent one early in the film. The movie is told almost entirely in flashback so there is little suspense and you pretty much know what happens to all the characters within the first 10 minutes of the movie. On it's own, the movie is fair. There isn't much that makes this movie rewatchable. I couldn't really recommend a blind purchase. HER NAME IS CAT 2: JOURNEY TO DEATH might justify a rental if you are a diehard Almen Wong or Roy Cheung fan.
Reviewed
- 8/8/2002
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