Much like my recent review of The Love Guru, this will probably be the kindest review you will read regarding the Blu-ray release of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I will be the first to admit that I thought this movie was a mistake from the beginning, an abomination to the Star Wars franchise and just plain out wrong. I may have been right in every aforementioned aspect or it may solely be up to the eye of the beholder to judge what he or she likes. I too often find my opinions biased and swayed towards the directions of the critics and to my surprise I end up enjoying the particular film in question. Much to my chagrin, I think this is beneficial for me. When critics pan and trash a film, I tend to go in with almost no expectations so there really is nothing but an uplifting experience for me if I should like it. I already planned on hating the movie from the beginning so if I did not like it then, there would be no hard feelings or remorse. Does that make any sense?

I first thought Star Wars: The Clone Wars was a horrible mistake, right from the start, when I heard Fox would not be distributing it, but instead Warner Brothers. I just thought it was blasphemy to have the Warner Brothers logo following the Lucasfilm icon instead of the legendary 20^th Century Fox spotlight graphic. I can’t help but think I still feel the same resentment about it now, but impartiality is growing upon me slowly with each passing day. The second reason I was against it came about as a result of the first trailer I saw for the film. Don’t get me wrong, the trailer’s animation and action looked breathtaking, but it was the plot of the trailer that I was questioning. What I am referring to is that it appears an entire movie was made to revolve around the kidnapping and rescue attempt of Jabba the Hutt’s son. I remember thinking, “Are you (insert expletive word here) kidding me?” And last but not least I just kept thinking, “It’s a television show, not a movie. How good could the production value really be?” I think this last concern of mine was where I really burned myself because I was just amazed at the production value of what I reluctantly sat down to watch in the comfort of my home viewing theater.

With the good always comes the bad. Lucky for me is that the bad comes right at the beginning, but dissipates ever so quickly. All right, let me state that now in coherent English. What I am referring to is that of the legendary opening scrolls that precede each Star Wars movie and pretty much sums up all the events leading into that particular chapter in the Star Wars franchise. The legendary opening scroll is completely absent from this film. Even worse, what would be scrolling text on the screen is narrated in a horrible dialogue track, much like a 1930’s radio serial. I know what you are thinking. How could it ever rebound after this? Well thankfully, at least for me, it did.

I have to admit that it did take me about twenty minutes or so to get past the awkward looking animation. I initially felt like everything was in slow motion until I got numb to the three-dimensional animation. It is not that the animation looked bad at all, certainly not the case, just that the characters you know and love are now taller, lankier and chiseled looking. At first look, I thought Obi Wan’s beard looked wooden. Once I got past the initial shock that everything was animated and will be for the entire feature film length, I was fine. As my eyes got use to viewing the film it felt just like I was watching a Star Wars prequel, in my opinion. All the major characters and action were there. To be completely honest, all the Battle and Destroyer droids looked identical to how they were seen in the prequel movies. Although there were some discrepancies with the musical score that you would not have heard in any of the past six Star Wars films, in the end it all felt right. There was so much intricacy to detail. I was very impressed to see that every lightsaber handle was to spec and screen accurate. That just made it even better for me! I am also a big critic of the accuracy surrounding voice over work, but much to my surprise, I was very pleased with the resemblance of the actor’s voices to their real life counterparts.

So let’s get down to business. As I described prior, the film opens up with an audible narrative filling the viewing audience in on the crucial events happening during the Clone Wars period, between Episode 2 and 3. We first learn that Jabba the Hutt’s infant son has just been kidnapped as part of a plan to persuade the Hutts to take sides with the Separatists. We also learn that the Republic forces are stranded throughout the galaxy fighting different war campaigns as the Separatists control and block the majority of the hyperlanes. We then settle upon the fierce battlefield, on the planet of Christophsis, that features the likes of our old welcomed friends, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. It is here that we are introduced to Anakin’s young Padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano, referred to by many fans as Miley Cyrus. To tell you the truth, she really did not bother me like Jar Jar Binks or C3PO did in the other films. Soon after the Jedi’s eventual victory on Christophsis, Yoda arrives and brings everyone up to speed with the situation of Jabba’s infant son being kidnapped. He urges the Jedi that they cannot fail on finding Jabba’s son because they need the Hutts’ support to ensure the Republic’s uninterrupted travel through Jabba’s galactic trade routes.

Eventually Anakin and Ahsoka do find Jabba’s infant son, Rotta, on the planet of Teth. For me, Rotta was probably the worst part of this movie not to mention they referred to him as Stinky. Rotta just looked like a little round smiley face with a stubby tail. He was nothing special looking, but a key plot piece he was. It is here where we are reunited with our favorite assassin from the original Clone Wars Cartoon network show, Asajj Ventress. She was sent by Count Dooku to plant fake evidence of the Jedi’s foul play in the kidnapping of Rotta and to bring him back safely to Jabba the Hutt. Anakin and Ahsoka are able to escape with Rotta leaving us with a short lightsaber duel between Obi Wan and Asajj.

Wanting to assist her Jedi lover, Senator Padme Amidala uncovers the real truth of who actually took Jabba’s son in the first place. She learns about the treachery surrounding Jabba’s uncle Ziro. Here is where I have to admit, for the second time, I felt uncomfortable watching this. Let’s just say Ziro is a bit flamboyant for a fellow Hutt. I will leave it at that. Jabba the Hutt becomes all too convinced that the Jedi are responsible for the villainous actions against his family. Will Padme be able to deliver her groundbreaking findings and save Anakin and Ahsoka from the deadly trap the Sith are plotting against them before it is too late? Does Obi Wan survive the lightsaber battle with Asajj? Is Jar Jar Binks as annoying in this movie as he was in The Phantom Menace? You will have to find out by watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars, on Blu-ray of course.

It should be noted that this movie was never intended as a feature film. This is probably the equivalent of what would have been three serial half-hour cartoons. George Lucas was so happy with the production quality of these episodes he decided to throw them together for a theatrical release. They are designed to serve as both a stand-alone story and a lead-in to the now weekly-animated series. I guess my only beef is I would rather see new Star Wars movies being made rather than a period of time where we pretty much know the outcome. For example, we pretty much know that Princess Leia does not die at the early age of eleven. We also know that C3PO does not get disintegrated in an unexpected asteroid shower. I think you get what I am trying to convey. All the major characters in Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith have to survive during the Clone Wars. The lack of suspense makes it a delimitating factor for me. But on the flip side, it is Star Wars. I am just happy to have something Star Wars finally on the Blu-ray format. As long as it is not the Holiday Special, I am thankful for that.

Video

Warner Bros. Delivers a beautiful 1080P VC-1 video transfer with a framed aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Besides the awkward animation, there is not much to nitpick about here. The video quality on this Blu-ray is outstanding with sharp, crisp and fine details visible in objects such as the drawings on the panels of various space ships and the textures in the scenic backgrounds. The picture quality radiates with deep rich colors, solid blacks and no visible print blemishes. The colors glow right off the character’s various skin colors to the laser shots being blasted throughout the many battle scenes. Everything is close to perfection just like we are used to from Mr. George Lucas and his crew. Obviously, we are witnesses to a very clean source taken from a direct digital master. The only thing preventing me from giving this transfer a perfect 5-star rating is that of the animation style. I have to be a fair judge and compare this animation to that of the recent Pixar releases. I know that is not the intended effect here, but that is the only flaw that prevents this Blu-ray disc from having a reference quality video score like that of Kung Fu Panda, for example. Despite the limitations of the unique animation style we are thankfully never spared from fine detail. Fine detail is evident throughout from the intricacy of the lightsaber hilts I mentioned before to the freckles on a character’s skin. This is one fine Blu-ray transfer that I would be happy to have any day in my personal collection.

