Director Of CTU (Counter-Terrorism Unit), Los Angeles, Jack Bauer (Sutherland) sees his daughter to bed and is called in to the office when the CIA becomes aware of a threat to Presidential Candidate David Palmer (Haysbert). As Bauer investigates the threat against Palmer, he realises that there is probably someone on the inside, and that there is no one he can trust, leaving himself and his family in danger. Filmed in real time, we live with Bauer, Palmer, their families and the CTU team over 24 hours, the longest day of their lives…

I didn’t see this on TV, so I’ve watched all 24 episodes without missing one (which usually happens when I try to watch a TV series). I very nearly didn’t sleep in the two weeks it’s taken to find the time to watch and entire TV series. After the first few episodes, which introduce the characters, it becomes very hard to switch off – brilliantly acted, incredibly well directed and ending each episode with a cliffhanger, it becomes an obsession. The real-time aspect means that you find yourself wondering what is going on at that time on another sub-plot. Often you see two or three stories on-screen, and as it takes many episodes to resolve even the smallest story, you keep coming back for more, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, there’s a twist you didn’t see coming and another story starts up.

There’s so much to the story I would like to talk about but can’t simply because to say anymore will be to ruin the surprise (and excitement) of watching this without prior knowledge. But believe me when I say that this is the best TV show I have ever seen, and nothing has come close to entertaining me much as this series has. Obviously it’s tough to keep up such momentum for 24 episodes, and it does lull after the first dozen episodes, and some of the events do beggar belief, but it is still engaging throughout, supported by great performances – particularly from Sutherland and Haysbert.

The Series is presented on 6 disks, 4 episodes on each. Image is widescreen and clear, but ultimately it’s a TV presentation and so quite grainy at times. The 2.0 soundtrack is clear, but only uses the surround channel for the haunting music. You also get an alternate (and quite different ending), which is good, and a teaser for series 2, which I will be watching! I would have liked to see commentaries or a making of documentary – explaining the logistics behind making a real-time TV show, but perhaps we will see that on Season 2.

Many of you out there will have heard a lot about this but baulked at the price tag. All I can say to persuade you is that this is probably the best TV show ever to come out on DVD and worth every penny – if you only watch the series once you will get value for money.

Film:	★★★★★★★★★★
Video:	★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Audio:	★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆
Extras:	★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆
Overall:	★★★★★★★★☆☆

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24 Season 1, DVD Review (Archive)

The Wrestler has been heralded as Mickey Rourke’s big comeback film, it was called the film of 2008, and many viewers and critics alike were surprised that it didn’t receive any Oscars, or even more than the two nominations it was given, but now that the hype has died down, and the DVD and Blu-ray have been released, it’s the perfect time to revisit Darren Aronofsky’s Golden Globe winning epic.

As the title suggests, the films plot revolves around a professional wrestler, Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson (Mickey Rourke), who was a wrestling superstar in the 80’s but has completely run out of luck and has gone from headlining major shows at Madison Square Garden to performing in independent shows at local halls, for a handful of cash that doesn’t even cover the rent on his trailer-park home.

Randy works at a local supermarket to supplement his income just enough so that he can continue wrestling, and despite detesting the menial job, and the way he is treated by the store manager, he sticks at it because he is desperate for the money. Yet a good deal of the money he earns, goes on medical bills (as he needs treatment after every match), drink and dances at his local strip club, and steroids so that he can maintain his bulky physique and keep wrestling.
 
Randy dreams of a return to his heyday, and early on in the film a possible opportunity to achieve that goal is presented via the form of a potential wrestling match with ‘The Ayatollah’ which first occurred twenty years before, and was regarded as Randy’s greatest ever match, and career high point. However in a more minor weekend match Randy is severely hurt after pushing himself too far; in a match that involves staple guns, glass panes, steel chairs, barbed wire and even a crowd member’s prosthetic leg; and after 14 minutes of torture and a crowd pleasing victory, Randy’s body finally gives in and he suffers a near fatal heart attack.

Doctors then inform Randy that he should stop wrestling, and that any exercise he conducts should be kept to a minimum, but as there is next to nothing in Randy’s life that gives him pleasure, he is left with possibly the most difficult decision he will face; to try and adjust to a life without wrestling, stuck in a dead end job with a horrible boss, or attempt to return to wrestling greatness, but risk another fatal heart attack.

It’s hardly surprising that Randy craves the limelight, as the only people that treat him with any respect are younger wrestlers, very young children that live in his trailer park, and a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) who insists that he is just another customer, and yet despite the fact that these people treat him the best, they all seem to idolize and admire, yet simultaneously pity him.

Randy’s efforts to stay away from the squared-circle lead him to chase a relationship with Cassidy, and reform the one he lost years ago with estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), and all of these efforts lead to some truly emotional and heartfelt moments that perfectly showcase the acting talents of all three main stars. Evan Rachel Wood (of ‘Thirteen’ fame) is completely believable as the daughter that Randy has failed time and again, perfectly blending strength, weakness and the desire to cut all ties with her father, despite obviously loving him; she and Rourke have an excellent chemistry, that really makes it seem like these two characters have had a past together and, despite all outward appearances, do care for one another.

Marisa Tomei as Cassidy/Pam, the stripper, also plays her part extremely well (as evident by the Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress) as the everyday lady/stripper who, not unlike Randy, is constantly staggering on the line between fantasy and reality. Marisa acts superbly, seeming in a constant state of confusion, inner turmoil and bewilderment as she is unaware of the direction she should be taking (just like Randy) as  her aging body is failing her (once again like Randy) and she knows she cannot continue in the line of work she is in. Her character obviously cares for Randy, and there are some very intimate moments between the two, although she is constantly on guard and doesn’t want to mix work with real-life.

Most importantly, Mickey Rourke, plays titular character Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, and the whole film is basically one depressing event after another for him; his career fails (although we never see exactly how), he is flat broke, he has lost ties with everyone he loves, and finally, after one particularly gruelling hardcore match, his heart gives in and he is forced away from the one thing in life that gives him pleasure, wrestling. There’s no questioning the fact that Mickey’s performance here was utterly brilliant, and well deserving of not just the Oscar nomination for Best Actor (which he received), but also the win (which sadly he did not); he literally becomes Randy, in every scene he is in, the ballsy F-you attitude, the seedy nightclubs and the huge amount of emotional heartbreak he suffers can all be seen, and sincerely felt through Mickey’s enigmatic performance.

Mickey Rourke has always been a great actor, standing out in just about every film he has appeared in, yet The Wrestler wouldn’t have been too much of a stretch for him as almost all of the trials and tribulations experienced by Randy, Mickey has also experienced; he was snubbed by the very industry he loved (wrestling/Hollywood), largely forgotten by people that claimed to be fans of his, broken and beaten with a failing body (also reflects Mickey’s boxing career), experienced failing relationships and the loss of people close to him, and both men also worked menial jobs in anticipation of their one big comeback. Randy was so much like Mickey that Mickey actually rewrote huge chunks of dialogue, and personally wrote Randy’s heart-warming speech near the end of the film about himself!

The resemblance between the two is striking, and used to full effect, and the entire film is littered with metaphors and similes that perfectly mirror what is happening to Randy; the case of the aging stripper being a perfect example. The stage and fantasy aspect is also mirrored, with a camera shot of Randy entering the wrestling arena being recreated for Cassidy entering the strippers’ stage, and Randy later entering the Deli-counter. Music also plays a large part in the metaphor, as music from Randy’s heyday (the 80’s) is always presented as being good, whilst modern music (heard in the seedy strip club) is generally presented as being bad, or even foreboding. The 80’s songs also perfectly reflect Randy, as they are very good, catchy, songs that have probably been forgotten by most people.

The attention to detail, shown in the use of metaphors and songs, also plays out perfectly with another metaphor, where Randy and a young kid play a N.E.S. (Nintendo) wrestling game (a playable game actually created from scratch for the film), and discuss the much more modern Call of Duty franchise, which Randy knows nothing about, highlighting the fact that he is clearly stuck in the past.

There are surprisingly few wrestling matches in a film about a professional wrestler (with Randy only participating in three), however no more are really needed, as this is more of a drama than a sports epic, and instead of relying on glitzy matches the Wrestler prefers to tell an emotional story about a troubled wrestler, that’s willing to do just about anything to reclaim his former glory. The acting is superb, the dialogue is spot-on and while overall this is a fairly depressing ride, it’s one with a huge amount of emotional impact, and one that comes highly recommended.

