Blu-Ray Review: PTU

It makes sense that filmmakers turn to actors they can trust, time and time again. You see it happen a lot in cinema, directors and stars who collaborate frequently over many years. Some of the most famous partnerships have been Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune, François Truffaut with Jean-Pierre Léaud and more recently Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. Johnnie To and Simon Yam, Two Hong Kong greats, have worked together many times. One of their best films is PTU.

It’s not been a good night for Sergeant Lo Sa (Suet Lam). After a run in with Ponytail’s (Chi-Shing Chiu) boys, ‘Fatty’ has lost his service revolver. Sergeant Mike (Yam), his friend and head of the Police Tactical Unit who are patrolling the neighbourhood, agrees to help but they only have until dawn to find it. When the gangster subsequently turns up with a knife in his back it seems there’s something bigger afoot.

PTU is a brilliantly crafted thriller which juggles a number of disparate elements and brings them all together for an explosive finale. To’s drama never lets up. It’s beautifully shot and expertly paced. The cast is superb, freewheeling around the streets of the city. However, it’s the intrigue and mystery which makes it so enthralling as the clock ticks down. All done with a very wry sense of humour. PTU is a beautifully judged Hong Kong action film.

Special features:

Limited Edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju) [2000 units]
1080p presentation on Blu-ray
Cantonese audio (DTS-HD MA 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 options)
Optional English dubbed audio
Optional English Subtitles and English SDH
Brand new feature length audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
Archival interview with director Johnnie To
Archival interview with actor Simon Yam
Archival interview with actress Maggie Siu
Trailers
A collector’s booklet featuring new writing by David West (NEO Magazine)