http://www.highdefforum.com Forum is intended for Blu-Ray Movie Reviews only. Come on and share your Blu-Ray Reviews! en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:47:35 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.highdefforum.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.highdefforum.com http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103833-my-take-my-sisters-keeper-2009-a.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:38:35 GMT
Title: My Sister's Keeper (2009)
BD-25 Single-Layer Disc/Two Disc Set
Video: 1080p/VC-1
Audio: 5.1 Dolby TrueHD
Aspect Ratio: 2:40:1
Subtitles: English and French
Run time: 109 minutes
Studio: New Line Cinema
Rating: PG-13
Region Coding: Region Free
Player used for review: LG BH200

Cast/Crew Info:
Abigail Breslin as Andromeda 'Anna' Fitzgerald
Sofia Vassilieva as Kate Fitzgerald
Cameron Diaz as Sara Fitzgerald
Heather Wahlquist as Aunt Kelly
Jason Patric as Brian Fitzgerald
Evan Ellingson as Jesse Fitzgerald
Alec Baldwin as Campbell Alexander
Directed by Nick Cassavetes

My take: (the breakdown)

I basically ended up renting this for my wife who commented that she wanted to see this when we saw the trailer for it several months ago. I worked in a bookstore for a couple years a few years ago Picoult is one of those authors that does appeal to men, similar to Nicholas Sparks. From my research the movie follows the book rather closely. It opens with Anna Fitzgerald (that girl from Signs) laying out their family's situation. Her older sister Katehas fought Lukemia for about 10 years and Anna lets us know that she was artificially conceived to provide tissue/organs for Kate. When Kate begins to suffer from renal failure they want to remove one of Anna's kidneys so that it can save Kate. Anna voices her opinion that she is tired of being operated on and finds a lawyer to become medically emanciapted. However, even with all this there are some other unforseen elements that the parents don't discover until much later. This is a rather depressing movie, but I will say that it is worth a rental just because of the great acting involved.

Let me first point out that this is not a bad transfer, but I have seen many newer releases that look a lot better. Colors are muted for the majority of the film, but there are a few scenes where they come alive. Flesh tones seem to lean towards the red/orange side of things, but I imagine that was intentional. Because of the director's artistic choices the image seems rather flat for most of the run time because of the muted colors. Grain is extremely light and in some scenes is not even noticeable. Fine detail is above average for the most part, but there are just a couple softer shots. I also did spot a few instances of edge enhancement now and again. Again, this is an above average transfer, but it just doesn't compare to many of the other newer releases out there.

We are suppled with a rather subdued 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track. Other than maybe five minutes worth this movie is nothing but dialogue and music. The dialogue is clear and perfectly understandable during the entire run time though. I found the surrounds to get zero attention even from the musical score, which I found strange. Most dramas have musical scores that swell into the surrounds, but not with this and because of this this primarily a front heavy mix. You might as well forget that your sub exists for this title as well.

Fans of Picoult's book and the movie itself will be let down by this supplemental package. We first get a 14 minute making of feature presented in 1080, which is basically just an advertisement for the movie. We also get 16 minutes worth of deleted scenes that are presented in 480. Finally we get a digital copy of the film on a second disc.

Movie: 6.5/10
VQ: 8/10
AQ: 7.5/10
Supplements: 2/10
Final word: Worth A Rental

As always thanks for reading folks. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews HD Goofnut http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103833-my-take-my-sisters-keeper-2009-a.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103769-green-mile.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:18:01 GMT This is another title I have waited for with great anticipation and by and large I am pleased with this Blu-Ray release but it not perfect. Presented in a 1080P 16x9 format the transfer is quite sharp with very fine grain structure that grain haters like me will be more than happy with. You... This is another title I have waited for with great anticipation and by and large I am pleased with this Blu-Ray release but it not perfect.

Presented in a 1080P 16x9 format the transfer is quite sharp with very fine grain structure that grain haters like me will be more than happy with. You really have to look hard to see the grain at all.

One or two scenes however are slightly soft and at times I found the image lacked the crisp punch I would have expected from a film of this age but perhaps the stylised nature of the photography has something to do with that. Outdoor shots of the stars on the other hand looked stunning and most of the close-up shots revealed every pore and bead of sweat.