Picture:

As with most Blu-rays nowadays, the Wrestler comes via a full 1080p transfer that actually holds up pretty well. Due to the films limited budget, and director Darren Aronofsky’s shooting style, the Wrestler was filmed entirely with handheld cameras, in a documentary style, and the 1080p transfer obviously heightens the level of grain on what would have already been a fairly grainy picture. Having said that, while detail may not be pristine, it is still very clear, with all the tears, scars, and drops of blood on Randy’s body being clearly evident, and there is no problem making out any important part of the picture. The film uses a fairly muted colour palette, which accurately reflects the tone of the movie, and successfully makes backdrops appear bleak yet real, and skin-tones naturalistic. Despite the grain, black levels remain consistently deep, which is an obvious plus in a film which contains a surprising number of low-lit scenes, including night driving and strip-club interiors.

Audio:

The Wrestler contains one of the finest DTS-HD-MA soundtracks to date, ambient noises such as seagulls and traffic heighten the experience and realism of the quiet scenes, whilst the booming music, pumping bass and ever present screams of cheers erupting from the crowd after every thumping body blow, completely surround and immerse the viewer in the arena, an experience which is further helped by the use of handheld cameras. The arena effect is also present in the strip-club scenes, which provide a good deal of surround sound, and immerse the viewer in the location.

Despite the thumping music and crowd cheers, the soundfield never grows too large, and thankfully the volume doesn’t need adjusting at any point during viewing, as dialogue is perfectly represented (even resonating from the rear channels when appropriate), and easily understood.
 
Musically the Wrestler has a very good soundtrack, from the moody modern hip-hop beats of the strip club, to the ever popular 80’s hard rock of the Wrestling arena, there’s something to impress everyone, and Clint Mansell’s minimalistic score (recorded by Guns N’ Roses own Slash) is well represented and accurately captures the tone of the film.
Overall this is a thoroughly impressive soundtrack that has the ability to easily immerse viewers in Randy’s world, and unlike most, actually enhances not only the experience, but the story as well.

Extras:

Extras for the Wrestler are fairly limited, and come in the form of a making of documentary titled “Within the Ring”, which runs for just under 45 minutes, a 16 minute interview with Mickey Rourke, and the obligatory trailer.
 
Within the Ring is an interesting feature that sees director, writer, producers, professional wrestlers/extras, and Evan Rachel Wood discussing almost every aspect of the filmmaking process, from devising the story, to choosing locations, and the ever important filming process and what it was like working with Mickey Rourke (although it’s clear that there were tensions on set that aren’t discussed here). There are several clips of unused matches, talk of on set improvisation and the perspective of some real wrestlers that were used in the film.

Mickey Rourke’s interview is the standard close-up shot of him talking to the camera, but fascinating nonetheless as Mickey is as compelling as ever, and extremely open about his experiences, sharing plenty of stories and anecdotes. It’s especially interesting to hear Mickey compare himself to Randy, how he looked down on wrestling before the film, how the filmmakers couldn’t raise any money on his name, and how Darren Aronofsky went as far as to make him believe that his dog had died in order to get a truly sad performance from him.

Whilst the trailer is HD, the other features are in standard definition, with 2 channel sound that on the Within the Ring feature is difficult to hear and requires constant volume adjustment. Having said that all of the features are worth watching as they are very interesting, yet it’s surprising that not one solitary clip of Marisa Tomei discussing her role and the filming process, or the sit downs with professional wrestlers, such as DDP and Rowdy Rody Piper, discussing the film, which were showcased on the Wrestler’s official website, were included.

The Bottom Line:

This is clearly the film that is propelling Mickey Rourke back into the mainstream (although considering his talent he should never been away), and rightfully so, as this is a truly emotional journey that will leave any viewer emotionally strained and with a newfound respect for the sport, as it clearly showcases the lengths that these sportsmen go to in order to please the crowd, and highlights just how dangerous and ‘real’ wrestling is. It’s an extremely clever film that is multi-layered and littered with ingenious metaphors and perfect dialogue that makes the world seem all the more real, it manages to tackle big issues such as steroid abuse without making them too big a deal, and show some excellent displays of wrestling.

While the story maybe a tad depressing, it’s extremely engaging, honest, and true to life. The acting of all major characters is superb, with Mickey’s performance being as close to perfect as possible, the effects are brilliant and while picture quality isn’t prefect, the documentary look and immersive soundfield help to enhance an already great film. The Wrestler is unquestionably one of the best films of 2008, and it’s interesting to see a film that is essentially a Metaphor for Mickey Rourke’s struggle in returning to fame, it’s a shame that some of the interview footage from Marisa Tomei and professional wrestlers wasn’t included in the extras, but all-in-all the Wrestler is an astonishing piece of filmmaking, and one that is well worth picking up.

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The Wrestler, Blu Ray Review

Bourne and Marie (Franka Potente) are living quietly on Goa and trying to put his past behind them or at least what he remembers of it. However, they are roughly brought back to reality when a Russian assassin (Karl Urban) frames Bourne for a double killing in Berlin, one of them a CIA operative, and then tracks him to Goa and tries to kill him in an attempt to cover his tracks.

Jason still can’t remember all the details of his past but suspects his former Treadstone pals are behind the attempt on his life so he’s intent on living up to the promise he made them two years ago if they didn’t leave him alone. Meanwhile, the CIA have taken the bait set up by the Russian killer and, out for revenge for the killing of their man, are now out to get Bourne for once and all.

Both are headed for a showdown but neither knows that the real truth goes far deeper and further back than either could have suspected…

Review

Matt Damon returns as Jason Bourne in this realistic and gritty spy thriller where, unlike most sequels, this successfully continues the story left at the end of The Bourne Identity. A lot of the original characters and cast return with a plot that is nicely woven through the events and characters of the original and it runs at a reasonable and occasionally furious pace throughout.

Director Paul Greengrass also successfully picks up where Doug Liman left off and gives us the same solid and realistic feel with no gimmicks that made the original a success. More of Bourne’s no frills fighting talents and a couple of good car chases mean that there’s plenty of action for the adrenalin junkies and the action runs consistently as Jason moves from Goa to Naples, Munich, Berlin and ending in Moscow. Another thing to note is that there are no “Q” division type gadgets or suave dinner-suit locations used, everything is true to life and as realistic as they could make it.

The only complaint I have is that some of the edits in the faster scenes are cut a bit too sharply and I sometimes felt tempted to rewind and watch it again to see what actually happened. I’m sure it’s deliberately done to give the film it’s sometimes furious pace and you don’t really miss anything important but you’re left going “What was that?” or “What happened there?” a few times.

As for the acting, Matt Damon is again excellent as Bourne, now haunted by dreams of a past he can’t remember but determined to find out the truth. Franka Potente returns briefly as Marie, the girl who gave him a lift that changed her life forever and Brian Cox is as nasty and duplicitous as ever as Ward Abbott, Treadstone’s CIA overseer. Julia Stiles and Gabriel Mann return in slightly more involved roles this time as ex-Treadstone staff Nicky and Danny Zorn.

New faces in this instalment are Joan Allen and Karl Urban. Allen is particularly impressive as CIA depute director Pamela Landy, who’s in charge of the hunt for Bourne and really shows that she can fully play the game in the predominantly male oriented secret service. Urban, whom you might not recognise as Eomer from The Lord Of The Rings, plays the Russian assassin Kirill and really looks the part, no archetypal bad guy dialogue, he just gets on with the job and is totally convincing as a ruthless killer.

The picture is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and is pretty good throughout with an excellent transfer, although the predominant use of hand-held camerawork and the somewhat muted colours give the film a more down-to-earth and gritty look. All of this is quite deliberate and follows on from the look of the first film and it all works quite well. Also worthy of note was Greengrass’s decision to do all of the stunts as realistically as possible and with no CGI involvement and the combination of all of the above mean that the results worked very well.

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and is a reasonable, if nothing special, mix. Dialogue is front based and clear throughout along with John Powell’s score but the surround effects are fairly low key and ambient except during the car chases and action sequences, where they kick in very well indeed. Could have been better given the material though. There’s a fair amount of subtitle use as most of the action takes place in non-English speaking locations but it works okay and is never too long as to detract the viewer. Of course that meant that some of the cast had to learn a fair bit of Italian, German and Russian but they carry it off very well and sound convincing.