Audio

Star Wars: Clone Wars is presented on Blu-ray with a lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 EX soundtrack. Although I think very highly of the audio here, it is definitely not up to snuff with the quality we are used to from the six Star Wars’ franchise films. Let’s start out with the good stuff first. From the very beginning we are treated to audio nirvana with the brand new THX introduction first found on the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Blu-ray. So we all know how good that already sounds. The dialogue, my most important aspect of audio quality, was always very clear throughout the presentation and I never found myself straining to hear anything. Most importantly was that the dialogue was always intelligible even within the heat of the most sonic battle sequences. The rear channels were utilized quite frequently and very effectively. Spatial effects were utilized properly and extensively bringing the viewer front and center within the heated action and various battles. Although not a John Williams’ composition, the musical score is mixed gracefully throughout like we are accustomed to in any Star Wars movie. I really hate to bring this audio review down but I do have one complaint, which I have to make known to effectively do my job as a reviewer. My only gripe with the audio was with that of the bass. I really believe that the various explosions that were happening during the length of the feature should have had more of a bass impact. For a Star Wars film, those explosions should have been rocking my house. That is all I have to say here. Keep that in mind, George, for your next outing.

Special Features

I was very surprised with the wealth of bonus materials contained on this Blu-ray release. I normally am not glued to special features but there was one in particular that got me really excited. The supplemental materials here really cater towards the creation of the television show and not so much the feature film contained on the disc. The majority of the bonus materials are rendered in High-Definition. That is always a plus for me. The special features are listed below in order as they appear on the back of the Blu-ray cover.

Video Commentary – (HD) The video commentary is exclusive to the Blu-ray disc. The commentary includes conversations with director Dave Filoni, producer Catherine Winder, writer Henry Gilroy and editor Jason W.A. Tucker.

The Clone Wars: The Untold Stories – (HD) This is a 25-minute promo for the new animated television series of the same name and style. This was my favorite part of the Special Features as it really did its job in pumping me up for the current Clone Wars’ television season. It showed story lines, clips and highlights from about the first ten episodes or so. I lost count as I quickly became engrossed in the content.

The Voices of the Clone Wars – (HD) Here we have a 10-minute behind-the-scenes documentary showing the voice actors recording their respective dialogue tracks.

A New Score – (HD) Composer Kevin Kiner discusses how he adapted and improvised the legendary John Williams’ score. This feature runs for about 11 minutes.

Gallery of Concept and Production Art – (HD) This is a still gallery of concept art, sketches and early renderings of characters.

Webisodes – (HD) There are six short featurettes that showcase the new characters and battles within the new Clone Wars television show. This lasts for approximately 21 minutes.

Deleted Scenes – (SD) There are 11 minutes of deleted scenes that did not make the final cut. They are the Cargo Bay, Platform Droid Fight, Rancor Pit and Through the Tanks.

Take The Hologram Memory Challenge – (HD) Test your skill and memory to unlock three Hi-Def television series’ sneak peeks.

Trailers – (SD/HD) There are two trailers for the movie and one for the video game.

Digital Copy – (SD) The second disc contains a portable version of the movie compatible with Windows Media or iTunes. This is perfect for the people who need their Star Wars fix on the go!

Final Thoughts

Although Star Wars: The Clone Wars did not live up to the box office expectations of the previous six Star Wars’ films it should come as a welcome addition to the growing Blu-ray lineup of any Star Wars’ fan. My time invested in Star Wars: The Clone Warsreally whet my appetite for the hopeful release of the Star Wars franchise on the Blu-ray format in the probable distant future if Mr. Lucas has any say, which he does. I could do without such corny lines as “I think he is going to live to stink another day” when referring to the near death experience Jabba’s son has and instead bring on some more intense Jedi battle scenes and lightsabers. Despite the animation that most viewers complain about, it did feel reminiscent to live out another Star Wars adventure with all the familiar characters of the iconic universe George has so graciously bestowed upon our generation. Because of the initial fears I had going in, I will not recommend everyone go out and buy this release. Instead, I encourage, at least to all the die-hard Star Wars fans, to give this one a rental and see if all your fears were subsided as in my experience. As far as a Blu-ray release, it doesn’t get much better than this with the exception of a few minor complaints I pointed out. If you were not bothered by the antics of Jar Jar Binks in the prequels, then by all means this is for you. But if you are curious like I was, you may just be pleasantly surprised. May the Force be with you!

I’m a fan of the original George Romero zombie films. Let’s face it. These films have left an incredible mark and pretty much created an entire sub-genre of horror film. We get a lot of our zombie rules from these “Dead” films. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that finally the last of the original films has finally been remade. The original Night Of The Living Dead came first to the remake mills. It was a pretty faithful adaptation of the original material, even if it was somewhat updated. It didn’t hurt that Romero was involved as a producer and that original makeup man Tom Savini directed the affair. That was 1990. In 2004 Zack Snyder presented us with his update of Dawn Of The Dead. Again there was some faithfulness to the plot and the zombies themselves. Snyder amped up the blood and guts and delivered a pretty cool film. Now horror veteran director Steve Miner brings us the final Romero “Dead” remake, at least until they start remaking the remakes. While Miner is best known for his television work on such shows as The Wonder Years and Dawson’s Creek, he is no stranger to the horror genre, having helmed the first two Friday The 13^th sequels. I have to say I expected more out of the man.

This is the worst of the Romero remakes. Miner has abandoned just about everything that identifies Romero’s zombie world. Gone is the traditional sense of confinement and claustrophobia that made each of the original films so tense. The bunker is used, but only in the final minutes of the film. For the most part our characters jump from one location to another, spending a lot of time out in the open. Miner has also abandoned the slow moving, but determined zombies we’ve come to know and love. He’s replaced them with CG enhanced super zombies. These guys can run at Flash speeds and can do acrobatic leaps and crawl on the walls. The obvious CG work takes us out of any atmosphere Miner might have given us. Even the blood and gore is CG enhanced, taking away the gritty stomach churning effect of the original films. A few character names are retained, but you’ll find them as unrecognizable as you did watching the new Battlestar Galactica. Bub is still around, but he’s a vegetarian zombie named Bud. That wasn’t a misprint. You don’t need new glasses. A vegetarian zombie. Give me a break. The movie was filmed in Bulgaria, which even Miner admits in the commentary doesn’t look anything like the United States, except for the woods. The film suffers from really poor ADR work, particularly McCord. Check her out at just 7 minutes into the film and watch her lips. You won’t mind it at all, but you’ll see what I mean. There are a couple of comedic moments. My favorite is when a DJ threatens one of the officers with torture because he won’t tell him what’s going on. Does he plan to use the dreaded waterboard method? No. Does he intend to use sleep deprivation? No. He threatens to play Celine Dion. The lady just can’t get a break. First South Park,and now zombies.