Audio quality is pretty good, by and large and is in the True HD 5.1 and Dolby Digital formats. But in the scene where Tom Hanks character discusses with his wife the prospect of going to hell for Killing John Coffey, a lot of hiss from the centre speaker is clearly audible. It really was quite bad and hardly acceptable for a modern state of the art release. Fortunately it disappears as soon as the scene changes.

Extras on the one disk version I have includeCommentary by Frank Darabont, Additional scenes, A making of documentary, Gallery and screen tests of Michael Clarke Duncan. Also included is a very interesting snippet on the training methods used for Mr Jingles.

Overall, a fairly nice presentation only spoiled ever so slightly by the audio issue and variable video quality that crops up on rare occasions. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews cbcdesign http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103769-green-mile.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103755-my-take-cast-away.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:44:39 GMT Image: http://images.blu-ray.com/movies/covers/320_medium.jpg Title: Cast Away BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1 Subtitles: English and Spanish Run time: 122 minutes Studio: Fox Home Entertainment Rating: PG-13
Title: Cast Away
BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc
Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1
Subtitles: English and Spanish
Run time: 122 minutes
Studio: Fox Home Entertainment
Rating: PG-13
Region Coding: Region A Only
Player used for review: LG BH200

Cast/Crew Info:
Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland
Helen Hunt as Kelly Frears
Nick Searcy as Stan
Chris Noth as Jerry Lovett
Directed by Robert Zemeckis

My take: (the breakdown)

I typically enjoy any movie that features Tom Hanks as the lead actor and Cast Away is my favorite Hanks film after Saving Private Ryan. Chuck Nolan works for FedEx as some type of distribution expert and in the beginning of the film it shows just how he knows to motivate people to work extremely hard. When he returns to his home in Memphis, TN and to his girlfriend Kelly (Hunt) for Christmas he gets a page to travel somewhere else out of the U.S. When his FedEx plane encounters a violent storm while over the Pacific Ocean they are forced to ditch the plane into the water. Chuck survives the crash and gets swept up onto a small uninhabited island. He then realizes that he must do everything he can to survive so that he can make it back to Kelly and marry her. Filled with plenty of emotion and drama I say this is worth an automatic purchase.

Note: Until last night I had not watched the Blu-ray version of this movie in about a year. When I did watch it a year ago I felt it was worth a 10/10 in terms of video quality. Now that I have reviewed so many Blu-ray movies since then I am going to have to adjust my rating accordingly.

Colors are finely saturated the entire time with this transfer giving us that three dimensional look. Flesh tones, although mostly of Hanks, are right on the money especially as we see him go from fair skin to tanned skin. Grain is moderate during most of the run time, but during the several darker scenes, mostly in the cave, grain becomes noticeably heavier and can appear noisy. Fine detail is top notch though as every hair and pore is visible on Hank's face. This may not be a perfect transfer from Fox, but it sure is near the top.

Unlike the video this 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio is pure gold. Dialogue is crisp and clear and never struggles to be heard. Surrounds are used quite frequently for many ambient effects that include the wind and the ocean. Your sub will also see a lot of work during the plane crash and during several scenes that include crashing of waves. This is definitely a reference lossless mix in my opinion.

As with many of the early Blu-ray releases from Fox the supplemental package is rather minimal. We get a decent audio commentary with Zemeckis, an additional commentary on several scenes with Zemeckis and some of the crew, a trivia track, and several Fox trailers including one for Cast Away. All of the trailers are presented in 1080.

Movie: 8.5/10
VQ: 9/10
AQ: 10/10
Supplements: 2/10
Final word: A Must Own

As always thanks for reading folks. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews HD Goofnut http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103755-my-take-cast-away.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103725-dead-snow-ein-zwei-die.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:24:20 GMT Image: http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2009/01/13/dead-snow-poster.jpg Image: http://i43.tinypic.com/wa3gnn.jpg * DEAD SNOW (EIN! ZWEI! DIE!)* * Video:* 1080P HD/24p 16X9 1.85:1 * Special Features:* 480i ---------- *Audio:* Norwegian 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, English 2.0, Francais 5.1 Dolby...

DEAD SNOW (EIN! ZWEI! DIE!)