I watched The Bourne Identity the night before I watched this, just to get into the mood like, and thoroughly enjoyed both films. All in all, The Bourne Supremacy is a very successful instalment in the Bourne saga – bring on The Bourne Ultimatum.

Extras

Explosive Deleted Scenes – Five deleted scenes lasting just over seven minutes in all. There’s no explanations as to why these were cut and none of them are “explosive” so I’m assuming they were cut for timing or pacing reasons but a few of them are worth watching.

Matching Identities: Casting – Director Paul Greengrass talks about casting the movie with some interview snippets from producers Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley along with the main cast members. A bit of a mutual praise session and nothing special., lasting for just under five and a half minutes.

Keeping it Real – A five-minute piece on how the production team kept the film as realistic as possible, giving it a documentary style and looking spontaneous and unrehearsed. Focuses a lot on the choice of Paul Greengrass, due to his work on Bloody Sunday, and how his directorial style was perfect for this film. More interview material with the producers, director and cast.

Blowing Things Up – 2nd unit director and stunt coordinator Dan Bradley talks about the gas explosion scene in Munich, where a number of the stunt team are blown a fair distance by the blast. Again, the emphasis was on avoiding the use of CGI effects and it was all achieved using more traditional visual effects. There’s also some input from the special effects foreman, the producers and Matt Damon. Quite interesting but it only lasts for four minutes.

On the Move With Jason Bourne – A little five-minute piece on some of the locations used in the film and the conditions of shooting in these places, which were actually as stated in the storyline. Focuses on Berlin, Moscow and Goa.

Bourne To Be Wild: Fight Training – A short but interesting four and a half minute look at the movie’s big fight scene between Bourne and Treadstone agent Jarda (Marton Csokas) in Munich. The producers and Paul Greengrass talks about the setting and how scrappy it should look while well respected fight coordinator Jeff Imada talks about the moves, using the same Philippino fighting style that Matt Damon was trained in for The Bourne Identity.

Crash-Cam: Racing Through The Streets of Moscow – An interesting look at how the team tried to better the car chase in The Bourne Identity and how they planned to film it in such a way as to let the viewer feel like they are in the car. Good stuff and again, all real stunts and cars. Lasts six minutes.

The Go-Mobile Revs Up The Action – A look at the impressive and amazingly flexible Go-Mobile high-speed stunt car rig. It allows a car being used in an action scene to be driven at high speed by an experienced stunt driver, while still having the actors sitting behind the wheel. It also allows for camera shots to be taken from just about any angle into the car during the action. Looked like real fun for Matt Damon! Lasts seven minutes.

Anatomy of a Scene: The Explosive Bridge Chase Scene – This is a behind the scenes look at shooting the scene in Berlin, where Bourne evades his pursuers by vaulting off a rail station bridge and landing on a passing barge on the river. There’s not a great deal of “anatomy” or “explosive” detail here but there are a few funny moments. Lasts just under five minutes.

Scoring With John Powell – Yet again another almost five-minute long piece, this one concentrating on the film score. Composer John Powell talks about how he and his team went about scoring the movie – using some of the existing themes from the previous film, inventing new ones and avoiding doing it the traditional way of patching together lots of well-known songs and tunes. He also discussed his intent in tricking the audience by changing the cues we’d normally expect to hear in the lead up to certain events.

Feature Commentary With Director Paul Greengrass – A fairly entertaining commentary from Paul Greengrass with all the usual elements of plot development, production anecdotes and trivia. I have to admit that I’m getting a bit jaded listening to commentary tracks, life’s too short. Still, Greengrass does a reasonable job here and if commentaries are your thing, it’ll not disappoint.

DVD-ROM Content – Again Universal have chosen the Windows only InterActual Player to deliver the DVD-ROM content so here’s one unimpressed Mac user. Seriously though, if it’s on the DVD, you should be able to find it yourself and avoid this problematic piece of software. Can’t think why they’d want to alienate us minority groups like this but it gets them a negative score from me.

Trailers – Promotional trailers for Van Helsing, The Chronicles Of Riddick, The Chronicles Of Riddick: Pitch Black Special Edition, The Bourne Identity Special Edition and Billy Elliot The Musical.

Overall

With a sound story basis coming from a writer like Ludlum, The Bourne Supremacy is a solid action thriller and an excellent sequel to The Bourne Identity. If you like spy movies, you’ll almost certainly enjoy this and if you liked The Bourne Identity, then it’s a must see as you won’t be disappointed.

The picture and sound are pretty good throughout but the extras package have a bit of a “Never mind the quality, feel the width!” feel to them and I feel that they could have taken eight of the nine mini-featurettes, lasting about 42 minutes in total, and put them into a much better and more added-value “Making Of” documentary. Still, it makes for a reasonable evening’s entertainment!

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The Bourne Supremacy, DVD Review

Season 7 is the final season of the Shield, and it’s clear from start to finish that the series hasn’t lost any of the hard-hitting, gritty realism, that’s had fans hooked since early 2002. The stories are as edgy as ever, there’s plenty of action, brutality, and a plot that twists and turns so often that once you start watching, you won’t be able to stop. It’s also the most shocking series yet (fans will know that’s a pretty bold statement to make), as there’s about ten or eleven episodes (out of a 13 episode series) with cliff-hangers so surprising that not only will they make any viewers jaw hit the floor, but leave them with only two thoughts; “wow!” and “what’re they going to do next?”

The Shield was created by Shawn Ryan (writer for Angel, showrunner for The Unit, and co-wrote Terminator Salvation) and revolves around the exploits of the L.A.P.D. within the fictional Farmington District. The series’ main protagonist is Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), who heads the Strike Team; a four man unit that deals solely with gang related crimes, and aren’t above planting evidence on suspects, beating confessions out of them, and even occasionally raising the bar to outright murder and other questionable activities used to keep peace on the streets and supplement their income.

The main issue presented by the series is the use of force, and corruption within the police department, as the actions of Vic and the rest of the Strike Team are not only vicious, but immoral and downright illegal, yet they always seem to do more good than harm; granted now and again they ‘forget’ to turn in a brick of heroin to evidence, or make back-room deals with drug dealers and murderers, but all the beatings, murders and stitch-ups they ever conduct are against people that are truly deserving; serial rapists, paedophiles, murderers, pimps or drug dealers; and because of this no viewer can truly hate Mackey or the Strike Team as a whole.

In the pilot episode Mackey was referred to as “Al Capone with a badge” but as another detective pointed out, as long as people feel safe, and crime is down, as far as the public are concerned “it’s don’t ask, don’t tell,” and while most people may agree with that in real life, we have not only been told, but shown the actions of the Strike Team for the past six years, and as this is the last ever season fans were itching to find out if Mackey would finally get his comeuppance, or what depraved acts he would have to commit to escape scott free.

The next section of the series review should only be read by people that have seen at least the first six series of The Shield, as while it contains no real Season 7 spoilers, it does refer to events from earlier series. People that haven’t seen the earlier series’ should skip ahead to Acting/conclusion, Picture/Audio quality, Extras and the Bottom Line.

Season 6 ended with Shane (Walton Goggins), once again, being in way over his head with a gang; the Armenians, which led to him letting slip that Vic had ripped off the money train, and even kidnapping Vic’s wife and children to protect them from an Armenian hitman. Season 7 kicks off with a bang, as within the first few seconds Shane’s wife is bound and gagged, and Shane is receiving a beating from Vic and Ronnie (David Rees Snell) and is forced to tell them about the Armenians and just how screwed they all are.

From that point Vic, Shane and Ronnie are again forced to work closer together, and the season’s early episodes focus on the efforts to catch and kill any Armenians that know of their involvement in the money train robbery and could, by association, be a threat to their families. Shane is trying to find the Armenians before Vic and Ronnie, in order to keep his involvement in their predicament under wraps, and once more tries to redeem himself for killing Lem back in season 5.

Vic and Ronnie (him especially) aren’t too forgiving; they want to end the Armenian threat, find out how involved Shane is, and if not to avenge Lem’s death outright, to at least cut all ties with Shane. Inevitably tensions boil over, and the surprising actions of some of the main characters shift the story in a totally new direction. Without giving too much away, the remaining members of the Strike Team find themselves in more trouble than they have ever been in before, it’s clear that at least one if not all of them are going down, either to prison or the morgue, and the team’s inevitable descent to hell comes extremely rapidly from that point onwards.