With just the exception of an underused Ving Rhames,the cast is an amateur one indeed. Most of these actors are way too young and unseasoned to be playing these roles. A perfect example is Mena Suvari who plays Sarah, a corporal in the Army Reserves. When she’s giving orders,you just want to laugh in her face. The actress is in as much over her head as the commanding officer she tried somewhat to play. An unintended humorous moment occurs when she and Bud, before he’s a zombie, enter a bloody house. She draws her gun, inciting a gasp from this other supposedly trained officer. Then she remarks that he shouldn’t worry because the gun’s not loaded. Apparently it’s complicated. Nick Cannon plays another soldier named Salazar, who spends the entire time doing a really poor Will Smith imitation. AnnaLynne McCord isn’t much better of an actress, but she is rather stunning looking, so I’ll forgive her casting on the grounds of too pretty to pass up. Rhames is in the film minimally, just enough to collect a check and lend the star power to the credits. The best part is played by Ian McNeice. He plays a rebel DJ who is holed up at his radio station during the break out of zombies. You might remember him as the newsreader on the HBO series Rome.

The story shares almost nothing in common with the original. In this version a small town in Colorado has succumbed to an apparent flu virus. Of course, I’m not giving anything away when I tell you that this ain’t no flu bug. Before long the undead are mobbing the city, munching on those who survived the infection. The guard is called in to quarantine the town under the guise of a training mission. So, throw in stupid soldiers on top of poorly trained and too young. A small group of survivors ridiculously led by Sarah take on the super zombies and manage to have a home style barbeque.

Video

Day Of The Dead is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. This is a very average high definition image. Yes, you get the full 1080p using an AVC/MPEG-4 codec. Still, the picture lacks the detail and vivid reproduction of colors that I’ve really come to expect from an HD release. The bit rate stays around 20mbps, which I consider poor for a high definition release.. It’s not that this is a bad image. I’m sure it offers more clarity than a DVD, but barely more than a good upconverter can provide. Black levels are average at best, which is a problem for a film shot almost entirely in darkness. You just don’t get that shadow detail you should have on this kind of a picture. Miner relied far too much on blue and yellow filters either on camera or through a color correction process. It adds a pall to the image that takes away the gritty reality I think you’re likely looking for in a “Dead” film.

Audio

The TrueHD lossless 5.1 track a strong 24 bit blast of sound. In fact, the film has too rich of a sound for this movie. There some wonderful orchestration and kick butt, drop dead, in your face power sub action. It gives you something very sweet to listen to. It distracted me, as I found the sound to be far more interesting than what I was watching. I caught myself zoning to the soundtrack, never a good sign. Dialog is fine. There is a pretty good use made of ambient sounds here. I could have used a wider spread during the machine guns when they fired, but it was dynamic enough to make this presentation far superior to the video one.

There is an Audio Commentary with a large group of cast and crew. They talk a lot about how it was to shoot in Bulgaria with a largely non-English-speaking crew.

Special Features

On The Set: This 14 minute feature is a bit unusual. It’s not the typical guided feature. It’s more like a fly on the wall atmosphere as you watch several scenes being prepped and filmed.

Alternative Ending: For 6 minutes you get pretty much the exact ending you saw in the film. The absolute only difference is the fate of one of the characters.

Interviews: You can choose between several of the cast members and Miner, as well as makeup f/x guy Dean John, who is no Tom Savini. They last about a couple of minutes long. This section really needed a play all feature. The footage is very choppy with words at the beginning and end of clips often cut off.

Photo Gallery

Final Thoughts

This is not your father’s Day Of The Dead. Honestly, you’re not going to want to claim this one for your generation either. It’s an action film using uninteresting actors and characters in a stimulation overload environment. There’s little time to enjoy it as a zombie film at all. Romero had a touch that has often been imitated but rarely reproduced. Perhaps Miner decided to not even try. If that’s true, it’s fair, but I have to ask the question: Why remake this particular film at all? Go ahead. Ask the question you are dying to ask. Should I pick this film up or not? “Please, you have more important things to do.”

I have to admit that when I heard Sly Stallone was coming out of retirement to make another Rambo flick I swear I almost fell out of my chair laughing. I mean who in their right mind at 60+ years old decides to revive a franchise based on a muscle bound action hero?? All I could picture was some old man with cane in hand fighting of gangs of old people at the local retirement home for the last piece of Jell-o…… Rambo: The Geriatric Adventure. With these low expectations I sat down for a viewing of the last Rambo flick Hollywood will ever make…

First thing I will admit was I was utterly wrong in my negative expectations of Rambo. Not only is this a film excellent, it’s actually better than any of the other 3 in the series. This chapter focuses on the dirty aspects of war, the memories that haunt the soldiers of death, the mercenaries that only know one thing in life, killing. Sylvester Stallone pulls this role off with ease; he makes you feel like he truly is John Rambo. Directing, writing and acting all remain very strong throughout the movie, it should be noted that Sly Stallone is at the helm as both a director and writer as well.

The story revolves are our Vietnam veteran John Rambo, and his ordeals that make up his lifetime. He has since withdrawn into a simple and secluded existence in Thailand, where he spends his time capturing snakes for local entertainers, and chauffeuring locals in his old PT boat. Shortly into the film a group of Christian human rights missionaries, led by Michael Burnett and Sarah Miller, approach Rambo with the desire to rent his boat to travel up the river to Burma. For over fifty years, Burma has been a war zone. The Karen people of the region, who consist of peasants and farmers, have endured brutally oppressive rule from the murderous Burmese military and have been struggling for survival every single day. After some inner contemplation, Rambo accepts the offer and takes Michael, Sarah, and the rest of the missionaries up the river. When the missionaries finally arrive at the Karen village, they find themselves part of a raid by the sadistic Major Pa Tee Tint and a slew of Burmese army men. A portion of the villagers and missionaries are tortured and viciously murdered, while Tint and his men hold the remainder captive. Concerned by their disappearance, the minister in charge of the mission gathers a group of mercenaries and pleas Rambo transport them with his boat, since he knows their last exact location. But Rambo can’t stay behind: he joins the team where he belongs; to liberate the survivors from the clutches of Major Tint in what may be one of his deadliest missions ever.

This installment is by far the most bloody and gory of all Rambo movies; in fact I can almost say it might be one of the most bloody action movies ever. The movie is rated R for strong graphic bloody violence, sexual assaults, grisly images and language. There is very strong torture and killing scenes so please understand this movie isn’t for everyone, and especially not children.

Video

Lionsgate has a history thus far of providing EXCELLENT Blu-ray transfers, Rambo is no exception. The movie is presented in 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video (at 2.35:1), and this presentation is simple beautiful. Scenes are extremely detailed, plants and bushes are green and lush, rain and night scenes are stellar. I will even go as far as to say it’s a demo-worthy disc to put in when friends come over.