Video: 1080P HD/24p 16X9 1.85:1

Special Features: 480i
----------
Audio: Norwegian 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, English 2.0, Francais 5.1 Dolby Digital

Special Features: Norwegian 2.0
----------
Subtitles: English subtitles

Special Features: English Subtitles
----------

With a car packed full of ski equipment and enough beer to fuel their escape from everyday life, eight medical students head out on their Easter vacation. Isolated in the snowy hills, the group begins to realize they came to the wrong resort, as deep in the hills lay an unthinkable evil.

"Undead Nazi bastards on the march...blood, guts and black comedy? Count us in." Total Film

Run Time: 91 minutes * Colour

---------------------

My review will follow after I have viewed the movie... Just a little bit about this. I heard of this movie through the grape vine and found the trailers for it online. I wanted this on Blu-ray but could only find non US region copies. I searched for about three months and finally located a US region Blu-ray copy for a fair price. Again my review will follow this...
---------------------

My Review:

Movie: 10/10, This movie even though it starts out slow in my mind is a great movie. Great build up of suspense. The comedy is sometimes hidden and sometimes not. But when it hits it hits at the right spot.

PQ: 9/10, I wasn't expecting much from a foreign film, but this is one of the best Blu-ray's from a picture quality standpoint that I own.

AQ: 8/10 Again wasn't expecting much in this department either... However even without a surround sound system it was veyr very good IMO.

*If you can find this movie on DVD or Blu-ray (My recommendation) get it. It is worth the money. This is also my second foreign "HORROR" film and I watched it in it's native language and used English subtitles. it didn't hurt the movie at all, in fact I think it enhances it.

It has a slight hint of Pirates of the Caribbean. Those of you who find a copy and watch it will know what I mean. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews EditWhiz1983 http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103725-dead-snow-ein-zwei-die.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103711-my-take-dr-seuss-how-grinch-stole-christmas-1966-a.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:22:13 GMT
Title: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
BD-25 Single-Layer Disc/Two Disc Set
Video: 1080p/VC-1
Audio: 2.0 Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 1:37:1
Subtitles: English Only
Run time: 26 minutes
Studio: Warner Brothers Home Entertainment
Rating: G
Region Coding: Region Free
Player used for review: Playstation 3

Cast/Crew Info:
Boris Karloff as the Narrator and the voice of The Grinch
Directed by Chuck Jones & Ben Washam

My take: (the breakdown)

When I was a child I must have head Green Eggs & Ham, The Cat in the Hat, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas dozens of times. I also probably watched this animated version of The Grinch at least 10 times as a child. I personally didn't care for the Jim Carrey remake in 2000 either, but I will always cherish this 1966 classic. Narrated and voiced by Boris Karloff How the Grinch Stole Christmas follows Dr. Seuss' book to the letter and most of you out there reading this should already know the story. If you don't then I suggest grabbing the book and maybe even the Blu-ray as well since it does include a DVD and digital copy.

For a cartoon that was made for TV in 1966 I was rather impressed by the quality of this Blu-ray transfer. Colors are nice and strong from the beginning credits and remain well saturated for the entire 26 minute run time. Of course there was no grain, but there were a few instances of speckles of dirt. Fine detail is what you would expect from a 43 year old cartoon and despite the age it actually looks quite good. Warner should be commended for their restoration effort of this timeless classic.

We are supplied with a 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo track that is really about average or so. The audio mix does prioritize dialogue, but there are times when it seems weak or flat. I imagine that this mix sounded the same on my speakers as it did many years ago on smaller SDTVs. It's not that it's technically flawed, but it could have used some restoration or something.

There's nothing all that special about the supplemental package of this Blu-ray release. We get an audio commentary with a few of the voice providers/animators, several making of features totaling about 45 minutes, three storyboards that show the origins of the production. We also get a DVD version of the film and a digital copy both on the same disc. Be advised that the digital copy does expire in November of 2011.

Movie: 8/10
VQ: 8/10
AQ: 6/10
Supplements: 5/10
Final word: A Must Own

As always thanks for reading folks. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews HD Goofnut http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103711-my-take-dr-seuss-how-grinch-stole-christmas-1966-a.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103665-star-trek-2009-a.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:46:22 GMT I have been looking forward to getting this particular movie on Blu-Ray since I saw it at the Cinema back in the summer. The Star Trek franchise had become so tired that even long time fans like me were tired of it. It needed a re-boot and J.J Abrams did a fantastic job, giving it a new look whilst... I have been looking forward to getting this particular movie on Blu-Ray since I saw it at the Cinema back in the summer. The Star Trek franchise had become so tired that even long time fans like me were tired of it. It needed a re-boot and J.J Abrams did a fantastic job, giving it a new look whilst retaining the character traits that the original actors made legendary.