The shift mentioned occurs in episode 8 (titled “Parricide”) and it is possibly the finest episode of The Shield ever produced; it has some of the best writing, best acting and most nail-biting moments of the series entire run. It is an episode that will not only have viewers on the edge of their seats, but holding their breath for the full 45 minute episode simply willing certain characters to do/not to do certain things, and this episode (more so than most, yet all in this season are brilliant) is a perfect example of why The Shield has been so beloved by fans, why the first season gained the most Emmy nominations for a basic cable drama, and just what an all-round brilliant show it was.

Unfortunately however, The Shield has now ended, and most people reading this will be interested in one thing above all else, ‘was the finale any good?’ and in short, it was unexpected. That comment shouldn’t be taken too negatively, as there are many things about the final episode which would more than please the shows legions of loyal fans; the fact that it was written solely by Shawn Ryan (shows creator and sole writer of the pilot episode), that references and even appearances are made by supporting cast members from earlier seasons, and most importantly of all, that every major storyline is satisfactorily and realistically closed.

Spoilers End

Realistic is a word that perfectly describes the series’ ending; as whilst it may not be the ending that most fans were expecting, it’s one that would probably have happened, had the events of the entire series been real; and on reflection, it was truly a piece of writing genius to end the series in such an unexpected, realistic and still shockingly powerful way.

As one would expect, the finale is tied up almost entirely with the fate of Vic, and it’s one of many episodes that keeps you guessing right until, and even past, the episodes closing scene. It’s an extremely powerful episode that will memorize just about anyone watching, there’s unexpected twists even at such a late stage in the game, and it is acted so well that the emotions of all key characters can actually be felt by the people watching, an example would be any one of several scenes where the camera holds steady for 30-40 seconds on a close-up of Mackey’s face, with no background noise or anything but his expression to convey the complex emotions felt by the character, and they are all scenes which Michael Chiklis pulls off exceptionally well.

The acting in this series is nothing but superb, Michael Chiklis is as convincing as ever as Vic Mackey, the tough cop that believes he is trying to do the right thing, and effectively carries the wider range of emotions needed to be conveyed by his character this series; having to show sadness, empathy, and convey a feeling that he knows he is taking things to far, and is disgusted with himself, but is unable to stop.

However it isn’t just Michael Chiklis that deserves all the credit, as the acting from the supporting cast is also exceptional; Walton Goggins, as Shane Vendrell, had to carry his character through some especially dark times during the season, and despite being an extremely difficult character to like, he was convincing and created a character that was easy to hate, yet deserving of an innumerable amount of empathy. David Rees Snell has the finest season of his Shield career as the third Strike Team member, Ronnie Gardocki, and it’s a season described in the commentary as the corruption of Ronnie because in several episodes Ronnie is forced to commit acts worse than he has ever done onscreen before. He’s an extremely likeable character, and it’s nice to see him get more screen time than has been awarded him in the past, and while David’s acting might not be as critically praised as that of Michael Chiklis or Walton Goggins, he easily matches their stellar standard and his performance far surpasses simply being believable, making it easy to feel for his character.

The rest of the regular cast also have their fair share of screen time and decent stories this series, Billings’ law suit reaches its climax, Dutch (wonderfully played by Jay Karnes) becomes involved in a disturbing case regarding a potential teenage serial killer, and the extent of Claudette’s (a character played to perfection by CCH Pounder) illness is made clear, and Aceveda (Benito Martinez) edges ever closer to the mayors desk.

To sum up, The Shield is, and has always been, a magnificent series, and season 7 is impressive enough to not only contend with but even surpass some of the earlier series’. The acting from all regular cast members, guest stars and even those reappearing in smaller supporting roles (the return of Tavon was a personal highlight) is as near perfect as possible, the stories are just as shocking and powerful as ever, with Vic barely hanging on through most of the series’, and the individual tragedies that befall a number of key characters are enough to move viewers to tears.  This is one of very few series’ that can be classified as essential viewing, as the writing quality, the show’s style and overall impression of the show haven’t failed to disappoint for seven years.

Picture:

The Shield has always been known for it’s gritty look, and as with all earlier series’ you can expect a good deal of grain on this transfer, something which is so noticeable that it even warrants a mention in the season openers commentary. However, grain here isn’t the result of a bad transfer, but rather a reflection of the series’ on-the-fly style of filming, and use of handheld cameras that provides a near documentary style look to the show. For that reason alone it should not be put down, and the fact that contrast remains consistent throughout and the picture looks a good deal better than the earlier series’ mean that whilst being far from perfect, the picture quality is more than adequate (actually adding to the realistic feel of the show), and doesn’t distract from the edgy storylines contained in each episode.

Audio:

Audio on previous Shield boxsets has been pretty limited, with seasons 1-6 having only 2 channel mixes, and unfortunately whilst online info states that season 7 has a 5.1 audio track, it only played in standard 2 channel stereo, with no options to change to 5.1. It’s understandable that the fast paced nature of the show, use of handheld cameras and the crews style of filming, would make it difficult creating a full 5.1 track during filming, but The Shield is a show that could really benefit from some decent surround sound; there are numerous action sequences, scenes on city streets and even quiet moments where the low hum of fluorescent lights being heard through the rear speakers would provide another level to the show and help to further immerse the viewer; however this isn’t the case, and season 7 of The Shield still has the same tired audio quality of the first season. A track that will be far from impressive, but boasts clear dialogue, ambient, and action noise levels throughout, and while it will not heighten the experience of the series, neither will it distract from the compelling story.

Extras:

As with all previous The Shield boxsets there are deleted scenes for every episode (51 scenes in total) with optional commentary by creator Shawn Ryan, and while the scenes themselves may prove interesting (but brief) the commentary really isn’t needed, as it generally consists of ‘this was a good scene but we cut it for time’ and little else.

There is also episode commentary on every episode, with commentators changing from main cast members, to writers, directors and crew, and they are surprisingly easy to listen to and informative. The commentaries conducted solely by the writers can become somewhat tedious, but the ones with directors and cast (particularly the finale) are interesting enough to please both fans and casual viewers alike; as they are littered with stories about the decision making processes, behind the scenes antics, banter between cast members, interesting question posed to one another and funny anecdotes, that all prove worthy of a listen.

Finally there are two making of featurettes: “Last Call: The Final Episode”, which is only really for real fans, as it mainly consists of the cast giving small speeches and heartfelt goodbyes to one-another, and “Nobody Expects to Lose, Nobody Expects to Die: The Shield’s Final Act”, which is more of a traditional making of, with some interesting cast and crew interviews conducted before, during and post filming, behind the scenes shots, and recapping the final season and showing how the ending was reached.

The most puzzling extra(s) of all come on the final disc, as there are ‘deleted scenes’ from the final episode, that seemed strangely familiar, because they were in fact only deleted in the U.S. and anyone who watched the finale on Channel 5 would have already seen these scenes. The scenes even appear in the episode when watching them on the DVD, the only difference being that in the deleted scenes section, they have worse picture and audio quality. Even more baffling, is the ‘bonus episode’ which is the U.S. version of the finale, which is exactly the same as the one that aired here, but with the ‘deleted scenes’ actually taken out, and unfortunately the only way to watch the two-part finale as a whole is to view the ‘bonus episode’ with removed scenes.

In short, a nice collection of extras, with many interesting deleted scenes and commentaries and a nice making of featurette, although the ‘bonus episode’ really wasn’t needed.

The Bottom Line:

Summing up, season 7 of The Shield is pure television brilliance, it’s the perfect (even if rather unsettling) ending to possibly the best show on television and has lost none of its impact since its hard-hitting pilot first aired. All major stories are summed up powerfully well, there’s a closing montage that’s brought many viewers to tears, and no-one could argue that there could have been an ending that better suited the characters and situation that they found themselves in. Granted the picture quality is far from perfect, but that’s a stylistic choice rather than a transfer issue and actually adds to the realism of the show. The audio also isn’t up to scratch with most new releases, but that shouldn’t put anyone off when there’s a plot this intricate, gripping and truly shocking. Season 7 isn’t the place to start if you’ve never seen The Shield, because events from not only seasons 2-6 reach their culmination, but so does the storyline first opened up in the shows pilot episode. If you already own seasons 1-6, then 7 is a must buy as it rounds everything off brilliantly, otherwise the soon to be released, excellently presented, complete box set, comes highly recommended.