Rambo is a new release so it should be presented as such, I’m glad I can safely say it’s the eye candy I expected. Contrasts are amazing, blacks are dark black, and whites are bright white. Again the film moves back and forth between scenes of daylight and nighttime so the contrast is a key aspect in this film. Colors are also gorgeous, again also very important as the film moves through multiple jungle scenes. I must say I was blown away by the detail and colors of the trees and shrubbery, you can literally see each and every leaf. As I said above the film is ultra bloody, and as such the transfer uses very bright reds for blood. It might be a little over done, but overall it really puts the emphasis that this is a brutal war.

Audio

Again Lionsgate is known for strong audio presentations on their Blu’s. This transfer gets a full-blown DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 7.1 Surround track (48kHz/24-bit), and it’s fantastic.

Audio is ultra clear, ultra crisp; it’s simply life like in every aspect. Highs are high, lows are low, bullets sound amazing as they wiz past your head, and explosions thunder as they rock your subwoofer. If you ever wanted to hear what a 50-cal sounded like in person, this is the film for you, trust me.

As I stated above the audio track is 7.1, which is definitely a treat as so few discs utilize this technology. Each channel is clearly identifiable, and really immerses you in the surround 3-D thrill ride.

Special Features

All extras are presented in full 1080p.

• Audio Commentary - Sylvester Stallone comments on the Rambo saga as a whole. He looks back on the series and basically sums up that this is the last piece of Rambo’s story. It’s quite fitting that Stallone does the speech, since this has been his creative work since day one.
• Featurettes - six featurettes:
  • “It’s a Long Road: The Resurrection of an Icon” a back-story on the near 20-year development of Rambo.
  • “The Art of War: Completing Rambo” post-production notes
  • “A Score to Settle: The Music of Rambo” a look at the film’s score
  • “The Weaponry of Rambo” the weapons that define John Rambo
  • “A Hero’s Welcome: Release and Reception” film’s premiere and the opening weekend “Legacy of Despair: The Struggle in Burma” a look at the history and struggles in Burma

• Deleted Scenes – There are 4 deleted scenes which are pretty much not needed. They are used to further develop the inner persona of John Rambo.

• Theatrical Trailer - The film’s original trailer

• Digital Copy – Included is a free copy of the movie in SD for your iPod or computer.

The disc is also Bonus View (Profile 1.1) enabled, so there is a Picture-in-picture option with commentary throughout the film.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Rambo (2008) is a pretty fun action movie. While the killing and torture may turn some people away and quite honestly might make some people sick, it does really signify the history of war. Rambo says it best, ‘You know what you are. What you’re made of. War is in your blood. Don’t fight it. You didn’t kill for your country. You killed for yourself. God’s never gonna make that go away. When you’re pushed, killing’s as easy as breathing.’

The picture and sound is top notch, they are truly demo quality for both your TV and receiver. Extras are fairly deep and provide a few hours of extra play rotation. If this is indeed the last Rambo film, as it’s supposed to be, then this disc gives the franchise the final bow it deserves.

The only thing I really knew about the Saw franchise coming in was that it was kind of about a guy who would get people in these really elaborate torture devices, and give them a set amount of time to escape, and there would be some form of self-mutilation involved. Now, I don’t know how right or wrong that is, but let me just say that my exposure to the whole “torture porn” genre is limited at best, as I have the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre and have seen the first Hostel film. Otherwise, they’re not just my cup of tea. You know why? ‘Cause I’m a married man, not a 18-year-old boy!

Why, god why, do people flock to these things? Robert Altman once said of the current moviegoing experience that if films were suddenly marketed to older (read: more responsible) people, there would be less tripe like this. At least when it comes to broader-based films, major studios have this wacky qualm about putting together quality stories in order to attract a mass audience, rather than to seemingly put out sequel upon sequel, and since we’re a people who like a new spin on an old subject, the horror remake has been plentiful for quite some time. Even the crap like The Hills Have Eyes has gone through a 21st century interpretation. And as I hear rumors of a remake of the first Nightmare on Elm Street film, I’m hoping that someone is asking when enough will really be enough.

(hope you don’t mind me getting that out of my system…)

Saw IV was directed by Darren Bousman, who directed numbers two and three in the franchise, and when it comes to the story, as much as I understood it, Jigsaw (Tobin Bell, Mississippi Burning) has finally died, and there’s no grey area around this, as the first 10 minutes are spent doing his rather graphic autopsy. But, as it turns out he’s left a tape, discovered by a detective named Hoffman (Costas Mandylor, Beowulf), and the game begins again, though its focus is on a SWAT Commander named Rigg (Lyriq Bent, Four Brothers) who apparently helps rescue someone in an earlier film. There’s even the appearance of a couple of FBI Agents, namely Perez (Athena Karkanis, Skyland) and Strahm (Scott Patterson, Gilmore Girls), who try to find out who’s responsible for a fresh round of killings, and all signs seem to point to Jigsaw’s old girlfriend Jill (Betsy Russell, Private School). So everyone’s trying to figure out who’s still doing this stuff while people get tortured and killed in new and “imaginative” ways, through 90-something minutes of pointless dialogue, mashed up storylines and enough jump cuts and quick edits to make you lose your lunch, even on a case of Dramamine. At the end of this I felt bored more than I did disgusted, which is saying something.

Video

The 1.85:1 widescreen presentation uses the traditional Lionsgate AVC MPEG-4 codec and looks decent. Blacks were solid and provided an excellent contrast, and the level of detail in the film was impressive. There seemed to be some instances of noise that could be noticed, along with periods of image softness, but I guess as far as slasher movies go, this Saw incarnation is the best looking next-gen of the genre.

Audio

A DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio track is presented in all its blood and guts, and it’s a damn impressive track, with a lot of ambient sounds, subwoofer pulsing through each and every jump cut and quick edit and dialogue that sounds clear and strong in the center channel. I only regret that a better caliber movie wasn’t given better treatment sonically, but this one is good.

Special Features

Skipping the other material for a second, Saw IV is the first disc this particular reviewer has seen that’s included the vaunted BD-Live content, headed by a section called “MoBlog,” which allows fans and viewers to make and upload content to be played and viewed by others in the community. I checked out Bousman’s contribution for a second and things seemed to work OK, but as the technology evolves, BD-Live sure will be encouraging.

Now then, there are two commentaries on the disc, starting with one from Bousman and Bent. The track is pretty friendly as the duo talk about things like Saw 65, or the quadruple released Director’s Cut of this film, but they get down to business after awhile, discussing the intent of some sequences and discussing others that weren’t either shot or appear on the disc. You can tell Bousman is mocking the film a bit, even though Bent hasn’t watched it yet and is enjoying things. It’s a jovial, decent track but nothing special. The second track is composed of Producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules, and Executive Producers Peter Block and Jason Constantine. This one pokes more fun at Bousman directly, and seems to cover the production in a little more useful detail, but overall I didn’t gain too much from the track.

Moving on, there’s a video diary that has Bousman at its center, and covers the production itself, including a small pre-production moment when Bousman finds out about a spoiler that was online. It’s part “fly on the wall,” but gives others a chance to mug for the smaller videocamera on set. And you can also tell by this that Bousman seems to be a bit of a drama queen too. It’s a nice inclusion, for what it’s worth. Next up is a fifteen-minute look at the traps that Jigsaw made for the film, which is basically an excuse for the prop master to show off what he made, along with the 9-minute look at the film’s weapons. A music video(?) follows, along with a 45-second deleted scene that was skippable, along with the trailers for this (and other) Twisted Pictures releases, and an ad for Condemned 2? OK, whatever.