Issued in a variety of guises including a 2 or 3 disk version, A steel book exclusive 3 disk version from Play.com or a special collector’s edition from Amazon.com, I opted for the Steel book version.

The movie is presented in 1080P format and the transfer is superb. With very mild grain in one or two scenes, the colours are bold and vibrant and details are beautifully crisp. The effects shots in Space look fantastic as do the ships exteriors and interiors.

J.J. Abrams likes lens flare for some reason and uses it quite a lot throughout the movie. Some may find it distracting, I for one don't mind it though and didn't find it particularly bothersome.

Sound quality is excellent although I found it to be a tad quiet and had to turn my Onkyo up by 5 more than normal to get the sort of volume I like in an action movie. None the less the sound quality is superb with surround and rear speakers getting a real workout.

The extras disk is packed with all sorts of useful additional items including lots of behind the scenes footage, making of material and a rather nice but somewhat limited virtual tour of the exterior of the new Enterprise Star Ship. The 3 disk version includes a digital copy.

If you are a fan of Star Trek and liked the new Movie I would not hesitate to recommend buying this release. It’s a superb movie, packed with action, great one liners and fantastic effects to boot. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews cbcdesign http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103665-star-trek-2009-a.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103656-my-take-3-10-yuma-2007-a.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:51:45 GMT Image: http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/images/post/4/4117/original.jpeg Title: 3:10 to Yuma (2007) BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc Video: 1080p/VC-1 Audio: 7.1 Linear PCM Aspect Ratio: 2:40:1 Subtitles: English and Spanish Run time: 122 minutes Studio: Lionsgate Home Entertainment Rating: R
Title: 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc
Video: 1080p/VC-1
Audio: 7.1 Linear PCM
Aspect Ratio: 2:40:1
Subtitles: English and Spanish
Run time: 122 minutes
Studio: Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Rating: R
Region Coding: Region Free
Player used for review: Playstation 3

Cast/Crew Info:
Russell Crowe as Ben Wade
Christian Bale as Dan Evans
Logan Lerman as William Evans
Dallas Roberts as Grayson Butterfield
Ben Foster as Charlie Prince
Peter Fonda as Byron McElroy
Alan Tudyk as Doc Potter
Gretchen Mol as Alice Evans
Directed by James Mangold

My take: (the breakdown)

Released in 2007 3:10 to Yuma is a remake of the popular Elmore Leonard short story, but the movie is not short, clocking in at around two hours. Released onto Blu-ray in early 2008 this one of best all around packages for the high definition format in my humble opinion. The story follows that of Ben Wade and his capture that finally occurs in the small town of Bisbee, AZ. Wade has organized 22 robberies and killed a lot of men although the exact number is never mentioned to the viewer. When a local rancher named Dan Evans becomes involved with the transport of Ben Wade to the town of Contention where he can ride the 3:10 to Yuma for his hanging Dan decides to become involved for the money so he can help his family. The journey to get Wade to Contention is one of utmost danger and adventure. The group is forced to dodge rogue Apaches, Wade's gang members, and even one of Wade's many enemies. Filled with great suspense, action, and drama I say this is definitely worth owning. Due to extensive amounts of violence/blood this title is not for children.

I was most impressed by this Blu-ray transfer of 3:10 to Yuma. Colors are richly saturated, but don't be expecting anything flashy as browns make up the dominant hues for this film. Flesh tones are also accurate. Grain is actually quite minimal, but I did notice some digital noise creeping up in some of the night shots as well as some brief edge enhancement in other scenes. The best part of this transfer is the fine detail as it is absolutely perfect. Facial hair, stained teeth, and dirt on clothing are all clearly visible. This is probably of the best transfers I have seen from Lionsgate.