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The Shield Series 7, DVD Review

The Film:
To put it bluntly, American History X is one of the best and most powerful films ever released. It’s a message movie that, unlike most message movies, has a right to take itself seriously, and doesn’t once come across as pretentious. The message contained is an anti-racist one, which is told from the perspective reforming neo-nazi Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), and his impressionable younger brother Danny (Edward Furlong), and follows Derek’s rise to skinhead hero, eventual fall and incarceration, and his post prison attempts to rebuild his and his family’s life and prevent his brother from going down the same path.

American History X is the title of a one-on-one class created for Danny (Furlong), by the principal Dr. Sweeney (Avery Brooks), after he turned in an assignment on Mein Kampf that argued for Hitler as a civil rights activist (which didn’t sit too well with his Jewish teacher or black principal). Danny’s first assignment for the new class is to write a new essay, about what happened to his brother Derek (Norton), and how those events have shaped his view of society; with the majority of the film forming a visual representation the essay, and Danny’s recollection of the events, and the other half/remainder containing the events of the day of Derek’s release and Danny writing his paper.

The film actually only takes place over a mere 24 hours, from the morning that Derek is released from prison to the following morning when Danny takes his essay into school, and so most of the film is shown through extremely vivid and detailed flashbacks; detailing Derek’s transformation from normal adolescent to the figurehead of the D.O.C (the most notorious white supremacist gang in Venice Beach) after the traumatic death of his father, the events that lead to his prison sentence, and troubled time whilst inside, and what eventually makes him decide to reform.

Every shot in the movie is superbly crafted, but it is during the flashback scenes that the artistic flair of first time director/cinematographer Tony Kaye really shines through; everything from the past is shown in beautiful black and white, with many exceptionally placed slow motion elements, alternate angles and close-ups. While the flashbacks are wonderfully shot, they are rather lengthy and form such a large part of the film they run the risk of turning it into a black and white film and spoiling its fast paced nature, thankfully neither rings true; as the transitions from colour to black and white and back are done so smoothly they could easily go unnoticed, and viewers have been known to say that they didn’t even realise entire sections were black and white.

This isn’t an action heavy film, but rather an emotionally driven story, although it does contain some of the most brutal and uneasy violence seen in a film of this nature, and it is made all the more poignant because of the rhetoric Derek uses and the actions he takes; when he leads a group of skinheads into trashing a store that employs illegal immigrants, or sadistically murders two black men on his own front garden, it all seems so real that it could be happening outside your house right now.

The rhetoric and actions of the characters, and specifically Derek, combine to create some of the most believable characters in any film, and the truly scary thing about American History X is that despite the fact that Norton’s character is literally brimming with pure evil (during the flashbacks), shown best by the ever-so proud smile and wink he gives whilst being arrested for murdering two black men, it is still so easy to believe in him. When he speaks about illegal immigrants, job stealing, drug use and the problems raised by so called equality, everything he says has such a strong element of truth that it is easy to see how real people get drawn in to these gangs and end up committing some of the heinous hate crimes that they do. Yet for all Derek’s wrongdoings there is only one scene where it’s possible to turn on him (at an uneasy family discussion about race and Rodney King that turns violent), as in all others he doesn’t do anything wrong; he beats people up, but they’re all “border jumpers” so shouldn’t be there anyway, he bans all black people from the public basketball court, but only by winning a game of basketball against the cheating black players, and yet when he finally reforms (after some realizations and tough times in prison) he remains just as compelling; it’s easy to feel happy for him, yet sad at the same time and immensely proud that he finally has the guts to fix his life.

Danny is just as believable a character as Derek, and while not quite as compelling, that is because of his character, and not the acting of Edward Furlong, who actually did a brilliant job of creating a true to life confused youngster that illustrates just how impressionable teenagers can be and how easy it would be for them to go the wrong way. This is one of only two noteworthy performances by Furlong (the other being Terminator 2), yet arguably his best, and one that showed the true potential he once had.

Other performances come from Beverly D’Angelo, as the boys mother (a solid and convincing, yet not spectacular performance), Elliott Gould as Danny’s Jewish history teacher and his mother’s ex-boyfriend (solid showing as the uneasy and scared teacher/partner), and Avery Brooks as Dr. Sweeney, the principal at Danny’s school and Derek’s old teacher and mentor (near faultless performance of the teacher that’s eager to help; he’s a believable mentor and convincing as someone that does outreach work with gangs, a far cry from his role as Captain Sisko in Deep Space Nine). Two other notable showings are Stacy Keach as Cameron Alexander, the mastermind behind the white supremacist gangs (good acting, but not astounding or dissimilar from that of his role as the warden in Prison Break), and Ethan Suplee (Randy from My Name Is Earl), as the true extremist and full believer of the white power rhetoric (he plays this part immensely well, and will make any My Name Is Earl fan watch the show in a completely new light).

To round off, American History X is, despite its limited financial success, one of the most powerful films around. It’s possibly the only message film around that’s actually moving enough to change opinions, and if you’re not into messages there’s no need to worry because it’s a film that has something for everyone; there’s an emotionally rich and detailed story, a good deal of action, nazis, an extremely important prison element and all rounded off with a brutal and shocking conclusion that will astound almost any viewer.

Picture:

When first watching American History X on Blu-ray it’s clear that there is a large amount of grain present, although that’s largely because of the way the film was shot, being a stylistic choice, and not simply a bad transfer. If anything the 1080p upgrade is a surprisingly good transfer, being much clearer than the standard definition release and whilst there are noticeable parts of the picture containing blurred edges, and fine details that are less than perfect when compared to more recent hi-def blockbusters, blacks are much deeper and richer than previous releases and the contrast will not disappoint; a clear step up from the last release.

Audio:

Sound on this edition has also been upgraded, to a 5.1 Dolby True HD track which, whilst making relatively light use of the rear channels, and containing large sections of relative silence, is extremely clear. There are one or two minor issues however, such as the odd voice or sound effect coming from the wrong speaker, or jumping speakers with little transition or reason, however it’s an easy thing to miss, doesn’t occur too often, and probably won’t put even a single viewer off, especially when there is such an immersive and gripping story to contend with.

Extras:

The extras have to be the only disappointing thing about this Blu-ray release, as there are no new features compared to the feature-lite standard definition release. The only feature available is a short collection of short deleted scenes, none of which are terribly interesting or long, and would have added little to the story if included in the final cut. A making of documentary, or preferably an alternate cut, would have been much appreciated, but both remain extremely unlikely to ever be released as Tony Kaye remains adamant that his film was “raped” by New Line and Edward Norton’s editing, and wishes to have nothing further to do with it or them. The packaging is also less than brilliant, as while the front cover may be on a par with the standard definition release, the back is much more colourful than the last release and presents a much happier tone than this modern tragedy warrants.

The Bottom Line:

Tony Kaye may have hated it, there’s lacklustre packaging, hardly any extras and picture and sound quality that are a ways below reference quality, however, this is one film that everyone should own; the story is so powerful it truly has to be seen to be believed, it will give every viewer a unique experience depending on their preconceived level of prejudice, and will convey a whole range of emotions including anger, pride, joy and above all, sadness; the mark of a true tragedy. Picture and sound are below reference quality, but are still miles ahead of the standard definition release, the cinematography and acting are truly brilliant, and the exciting and moving story more than makes up for any faults with this disc. American History X is a worthy addition to any collection, that more than warrants the extra £6 for the Blu-ray; but even if you’re feeling cheap, £5 for the SD release is a bargain that’s too good to pass up.

Price Comparison, Buy Online

Our Ratings

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American History X, Blu Ray Review

Courtesy of Sony Pictures home Entertainment we have 4 copies of Seven Pounds on Blu Ray to give away.

Seven Pounds
 
Available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray on the 25th May 2009

Two-time Academy Award® nominee WILL SMITH (Hancock, Hitch, The Pursuit of Happyness) is reunited with acclaimed director GABRIELE MUCCINO (The Pursuit of Happyness) in the emotional drama Seven Pounds, the inspiring tale of one man’s quest to help the lives of seven others, available on DVD and Blu-ray from 25th May, courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

WILL SMITH is joined by a fantastic supporting cast, including ROSARIO DAWSON (Sin City, Men in Black II), WOODY HARRELSON (No Country for Old Men, The People vs. Larry Flint), MICHAEL EALY (Barbershop 2) and BARRY PEPPER (The Green Mile, Saving Private Ryan).