Final Thoughts

Saw IV certainly does have its share of admirers, with each film bringing in about $70 million on average. For a film that was shot in less than a month, it’s easy to see that we’re talking about something that’s quick turnaround for an easy reward, and the $60 million the fourth film made guarantees a fifth, which actually just started shooting as of this writing. And while the supplements are plentiful and the technical qualities are good, the film is just so bland and exploitative that I’m not really compelled to recommend it even as a rental. So there, Lionsgate!

J.K Rowling has created a wonderful world of fanciful creatures and magical wizardry. The most amazing thing about her Harry Potter series is how popular the books have become. Kids are reading again, and in numbers not seen since the 1970’s when it was book series like The Hardy Boys and Tom Swift that captured that generation’s imagination. Those books were likely as popular with us then as Harry Potter is with the kids today. But Rowling’s achievement is a far greater one when you consider the distractions she’s had to compete with for kids’ attentions. Today video games and CGI fantasy films don’t require us to engage our own imaginations all that much. Our dreams have become a bit atrophied with lack of use. The second astonishing aspect of Harry Potter is how appealing it has become for adults. I don’t remember too many parents reading through a Nancy Drew adventure when I was young. Today there are many adults reading the books with as much appetite as the adolescent crowd for which they were written. It is likely this adult interest that has created the demand for the films. Unlike many film franchises, Harry Potter was begun as a 7 film project with little or no concern for their success. The bean counters appeared to have enough confidence that production that began back in 2000 has gone unbroken through to today and the upcoming release of the sixth Harry Potter film. Recent news suggests that we’ll end up with eight films now because it has been decided to split the final book into two films. It looks like that confidence was well founded.

I have yet to read a Harry Potter book, but it is my intent to try to do so before long. However, as that day has not yet come I cannot, nor will I attempt to compare the two media. I’ll leave that for those better qualified to do so. I can, however, speak about the Harry Potter universe from the film point of view. Chris Columbus is largely responsible for the look of this world, and what a powerful image it is. The films take on a dark tone that lends itself more to a Tim Burton enterprise than anything else. From the oddly shaped trees to the misty night vistas there is a lot of Tim Burton’s dreary style to the production, although he was not at all involved in its creation. The creatures are some of the best CG monsters I’ve seen to date, and while the first film might not be quite as slick as the later entries it deserves more than a little praise for the photorealistic images it provides. Hogwarts was obviously intended to be a world unto itself, and the film more than adequately immerses us in that world from the very first overhead sweeps of the Hogwarts grounds to the interior sets which are massive and filled to the brim with detail that is finally rewarded with these hi-def releases.

As the film opens we are at once introduced to Hogwarts’ headmaster, the powerful Dumbledore. This quiet moment in the still of the night sets us on a journey with a powerfully subtle performance by Richard Harris. Harris was a special kind of actor who added depths of emotion to a character without ever speaking. He empowers Dumbledore with the strength and charisma that I can only guess is more than hinted at in the texts. When we finally meet Harry Potter, we are immediately astonished at how much he’s grown since this the first film. It actually was startling to see him looking so young after so recently viewing the most recent film. The change was so slight as to hardly warrant our notice as we followed each film, but the jump from the fifth to the first film is quite dramatic. We’ve all basically watched Daniel Radcliff grow up as if he were a member of our own families. It is noticeable with all the children, but none so dramatic as with Harry. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Ron and Hermione respectively have not as yet grown comfortably into the parts and appear a little stiff here. Again, that was not my original impression, but it is unfortunately compared to more recent refined efforts. Of course, they’ve had years to grow into their parts by now, and it’s grossly unfair to compare them then to now, but there it is. Robbie Coltrane is wonderful as Hagrid and never ceases to impress. Alan Rickman is about as perfectly cast as you can get as the Red Herring Professor Snape. A tradition that would carry forward to the future films is a remarkable job of casting. I can’t imagine anyone else filling any of these roles. Yes, Richard Harris would be replaced later after his passing. Michael Gambon does great service to the part in later films, but Richard Harris was and should have been the first choice. There’s far too much Quidditch for my tastes, but I recognize it’s huge with the fans.

It’s Year One at Hogwarts. Young Harry Potter lost his parents as an infant to the dark powers of an evil wizard whose name, Voldemort, is mostly unsaid in polite circles. The battle left young Harry with a lightning bolt scar on his forehead and living with his normal human (Muggle) aunt and uncle. His guardians treat Harry as if he were diseased and spend all of their attention on their own child, Dudley. When word arrives that Harry has been invited to attend Hogwarts, an elite school for wizards, his guardians attempt to thwart it. You just can’t fight fate, and Harry soon finds himself in an entire underworld of English society governed by the rules of magic. Here he meets two friends in Ron and Hermione who will share many adventures with the boy. Potter’s name is famous, and he finds that while revered by many it is despised by others, and he learns early that forces both good and evil are at work at Hogwarts. Harry’s first trial involves an object protected at Hogwarts by Dumbledore and Fluffy, a three-headed dog as large as a house. This Sorcerer’s Stone has great power that must not fall into the hands of evil. He risks his life to protect or destroy the stone, earning the respect of Dumbledore in the process.

Video

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The VC-1 encoded image is quite sharp and full of detail. Without getting too much into the heated format war, this presentation does indeed suffer from having to satisfy both a Blu-ray and HD-DVD format. The HD-DVD format has less capacity and is therefore limited to an image no more than about 35 mbps while the Blu-ray version could support up to 50 mbps. As these hi-def masters are expensive, most films released on both formats default to the lesser HD-DVD transfer abilities. Still, this is a nice transfer. The dark tone of the film requires an extremely solid black level which is delivered here. Colors are intentionally soft, but what they lack in brilliance they more than make up for in richness. Dark reds in particular jump out at you with their realistic tone and definition. Details are magnificent, allowing the viewer to see the subtle set dressings and designs in a format truly worthy of the craftsmanship that created them. The CG f/x blend into the action flawlessly with no edge distortion or noticeable difference in lighting. When you see Hogwarts for the first time on a misty night, you’ll simply be blown away by the cloud definition and the texture of the mist that floats eerily over the dark green grass. That isn’t to say the film can’t be bright and shiny when it wants to be. The Quidditch match, while a bore for me, is nonetheless visually exciting, showing just how bright and fresh colors can be in this transfer. It’s about the only thing filmed in the light of day and looks so natural it almost doesn’t fit with the film’s overall atmosphere. Perhaps that, more than the game itself, is why these scenes just don’t sit well with me.

Audio

The PCM lossless 5.1 track is nothing short of brilliant. The uncharacteristic John Williams score alone is worthy of more than a little praise. Did you notice that he stole the main theme from Universal’s Dracula? The music goes a long way to give us an enormous sense of size at Hogwarts. Williams does his usual best to distinguish the mundane world from that of Hogwarts. Ambient sounds abound and are integrated nearly perfectly into a solid mix that allows you to truly experience the film rather than be a uninterested witness to it all. Dialogue is able to walk the tightrope from quite soft as is Dumbledore’s nature to the thrilling taunts of Voldemort himself. As much as I hate to admit it, the Quidditch match provides some of the best non-score related audio moments. The brooms fly about us with well placed pan f/x. I do believe there were moments that would have benefited from a bit more of an aggressive mix, but I saw this film as a sort of build up to more things to come, and so therefore easily forgiven if something’s held back a touch in the overall mix.

Special Features

I’m a bit disappointed in the level of features that come with this hi-def release:

• Additional Scenes: You get 9 minutes of scenes you’ve already encountered if you bought the special edition discs. Mostly you see more of Harry being mistreated, but there is a key scene where Harry discovers an important clue on the back of his Dumbledore card from the chocolate covered frog package. There’s also an extended version of Harry’s first encounter with Professor Snape in class.

• Capturing The Story: This 16 minute talk with the various crew members on the film centers on their philosophy concerning the book. They wanted a good balance of staying true to the original story but yet creating a unique cinematic identity for the franchise.

• Ghosts Of Hogwarts: This silly, nearly useless feature is a 30 second introduction to the dining hall apparitions.

• Yearbook Character Clips: If you go here you’ll see a book layout with pictures of Hogwarts students. By clicking on any one of them you’ll see a film clip of that character. Really pretty useless since you get nothing other than a clip from the film you already watched

• Quidditch Lesson: Again, just a 30 second clip from the film when Harry is told the rules to the game.

• Dragon Egg Lesson: Using footage with a new voice over you hear the rules to hatching a dragon’s egg like the one that Hagrid has in the film.

• Around The World Multinational Clip: You can watch a clip from the film in a variety of languages.

• Trailers: You get a couple of the film’s trailers, but not in HD.

Final Thoughts

Harry Potter is a pretty cool world that I, so far, have enjoyed spending time visiting. Watching the first film again for the first time in a few years has given me an interesting vantage point going forward. I will be watching all five films in HD over the next week or so in order. I think it will be a rewarding experience I look forward to telling you all about. “I think we can expect great things from you, Mr. Potter.”

3:10 to Yuma makes its way onto Blu-ray disc, a remake of the 1957 film of the same name. Before I even knew what the film was about I was intrigued, as I have yet to watch a Christian Bale film I haven’t liked. Add the always entertaining Russell Crowe and this film has automatic potential. 3:10 to Yuma is directed by James Mangold (Walk The Line,Cop Land) which immediately gives it some credibility, but enough with the speculation, how does 3:10 to Yuma hold up?

Christian Bale (The Prestige) plays Dan Evans, a struggling rancher and Civil War veteran, left with a permanent limp. Ultimately Dan is a family man, but due to the unsuccessful nature of his livestock, he is in debt to the wrong kind of person. Which is where the movie begins, Dan is awaken to his barn in flames, set by two men working for Hollander, whom Dan owes money. The next morning while rounding his cattle Dan and his two sons run into the notorious outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe, American Gangster) who is using the cattle as a diversion while robbing a stagecoach. A firefight ensues and while retrieving the spoils Ben spots Dan and his children watching from the hills, but soon after realizes they aren?t a threat and cuts a deal with him in which Ben and his gang take their horses. Dan has bigger problems though, as he soon learns that Hollander plans to sell his land to the railroad, thus leaving him with no means to support his family. That is until he runs into Ben Wade once again and distracts him long enough for the railroad guards to arrest him. Dan decides that for $200 he will escort him to Contention where he will board the 3:10 train to Yuma. From here on out Dan and a group of mercenaries must face Ben?s gang, hostile Indians, and everyone in between while they forge their way through the desert in hopes of not only delivering Ben, but staying alive.

Initially, who could refrain from being intrigued by the combination of Christian Bale and Russell Crowe in a film, I know I couldn?t. But does the film actually deliver? Simply put, yes it does. 3:10 to Yuma is an instant classic and a must see for all western fans. Not only is the story engaging but cinematically this film is gorgeous, very well put together and truly captures the majesty of the American desert.

What I like best about this film is not the intense action scenes (which really are awesome) but the dialogue, the conversation between these two men who seem to have nothing in common. The characters are well written and complex, and as their adventure unfolds through the desert they will be put to the test of their morals.

Russell Crowe and Christian Bale totally sold me on this film, making it completely believable. Bale playing a character we can sympathize with, and Crowe as his antonym who although lacks a conscience isn?t near a psychopathic as his predecessor played by Ben Foster (Alpha Dog) who as well played a fantastic role. This movie is easily among the Top 10 of 2007 and a must see for fans of the genre or not.

Video

Presented in 1080p 2.40:1 and encoded in VC-1, 3:10 To Yuma comes to Blu-ray with some fantastic looking results. From the clearly seen stubble on Wades and Evans face, to the 3D looking pop delivered landscapes, everything here looks great.

The print itself is in perfect condition with no artifacts or scratches present during its duration. Dark shots hold up well with a strong looking color pallet and a minimal presence of grain. I have been waiting in anticipation for this movie to hit Blu-ray and Lionsgate certainly delivers.

Audio

Lionsgate has always been more than generous when it comes to packing an audio punch, 3:10 is no different. Equipped with a 5.1 Dolby Digital EX and a blistering 7.1 PCM track, there is no denying that this movie sounds terrific. From beginning to end this is one movie where you must have the volume cranked to truly hear its awesomeness. The crystal clear presentation has rich bass with a powerful sound stage which utilizes front and rear speakers effectively throughout.

From Gun shots to dynamite explosions, 3:10 has all you could want in an audio presentation. Lionsgate has delivered one of the best sounding track I have hear on Blu-ray.

Special Features

Lionsgate has included a bunch of worthwhile features with this disc. Fans of the film should definitely watch the Inside Yuma making of feature as it offers a lot of information on the films creation.

• Audio Commentary with Director James Manigold
• 3:10 to Score
• Sea to Shining Sea Documentary
• The Guns of Yuma
• Historical Timeline of the West
• Inside Yuma Making of Documentary
• An Epic Explored
• Outlaw Gangs and Posses Documentary
• Deleted Scenes

Final Thoughts

With a good mix of action, adventure, and drama 3:10 to Yuma gets a definite nod from me. The film is beautifully presented on Blu ray with expansive shots of the diverse desert that is the south west. From gun shots to clomping horses 3:10 to Yuma sounds brilliant; you are truly immersed into the action. I can easily suggest fans of the film to go pick up a copy right now, and if you haven?t yet seen it, I recommend you do.

House of 1000 Corpses deals with two young couples who are traveling around the country looking for off-the-wall spots that tourists can visit as they journey through America. They stop at a gas station and are treated to a story of a local legend name Dr. Satan. During their investigation of it they were captured by a psychotic family of murderers and cannibals and taken to their home. It was there they were tortured and mutilated as they attempted escape.
It makes you wonder what kind of drugs Rob Zombie was on when he was writing and directing this movie. It is strange and crazy to say the least. There is quite the following for this type of movie and those people who like them will enjoy this movie. It is done very well. I just wouldn?t recommend watching it right after you?ve eaten.