Ben Thomas (SMITH) is an IRS agent with a fateful secret who embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.  Along the way he meets and sets out to help Emily Posa (DAWSON) and Ezra Turner (HARRELSON). When one of the seven captures his heart he must decide if he should reveal his secret, even if it means giving up on his plan. Seven Pounds is an emotionally charged love story with a truly inspirational ending.

Available on DVD and Blu-ray, Seven Pounds includes a host of added value including a commentary, deleted scenes and featurettes.  Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a Digital Copy of the film for PC, PSP®, Mac or iPod® and BD-Live: Access Exclusive content and downloads.

This competition closes at midnight (GMT) on the 1st of June 2009

Terms and Conditions

• Only one entry per person per day.
• Only one entrant per household.
• Random winners will be chosen from the list of Entries.
• The winners will be contacted via the email address registered within the entry. In the event of no reply a new winner will be chosen.
• Automated or Bulk entries and entries from third parties will be disqualified.
• No cash alternative prize is available.
• Competition is open to UK residents only.
• The judges decision is final.

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Competition, 4 Copies of Seven Pounds on Blu Ray To Win

It seems that Hollywood is running out of original ideas. We’ve had a plethora of remakes over the last couple of years, some of them have been remakes of films that weren’t really that old! One genre that may benefit from a remake you’d think would be the old sci-fi films of the 50s and 60s. With modern day special effects, these films could be brought to life in a way never imagined by their original makers. The big question is can Hollywood update these films with fancy SFX, but still retain the excellent storytelling of these pioneering films.

The original The Day the Earth Stood Still is a classic sci-fi masterpiece. The concepts it addressed are as relevant today as they were then, although they’ve been tweaked somewhat for a modern world. The plot here revolves around the earths first contact with an alien. Scientists are tracking what they think is a meteor, that is on a collision course with Earth. A group of top scientists are quickly gathered to come up with a survival plan for after the impact, an impact that’s due in 78 minutes!

Unlike most meteors, this one has brakes. It slows to a hover in central park. This raises a whole other set of possibilities. From the glowing sphere a humanoid figure (without any features) emerges along with a huge robot. In the confusion the humanoid is shot, but not killed. The large robot activates and start to go on the rampage in response to the hostile action, but is deactivated by the wounded alien. On rushing him to a medical facility doctors find that his body is in fact a cocoon. It’s a jelly like substance that falls away and reveals a human male called Klaatu (Keanu Reeves).

Upon interrogation Klaatu reveals that he has to speak with the worlds leaders at the United Nations. The secretary of defense Regina Jackson (Kathy Bates) denies him and instead questions him about an impending attack on earth. Unfortunately Jackson is only confirming Klaatu’s impressions of earthlings as destructive and paranoid. It seems that Klaatu is here to make a decision, whether to kill the human race or let it survive!

Still intent on contacting our leaders, Klaatu escapes from captivation and runs into one of the scientists rounded up earlier (Jennifer Connelly as Helen Benson). Sympathetic to his cause Helen aides Klaatu in evading the authorities and meeting with one of Earth’s most prominent scientists. On the run with them is Helen’s stepson, Jacob (Jaden Smith). Jacob’s father died leaving Helen as his only family. Their relationship can be a bit strained from time to time as Jacob comes to terms with his fathers death and the fact that his stepmother, who actually loves him and wants to care for him, is all he has left. This dysfunctional relationship does nothing to convince Klaatu that humankind is worth saving, but as things become more stressed he sees how they come together in times of stress and a glimmer of hope emerges.

In the original film the central premise similar to the one presented here, however the alien races were afraid that humans, embarking on space travel and having perfected atomic bombs, would be a destructive force in the universe and had come to reign us in with robot overseers. In this re-imagining it’s slightly different. The other alien races have stood by and watched us pollute the earth to such a degree that it shortly may not be able to support life. With only a handful of planets in the universe capable of life each is very precious and must be protected. Protected from us. To this end Klaatu has been sent to see if we have the capacity to change or whether we’re beyond help and must be eradicated. The glowing sphere is in fact an ark designed to collect samples of all the wildlife on the earth so it can be re-seeded after our destruction. Can Klaatu see the good in humankind and stop the destruction to be caused by GORT (here standing for Genetically Organized Robotic Technology).

Aliens coming to Earth, a huge robot causing untold destruction, you’d be forgiven for expecting a sci-fi action extravaganza. It all starts along those kind of lines in the first part of the film only for it to tail off in the middle. From there on in we have a film that is more about relationships and how they reflect on us as a species rather than big action set pieces. The relationship between Helen and Jacob is supposed to reflect mankind. Strained and sometimes hurtful it seems that there’s no hope for them. When stress and trauma come they forget their differences and their relationship is distilled to its most basic form, they both actually love and need each other.

The film makers could have kept the central premise around mans ability to destroy through war given the current climate. Instead they decided to shift focus to that other chestnut, man poisoning the planet and ruining the environment. Either would’ve done the job as it’s not really the focus of the film, they just needed a reason for the aliens to be wary of us. Whether the film comes off overall is up for debate. The threat is clear, the possible solution and the consequences to us are also clear, but what changes Klaatu’s mind is less clear. He sees the possibility for us to change in the relationship between two people. That doesn’t mean that the whole human race WILL actually change however.

Keanu Reeves plays it pretty straight. Klaatu is essentially emotionless and monotone, so not much acting required! Jennifer Connelly and Jaden Smith do a good job of portraying a relationship forged from difficult circumstances. We see it change and evolve as circumstances change further and it’s this relationship that is key in changing Klaatu’s mind.

Picture and sound on this Blu Ray edition are both top notch. Having said it’s not an major action flick, there are a few sequences that will use a surround sound setup to the max and the picture is definitely five star quality throughout (there are quite a few dark and murky scenes but detail and contrast remain strong).

From the trailer you may be expecting a sci-fi action blockbuster, in which case you’ll be disappointed. If you’ve seen the original and know a little something about its plot then you’ll know to expect more of a character drama that focuses on relationships and how they reflect on us as a species. The film pacing varies, with a slow middle section and personally, if I were Klaatu, I wouldn’t have been convinced that we’d change and would’ve let GORT do his thing. Overall an interesting watch, it doesn’t live up to the original, but then very few remakes do.

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The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), Blu Ray Review

The Day Earth Stood Still

My first blu-ray review is a classic science fiction film that I already own as a SD release. The Day the Earth Stood Still is based on a short story by a guy called Harry Bates, I’ll be honest and say that I have never heard of him before but if the movie is a true representation of his novel then I would imagine that his books are pretty good.

When the film was made in the early 1950’s the cold war was getting rather chilly, the USA and USSR were facing each other, each with a massive arsenal of nuclear weapons. Mistrust was everywhere with the American propaganda machine running full pelt and warning every American citizen about the dangers and expansion of communism. In the film making world there was actually a black list which affected a number of actors because of their political beliefs, indeed Sam Jaffe who plays Prof. Jacob Barnhardt was very nearly not in this film due to this. On top of this fear of communism America had just got itself involved in another war, this time in Korea and there were some people, film makers included that, felt that the various governments needed to calm down a bit otherwise we would be looking at World War 3 and Armageddon, and this is really the whole basis behind the story of the film.

Klaatu (Michael Rennie) has travelled 250,000.000 miles with his 8ft robotic policeman Gort (Lock Martin) to warn all the world leaders that if they continue on the track of developing atomic energy that the planet will be destroyed, and that the human race basically need to live in peace and be a little more tolerant of each other. He Lands in America (as that is the only place where UFOs land) and comes out of his craft to address the people and the military units that have surrounded his spaceship. Of course the Americans being as they are shoot him when he tries to give a gift to a soldier and he is taken to hospital.

images not taken from the blu-ray release

Once there it is apparent that the squabbling among the world leaders will prevent him from addressing all nations and so he goes out among the people of Washington to find out exactly what the human species is all about, he lodges at a family home where he meets Helen Benson (Patricia Neal) and her son Bobby (Billy Gray) and gets to learn firsthand about 1950’s America whilst the military are frantically searching for him.

For those that like tons of action in their films, this is not for you. The Day the Earth Stood Still is a story told very much in a documentary style with the main part of the film showing Klaatu integrating himself into the general populace to find out how the ordinary people act, and what makes them tick. Here he finds out about their prejudiced ways, their fears and what drives them, and I think that it is this storyline that makes the film so good, it is as relevant today as it was then only Terrorists rather than Russia will be the ones to detonate a bomb, indeed this film has been remade recently with Keanu Reeves taking the role of Klaatu although the danger being global warming and the governments of the world seemingly doing little to prevent anything from occurring. Although from everything I’ve read that remake is not that good.