Video

Before I get into the details I will just say WOW. This is one of the best, if not the best, looking Blu-ray discs out there. It uses a VC-1 Coded on a 50 GB disc, and there is not a flaw in it. The colors are beyond sharp, and the picture is clear in the light and the dark. It?s as if you are watching the movie with 3-D glasses on. The characters are so real and life like. I know this isn?t the type of movie that is going to sit well with many audiences but if horror movies are something you like or can watch then I 100% recommend getting this disc. It is top notch reference quality.

Audio

The audio is just about as good as the picture. It has both English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 EX tracks. It is loud when it needs to be and doesn?t over shadow any parts. A lot of the movie deals with dialogue which is always clear. And yet, Rob Zombie always finds random shrieks and odd noises to throw in the background. The rear speakers pick them up and you are constantly treated with sound from all angles. The sound is near reference quality as well.

Special Features

The extras are decent on this disc. There is enough to tide you over which I think is all that most people want. There is a commentary with Rob Zombie that his fans would be excited to hear, and while it?s not bad at all, it covers more of how shot and filmed each scene. It?s as if he really wants you to know hoe he made the movie. There is a making of video that is about 20 minutes long. It is pretty straight forward and deals with a lot of the technical aspects of the film. If you liked the movie then it is worth watching once. There are some interviews with some of that cast members (Most of which seem pretty crazy in real life as well). There is a short 3 or 4 minute video of them telling more dirty jokes. Kind of funny, but not hilarious.

Final Thoughts

This disc was beyond impressive. It was done a few years back for pretty much no budget so I was amazed at how great it looks and sounds. It isn?t the best movie ever by any means but as a slasher/horror flick it was done very well. It has that cheesy B movie feel with and A movie look. As I said I don?t have any idea where Rob Zombie came up with some of the concepts for this movie but they are part interesting and part creepy. It?s hard for me to give a recommendation about this movie as you know what you?re getting into when you sit down to watch it and you either like this type of movie or you don?t. I will recommend this movie based on picture and sound as it is perfect in those aspects.

As a kid, I always hoped for more attention for my favorite superheroes. Yeah, we had the MEGO action figures, Underoos, and a few cartoons and made for TV movies of questionable quality, but that’s not close to what is available to fans today. With new toys, clothes, and big-budget movies hitting us rapidly, depending on one’s perspective, it is either a very good time to be a comic book fan, or a very bad time. What I mean to say is that with more mainstream attention being paid to our heroes, our expectations are not always met. For every Batman Begins, there is a Spidey 3 (OK, I did enjoy it, but you know where I’m coming from). I can understand that a live action movie has to appeal to a broad audience, and tinkering is often needed (I didn’t say always). On the other hand, if Marvel and DC are expanding into direct-to-DVD animated features, it seems this would be the place to cater to the comic fanboys. While previous entries from Marvel, such as the Ultimates and Iron Man features and DC’s Superman Doomsday have been hit-or-miss, I’m happy to report that Doctor Strange may be the best entry yet.

The good Doctor Strange is probably the most obscure character to get his own movie so far (unless you include a failed TV/movie pilot in the 70s based on the character), but I think that’s an advantage. There are less expectations on a character who is less established in the minds of the masses. I must admit that I am not a longtime fan of Doctor Strange, but this movie has peaked my interest.

Based on the Marvel comic created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Doctor Stephen Strange (voice of Bryce Johnson) is a world renowned neurosurgeon. Thing is, he’s also an arrogant bastard. He’s the stereotypical doctor with a god-complex. He also has some untapped magical abilities which fate will lead him to explore.

After a serious car accident, Strange no longer has the fine motor skills in his hands that he needs to continue being a super-surgeon. He scours the world seeking someone who may give him back the full use of his hands. During this time, Strange becomes penniless and homeless. He is approached by a man named Wong who has been following him and told if he travels to Tibet, there is a man who can help him there. Really, this is just a set up to help Strange learn the mystical arts.

From here, the film adds a unique Eastern flair as Strange develops his powers. During his training he discovers fellow mystic Mordo (Kevin Michael Richardson) has partnered with the demon Dormammu to open a gateway in order to free him into the world (because you know, demons, that’s what they do). To make matters worse, our villains are using children to create the gateway. Having lost his own sister, Doctor Strange and the other mystics must defeat Mordo and Dormammu.

Similar to the Ultimates releases, Lionsgate has given us Doctor Strangeon Blu-ray Disc. It’s a nice overall presentation, but far from perfect. Read on…

Video

Presented via AVC/1080p encode, much of the world of Doctor Strange looks very good. Colors are bright and vibrant as one would expect from an animated comic book. Lines are generally crisp, however the high-def presentation does expose some faults there. As with previous Marvel animated entries, the animation is fairly poor. The use of CGI mixed with traditional animation is mostly lackluster, and banding is prevalent throughout the film. Despite these faults, I’d still choose it over standard definition just for the nice pop of the colors.

Audio

With the Ultimate Avengers, we got 7.1 uncompressed PCM. Here, we get DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. Early reports by those lucky enough to be able to fully decode DTS-HD MA have been extremely positive, so I look forward to being able to put this track to the test in the future. For now, I’m listening to a downmixed DTS 5.1 track. There is also a Dolby Digital-EX 5.1 track. They seemed fairly comparable to me, and I had no issues with either track. Hopefully the DTS-HD MA track will be at least as good as what could have been included as an uncompressed PCM track.

Extra Features

Not much here, but it least it’s presented in 1080i. There is a collection of CGI pieces collected from various Marvel based video games, which are interesting for anyone who hasn’t played the games (me, I’ve seen most of them before). The most worthwhile feature is The Origins of Doctor Strange, a brief overview of the character by Stan Lee and others. A First Look at Avengers Reborn is a preview of the next animated film to come. Personally, I’m not too sure about that one. I think the Young Avengers would have made a much better film than these “Teen Avengers”. Lastly is some Doctor Strange concept art.

Overall

Despite a few qualms I had with the presentation, I enjoyed this film. If Marvel can keep up the momentum building with each release, hopefully we can some really good stuff in the future. OK, Marvel, how bout Moon Knight next? I’m serious! Forget Avengers Reborn…

Apparently, Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Envall (Blue Collar Comedy Tour) made a movie. Who knew? No offense to their fans, but I’ve never quite appreciated their “comedy” so I wasn’t exactly looking forward to viewing this release. Before I’m called a biased yank, let me say I grew up in southern Tennessee and my family lives in Georgia. Also another bit of education: a “hillbilly” was originally a term used to describe a group of farmers who settled in lower Michigan. Guess where I spent my high-school years? So I think I’m quite qualified to make a judgement on this movie. So there you go. And guess what, this movie ain’t half bad neither.

That’s not to say this is by any means a GOOD movie, but I did get a few laughs out of it. While it has been compared unfavorably to Stripes, I found it much more akin to The Three Amigos, which I’ll admit is a childhood favorite of mine. I could see myself thinking Delta Farce is a comedy classic if I was still 10 years old. But I think that’s OK.