Another reason that I think that there was little action in the film was the fact that Robert Wise was the director, and the other films that I’ve seen of his (Star Trek – The Motion Picture and Run Silent, Run Deep) have been big on story and whilst not devoid of action I felt that the action always comes second place to the story itself, which is a good thing.

images not taken from the blu-ray release

One thing that I have found with movies from this era is that some of the acting can be a bit heavy on the dramatics especially from the actresses who seem to squeal and hold their hands to their faces at the first sign of danger, with the men telling them to pull it together with a still upper lip, but I suppose it is a reflection of those times and everyone seems very stoic, and repressed with nobody really letting their hair down, I mean they even eat breakfast in a suit and tie.

Special mention has to be given to Michael Rennie who plays Klaatu. He is absolutely perfect for the role being very tall and thin, his features lend themselves well for the part and he imparts his lines in such a indifferent way that you could well imagine him being a visitor from another planet. Another person worthy of mention is Billy Gray as the young boy Bobby. Kids, especially in film from this era, can seem wooden when they act or say anything and yet he seems to take to his role like a duck to water for the most part, it was quite refreshing to see.

Gort who I imagine was pretty scary at the time is obviously a guy in a rubber suit and pretty laughable for that, but he looks sufficiently scary for 1950’s cinema goers and I know that I would be pretty worried if he stepped out of any spaceship I happened to be standing in front of.

Other characters play their roles sufficiently even if they are a little one dimensional in place but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the film has a good, if simple, story that is told well and will leave people thinking well after the credits have gone.

images not taken from the blu-ray release

Picture:
I compared this blu-ray image to the SD image that I have and it is a night and day difference, blacks are dark and deep and whites are fresh with all the greys in-between looking very good indeed, there is a little bit of grain noticeable but nothing that ruined the viewing for me. One thing that surprised me thought was that the image was in 4:3 format and I couldn’t find a widescreen version (my SD release is widescreen), it may have been there but I couldn’t find it.

Sound:
I used a DTS sound track which makes remarkably good use of the surrounds, the sound of traffic and fire engines coming through well, when the spaceship landed the bass was nice and rich, filling the room. It was a real joy to behold. The main theme tune too that’s is played on the Theremin (examples of which are in the extras) was superb, with that creepy sound giving real atmosphere and menace whenever played. There is nothing really taxing for the speakers and most of the dialogue in centre speaker based but the balance of the soundtrack was spot on for my setup.

Other Notes:
I wrote an article recently called “beware the BD” where I stated that I was not convinced about the quality of blu-ray based on a demo disc I saw, whilst I still think that the SD image was degraded in that example, I have to say that the image on this BD was much superior to that on my SD.

images not taken from the blu-ray release

Extras:
Commentary by Robert Wise & Nicholas Meyer:
A fairly quiet, an interview based commentary where Meyer has sat down with Wise to talk generally about the film. I am sure that if I was really patient then I could sit down and listen to it all the way through, although I do think it would be an effort.

Commentary by film and music historians John Morgan, Steven Smith, William Stromberg and Nick Redman:
A louder, livelier discussion on the movie with additional snippets that look into the politics of the time too, again I would need to be very patient to sit through this for its entire length. They seem to concentrate a lot on the score of the film

Isolated score track 5.1 DTS:
This removes all dialogue from the film so that you can see it whilst listening to the audio track, I didn’t watch the whole film this way but did listen to a few extended scenes with it, quite a novel way to view a film and actually a good way to really concentrate on the movie to review it.

The world of Theremin:
There are three separate extras in this section. The Mysterious, Melodious Theremin (6 mins): This is a documentary about the instrument that plays the weird pulsating tune that is present throughout the film. I love these old Sci-Fi movies with the spooky soundtracks that is so familiar to Sci-Fi movies of this era and more recently Mars Attacks.

The Day the Earth Stood Still main title live performance by Peter Pringle (2 mins):
This is actually quite interesting; Peter plays the actual opening sequence on the very theremin instrument that was used in the original film. I love it I think it is an awesome sound.

Interactive Theremin: Create your own score:
As it says really, although I couldn’t get it to work properly.

Gort command interactive game:
A basic game where you have to use Gort to destroy aggressors, limited appeal.

Making of day the earth stood still: (25 mins)
Film historians and archival interviews with people like Robert Wise (Director) talk about the social influences of the film, its style and the general coming together of the movie.

Decoding Klaatu Barada Nikto: Science Fiction Metaphor: (16 mins)
This documentary looks into the world at the time of the films making in 1950, about mistrust and the possibility of World War 3.

A brief history of flying saucers: (34 mins)
Complete with a few clips of The Day the Earth Stood Still, this documentary is about various UFO experiences from Roswell onwards, it is an interesting watch and a nice addition to the extras.

The astounding harry bates: (11 mins)
A short tribute for the author whose book The Day the Earth Stood Still was based on.

Edmund North: The man who made The Day the Earth Stood Still: (14 mins)
Another tribute, this time concentrating on Edmund North, the films screenwriter.

Race to Oblivion: A Documentary short written by Edmund North: (26 mins)
A look into the arms race and the cold war which was building up to breakneck speed around this period in time.

Farewell to the master: a reading by Jamieson K. Price of the original Harry Bates short story: (97 mins)
Essentially an audio book split up into 3 chapters, wasn’t not something I had time to listen to when reviewing but would be of interest to some.

Fox Movietonews (1951): (6 mins)
Essentially an American propaganda short.

Teaser Trailer & Theatrical Trailer:
Trailers for the film

Galleries:
A whole bunch of still images set behind a number of different headings

Websites:
A list of 2 websites, pointless extra

Overall:
A very good, classic Sci-Fi film that should be in every genre fans collection, I’ve read that on the original SD release there is a 80 min making of that has not been but on this Blu-ray release so I would recommend this BD as an addition to the collection rather than a replacement.

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The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) – Blu-Ray Review

Max Payne (Region 2):
Max Payne (Mark Wahlberg) is a cop. He is a moody, angry soul with a permanent scowl who obsessively works on cold case files in an attempt to find clues as to who killed his wife and baby. He finds a lead which may help him and he pursues it. On his quest he comes across Mona Sax (Mila Kunis) whom he eventually joins forces with after her sister is killed possibly by the same people who killed Max Payne’s family. Max finds evidence of a cover up at the highest level with several clues pointing back to a drug called Valkyr made by Aesir Pharmaceuticals which just happens to be where his wife worked. Will Max find those responsible? Will he get to shoot them? And will he get more work as a gravel voiced talk over guy?

Max Payne is yet another on of the films that are based on a best selling game (of the same name) and as we have seen in the past (Alone in the Dark, Bloodrayne) things have not always turned out that well. Whilst I am happy to say that this movie doesn’t hit bottom like those two films it doesn’t full its potential. But I think that the only reason for this is that nothing really happens during the first half of the film, so much so that my partner told me that she was “going to bed because this is boring”.

This is a real shame as I think that Wahlberg is convincing as the grimacing Max Payne, anyone who has played the game will know that the look on Max’s face throughout that was a scowl and that is exactly what we get there, Max has nothing to be happy about, indeed, max has nothing really left to live for except to deal out revenge on those responsible for killing his family, indeed on certain flash backs we she the spirit of his wife tell him “not yet Max”.

We even have gorgeous Bond girl Olga Kurylenko in the film as a call girl in the film but I felt she was never really utilised enough, in fact I would have preferred to see her in the role of Mona Sax; not that Mila Kunis (who did play her) wasn’t any good as she was, but because I am a complete fanboy of Ms Kurylenko and felt her smouldering good looks should have been on screen more. That said Kunis does favourably as an assassin.

Other people of note are Beau Bridges as BB Hensley, Ludacris as Lt Jim Bravura and Chris O’Donnell as Jason Colvin whom are all there to either help or hinder Max in his quest for revenge. Chris O’Donnell playing the better of the three roles mentioned here.

The movie itself I didn’t feel was overly long, but it did feel unbalanced, not much happens in the first half of the movie and all the action and shooting comes in the last half, some would say that makes sense and yes it does, but I felt that it was a case of so little going on in the first 50% of the film that it could actually be construed as being a little boring.