The basic premise of the film is that Larry, Bill, and Everett (DJ Qualls) are self-proclaimed “weekend warriors”. They dress up in camo, hang-out, and shoot at stuff once a month at the army reserve base. When recruited for active duty, they have a mishap that lands them in Mexico instead of Iraq. Our heroes are too dense to realize the mistake initially, so they defend a village from bandits thinking they are freeing persecuted Iraqis. Once they do realize they are in Mexico, the guys decide to help our the villagers by defending it from the gang of bandits let by Carlos Santana (yes, that is intentional and supposed to be funny) played by Danny Trejo. Sound dumb, yep, it is. But the “actors” have enough charm most of the time to keep the momentum going. Trejo and Qualls (check out the porn-stache) give the movie at least a small piece of credibility, and really ham-up their roles. Larry and Bill stick with the one-liners as is their apparent calling in life. All in all, again, it’s dumb, but it’s kinda fun. I’d still take it over In the Army Now, but that’s not saying much either, is it?

Now why someone decided this release was due for the full next-gen Blu-ray treatment is a mystery to me. I can’t imagine that many Blu-ray early adopters were crossing their fingers that this would be released on their high-def format of choice. But hey, the more, the merrier, I guess. And Lionsgate didn’t pull any punches with this release.

Video

Believe it or not, this film, which was likely shot with a TV movie sized budget (and probably should have just been a TV movie) looks very good. That’s not to say it’s perfect, but it’s on par with the average 1080p/VC-1 Blu-ray disc. The picture and colors are generally quite vibrant. Detail and depth are good, but not jaw-dropping. I’ve definetely seen worse Blu-ray Discs than this.

On the downside, there still were a few issues. Outdoor shots of the sky seemed excessively noisy, and for some reason, I swear there is dirt that pops up frequently on the print. Also, there was a strange fluctuation in contrast in a few shots that were slightly annoying. But I wasn’t expecting demo material, so overall I was happy. My wife even walked in and commented, “hey, that picture looks good”. What do you know?

Audio

Kudos to Lionsgate! Prepare for what you’re about to read: Delta Farcehas a 7.1 PCM uncompressed audio track. Why on this film? Who knows? But we’ll take it! At 6.1mps the track is a very nice effort. Unfortunately, it is completely unnecessary for this movie. There just weren’t enough cool audio moments during the film to experience a nice 5.1 PCM track let alone 7.1. Besides the dialog, and some gunshots, there wasn’t much else to the audio. It was completely underwhelming. That being said, so far, PCM uncompressed has been my audio track of choice. I find it a bit punchier than Dolby TrueHD, and have yet to experience DTS-HD MA due to player limitations, so still I’m very happy that Lionsgate has given us this track and have graded it according to the effort and not necessarily the soundtrack itself.

Special Features

There’s quite a bit here too, and some of the features are even in high-def, so again, Lionsgate gets an “A” for effort. Nothing was really notable of all of the features. There is a director’s commentary, which didn’t really offer much to the experience, as well as some on-set interviews with the cast. Also included are

• All the Way to L.A.
• The Queen of Mean Gets the Last Word
• The Man Behind Carlos Santana
• Hacienda Confidential
• Deletes Scenes
• Mr. Chili: Too Hot for TV
• The Men of ‘Delta Farce’ Support the Troops

While this might look like a decent set of features, most of these are very short. Only the die-hard fan would find anything very interesting here.

Final Thoughts

So I wasn’t expecting a lot, and I didn’t get a lot. However, Delta Farce wasn’t the total piece of garbage I expected. For fans of the film, this is a very nice Blu-ray presentation. For non-fans like myself, catch it on cable, you might get a few laughs. Audophiles, don’t waste your money just because of the 7.1 PCM. Lionsgate, thanks for a great effort, please keep up the standards for future releases.

The concept of the film The Condemned deals with a sleazy producer who comes up with the idea of bringing 10 criminals who are on death row to an island with the notion that the last man or woman alive gets to be set free. Of course there is one character who has been wrongly imprisoned and is brought there by accident and as you guessed it, that character is Jack Riley (?Stone Cold? Steve Austin). In order to persuade them, he rigs a bomb to their ankles set to explode within 30 hours. There are hundreds of cameras set on this island, which has been hidden from the outside world as to not alert government presence, and the show is broadcast on the World Wide Web for a meager price of $49.95. It makes for good programming until the realism starts setting in to some of the crew and the U.S. government takes notice.

For those of you that didn?t see this due to the fact you saw or heard negative things about WWE?s last film, The Marine, surely missed out. The R rating helped this movie out a great deal. If you are a fan of action or are just looking for a good fun way to spend a couple hours then The Condemned is perfect for you. Former WWE champion ?Stone Cold? Steve Austin and the under-rated Vinnie Jones (X-Men 3, Snatch, Swordfish) lead a cast of convicted criminals. I was quite impressed with Austin?s performance as he actually seemed like he belongs in the film as opposed to just being paid to be tough and spew one-liners (which there are quite a few of). Don?t get me wrong, the Oscar academy probably won?t be nominating him or this movie for any awards next year but what does that matter to the average viewer like me and you.

Video

The movie is on a 50 GB Blu-ray disc using an MPEG-4 AVC encoding. Well what does that mean to you? I?ve never been big into the technical aspects when it comes to the video? I prefer to judge with my eyes. And my eyes loved what they saw. This movie is a near reference disc. Does that mean you should bring your grandparents over to watch it? Maybe not. But the colors really jump. The water going to the island is crystal clear. The jungle scenes and explosions have that 3-D pop people tend to enjoy, and the red of the blood really stands out. And for those that are squeamish, there is a good amount of it. If you are a videophile then this one for your collection.

Audio

The audio on this disc contains English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 and English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX. It also contains English and Spanish subtitles for those that are interested. Anytime I see 7.1 I get excited because it means progress. It takes advantage of it during certain action scenes as you can hear explosions from the front and rear speakers as well as a good array of jungle noises surrounding you throughout. The sound is quite as great as the picture is but it gets the job done.

Special Features

There are a decent amount of extras found on this disc. For those of you that like Commentaries there are 2 of them – One with Stone Cold and Director Scott Wiper, and the second one with just Director Scott Wiper. The Stone Cold track is quite good; he really takes control of the commentary and gives it that little edge that Stone Cold has. There is a five part featurette which is pretty interesting. They cover a wide variety of topics from getting the film together to a good look at creating the fight sequences. The forth one was my favorite as it shows the humorous sides of all the ?tough? guys on the set. They were all pretty standard but closer to the high end then the low end. There are about 20 deleted or extended scenes that are at least worth watching once. To top it off there are some storyboard sequences, theatrical trailer and a first meeting video between Steve Austin and Vinnie Jones from 1998. That meeting was during a WWE Pay Per View and it was cool to see them interact almost a decade earlier. If you are a fan of extras and a fan of Stone Cold then the bottom line is you will get a good amount of them.

Final Thoughts

This is another excellent disc for the Blu-ray camp and it should hit well with the PS3 demographic that Sony and the BDA seem to be targeting. As I said if you enjoy action, violence, solid one-liners and appreciate reference quality picture then this pick this one up. I agree with one of Stone Cold?s signature quotes and give it a ?Hell Yeah?!