Looks wise the film is stunning, Director John Moore (behind Enemy Lines) has captured the film-noir influence of the game and has brought it to life here as a dark, foreboding environment with snow flurries to add to the cold desolate chill of the place, The special effects too were all in the same style and quite stunning, in fact the look and feel of the film reminds me of a cross between Sincity, Constantine and 300, sound wise too it is all things good as the LFE rumbles out deep bass especially with each gunshot, it is a real gem on the eyes and ears.

Overall I think that Max Payne has just missed the mark. It isn’t a terrible film and I think that the viewer will be entertained but it is unbalanced and something is missing, whether it is a big of character development or something more interesting in the first half I don’t know, but something is amiss. As a game to film conversion I think it is one of the superior ones out there it looks and sounds beautiful and I do wonder if they will make a second as there is a second game called The Fall of Max Payne.

Extras:
The special features may as well not be there as all you get are three weblinks, I hope the full retail version gives more than this, pathetic.

Overall:
I feel that Max Payne has really captured the look and feel of the game very well but something has been lost in the execution of it. It is worth a watch but it doesn’t pick up until the last half.

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Max Payne DVD Review

The Film:

When news of writer/director Guy Ritchie’s new gangster project, RocknRolla, surfaced, I have to say I was hopeful, yet not optimistic. Whilst I was a massive fan of his first two (Lock, Stock and Snatch) the third (Revolver) was an utter car wreck. So, is RocknRolla a spectacular return to form, or another miss?

As with any Guy Ritchie film you can expect a very detailed and intricate plot with several different elements all separate yet interconnected, and all winding towards each other for the big finale. Very briefly the film concerns crime boss Lenny Cole, played by Tom Wilkinson, offering to bribe councillors for planning permission for some Eastern European Crooks, who happen to lend him a painting which gets stolen by a junkie musician named Johnny Quid (Toby Kebbell) – the RocknRolla. Obviously Cole tries using his gangster ways to track down this painting as the Europeans want it back, but they have their own problems, as the money they are supposed to pay Cole with keeps getting stolen, thanks to insider information given from their accountant to One Two (Gerard Butler) and the Wild Bunch, who need the money to clear their own debts with Cole.

If you’re not confused by now, I’d be impressed, but there’s no need to panic, as this is possibly one of, if not, the easiest to follow of the Ritchie films to date; which is both a positive and a negative. It’s good because it’s never really confusing, but bad because you never really get to experience the shocks and thrills presented in Lock, Stock or Snatch, as it’s all laid out from the start and any plot development can be seen a mile off.
 
Another thing that’s somewhat lacking, is the humour that was so evident in those first two films; lines like “Could everyone just stop getting shot” or “it was at a funny angle” are completely absent but there are a few laughs; mainly presented around one character finding out a mate of his is gay, a couple of robberies and during a superbly constructed robbery/chase flashback scene. A scene that lasts a good few minutes has action, humour, and a good bit of directorial flair and is one of the best and most memorable parts of the film.

The real problem here is not necessarily the story, as whilst unsurprising it’s fairly well thought out and expressed… aside from the pacing; Lock, Stock and Snatch gained momentum throughout, growing bigger and bigger until the climax and eventual cool down cliff-hanger. RocknRolla simply doesn’t, it never really takes off, and while great deals of events occur and the story keeps progressing, you’re continually left waiting for it to get going.

One of the biggest shocks of the film was the absence of Jason Statham, who has appeared in all three of Guy’s other crime films, but couldn’t be in RocknRolla because of a scheduling conflict. To make up for that, we have Tom Wilkinson, who easily pulls off playing crime boss Lenny Cole, a role not dissimilar to the one he played in Batman Begins. Gerard Butler (of 300 fame) as One Two is the loveable low-level criminal, a role he fits fairly well, yet somehow isn’t quite as endearing as you’d expect, and doesn’t seem quite hard enough to fulfil the role. Other than that the cast is largely full of people that you will recognize, yet might have trouble placing, such as the girl from Mission Impossible 2 (Thandie Newton), the agent from Entourage (Jeremy Piven) and the bloke from that episode of Sharpe (Mark Strong).
 
Ritchie has a gift for picking out untapped talent and Mark Strong really shines as Archy, Cole’s right hand man, a loveable honest gangster who’s loyal to the end. The rest of the cast however are nothing special, Thandie Newton gives a fairly lifeless performance, and Jeremy Piven whilst acting as good as ever, isn’t really given a chance to shine (watch Entourage or Smokin’ Aces for classic Piven). The real untouched gem in this picture is Toby Kebbell, as Johnny Quid, while some of his scenes don’t really require all that much acting, others that would be downright difficult he performs with ease; when he’s high, he really does seem strung out, when he flips, you believe he’s a real psycho, and the hardest of all, when he’s crying and sad (or pretending to be) you actually feel sorry for him.

In the end, RocknRolla, is a decent film (miles better than Revolver), one that will make you smile, give you a good dose of action and the typical tough cockney bravado that you expect from the genre. The plot whilst appearing confusing, is easy enough to follow, and well shown, but by the end, your left with a resounding ‘is that it’ feeling as it never really seems to take off; but then again, Ritchie is planning to turn this into a trilogy, and if this is simply the first act then the rest should surely be worth a look. RocknRolla is worth a look in its own right, and should entertain any fan of the British crime genre, but would probably have faired better if I didn’t hold Lock, Stock and Snatch in such high regard.

Picture:
 
RocknRolla is presented in beautiful, and it is beautiful, 1080p quality and doesn’t disappoint. Blacks are bold and deep, and look especially good next to the heightened and stylised colour palette selected for the film. It’s obvious that a good deal of enhancement took place as far as colour is concerned, but it was done so well that you will be hard pressed to figure out what is real and what’s been artificially altered. There are a couple of points where grain rears its ugly head and tiny fluctuations in contrast levels, but you really have to look for them. Granted there have been better transfers than this, but not many, and anyone who is watching the film instead of simply examining the picture should certainly be impressed.

Audio:
 
Musically RocknRolla lacks the commerciality of Lock, Stock and Snatch, instead, containing a much more subtle soundtrack that whilst different from earlier ones, works extremely well. Music plays a large part in flashback scenes, but for the most part goes unnoticed, but where the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack truly shines is concerning the effects; it’s by no means a film that will test the limits of your speakers throughout, as rear channels and the woofer remain largely silent (aside from the odd bit of background noise), but what that means is that when the action does kick off you really know about it. Sound here (unlike most transfers) is actually a part of the film, not simply an added effect, and every little nuance is directed from the right angle, with the right sound and employed at the right time. I was thoroughly impressed with this soundtrack as it fits the world completely, not one to test your set-up with, but one that works exceptionally well for the film.

Extras:

Additional scene: Will You Put the Cigarette Out
An amusing little scene, that is less story progressing and more of a mild comedic sketch, hence why it was cut. It takes place before the main robbery and basically consists of the Wild Bunch joking around with One Two who’s running on a treadmill and annoyed at another bloke smoking, hence the name of the scene.

Blokes, Birds and Backhanders: Inside RocknRolla (HD)
A 15 minute behind the scenes featurette, that flies by. It contains all the usual cast and crew interviews, some shots showing how scenes were constructed, discussions of the films metaphors and the evolution of London. Only problem with this extra is that it is too short, and doesn’t delve into making/shooting of the main robbery scene as much as I’d have liked.

Guy’s Town: The Director reflects on his fascination with the ever-evolving London (HD)
Despite the name, this isn’t just a conversation with Guy Ritchie, there’s interviews with Thandie Newton, Tom Wilkinson, Gerard Butler and crew members all discussing locations, and how London has changed over the years. The sections on locations such as Battersea Power Station and Canary Wharf are interesting, yet the feature is a little redundant as most of the clips are shown in the Blokes, Birds and Backhanders feature.

In addition there’s the regular commentary provided here by Guy Ritchie and Mark Strong, and a free digital copy of the film for download. Here I can’t really comment on either as I’m generally not one for commentaries, and digital copies don’t interest me as they appeal more to people that watch films on there ipods, but those people will be disappointed, as strangely the digital copy is not itunes or ipod compatible.

The Bottom Line:

RocknRolla is surely worth a watch, it’s a very good London crime film in its own right; just don’t go into it hoping for another Lock, Stock/Snatch. Picture and sound quality are both excellent making the extra three pound for the Blu-ray well spent. The extras are nothing special, just a couple of shorts tacked on because that’s what customers expect nowadays, but that should hardly stop you from watching the film, and I recommend you do watch it, just don’t expect a miracle.

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RocknRolla, Blu Ray Review