I know I may have said this before, but this Blu-ray gets my vote for the best Linear PCM track I have heard on the format. We get a 7.1 Linear PCM track that is top notch from start to finish. Dialogue is clear and concise and never struggles to be heard. Your surrounds and sub will get quite a workout during the gun battles and there's plenty of those. There's plenty of effects that are heard in the side and rear surrounds making it feel like you are part of the action. As I said earlier this is definitely a reference PCM track.

We are given a great supplemental package with this Blu-ray release. We get many making of features including the film's trailer and they are all presented in 1080. There's also a nice interactive feature called Inside Yuma that everyone should at least give a try.

Movie: 8/10
VQ: 9.5/10
AQ: 10/10
Supplements: 8/10
Final word: A Must Own

As always thanks for reading folks. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews HD Goofnut http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103656-my-take-3-10-yuma-2007-a.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103643-my-take-28-weeks-later.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:06:46 GMT Image: http://images.blu-ray.com/movies/covers/563_medium.jpg Title: 28 Weeks Later BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1 Subtitles: Many Languages Run time: 108 minutes Studio: Fox Home Entertainment Rating: R
Title: 28 Weeks Later
BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc
Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1
Subtitles: Many Languages
Run time: 108 minutes
Studio: Fox Home Entertainment
Rating: R
Region Coding: Region A Only
Player used for review: LG BH200

Cast/Crew Info:
Robert Carlyle as Don
Catherine McCormack as Alice
Rose Byrne as Scarlet
Jeremy Renner as Doyle
Harold Perrineau as Flynn
Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

My take: (the breakdown)

I had not seen 28 Days Later until last week and this was the first time I had watched its sequel 28 Weeks Later as well. To be honest I don't understand why there's such a large following for these two movies. Not only do both have terrible scripts, but the story seems to be hastily written for both movies as well. 28 Weeks Later once again centers on London 28 weeks after the initial infection. For some odd reason a NATO team led by Americans decides to repopulate the city slowly. Of course when a carrier of the virus is discovered who does not show symptoms it is believed a cure can be obtained. However, because this is a horror movie the infection breaks out again and everyone is a fight for their lives again. There is hope since the children of the carrier may carry the same trait as she did. Filled with plenty of violence and gore I'd go with a rental at best.

Compared to its predecessor this Blu-ray title looks loads better and it's because this film had a much larger budget than the first. Colors are vibrant and well saturated. Flesh tones also seem to be accurate. Grain is light, but it tends to look slightly heavier and bordering noisy in many of the darker scenes and there are quite a few. Fine detail, when it can be seen because of so many dark scenes, is actually very well done and is up there with the best transfers.

We are supplied with a rather aggressive 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track that is actually close to reference quality. Dialogue is crisp and clear throughout the entire run time and never struggles to be heard. Surrounds see plenty of work in the form screams, gunshots, helicopters, jets, and other effects. Your sub will also get plenty of work due to increased violence of this title. Other than some overbearing loudness at times I really couldn't find anything wrong with this audio mix.

We get a rather mediocre set of supplements with this Blu-ray release. We get a regular audio commentary with director and producer, two deleted scenes, two small making of features, the film's trailer, and a couple other minuscule features. The film's trailer is presented in 1080 while the rest is in 480.

Movie: 6/10
VQ: 9/10
AQ: 9.5/10
Supplements: 5/10
Final word: Worth A Rental At Best

As always thanks for reading folks. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews HD Goofnut http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103643-my-take-28-weeks-later.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103597-my-take-rock.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:43:38 GMT Image: http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/images/post/4/4035/original.jpeg Title: The Rock (1996) BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 Audio: 5.1 Linear PCM Aspect Ratio: 2:35:1 Subtitles: English, French, and Spanish Run time: 136 minutes Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment...
Title: The Rock (1996)
BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc
Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Audio: 5.1 Linear PCM
Aspect Ratio: 2:35:1
Subtitles: English, French, and Spanish
Run time: 136 minutes
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Rating: R
Region Coding: Region Free
Player used for review: Playstation 3

Cast/Crew Info:
Sean Connery as John Patrick Mason
Nicolas Cage as Dr. Stanley Goodspeed
Ed Harris as Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel, USMC
John Spencer as FBI Director James Womack
David Morse as Major Tom Baxter
William Forsythe as Special Agent Ernest Paxton
Michael Biehn as Commander Anderson
Vanessa Marcil as Carla Pestalozzi
Directed by Michael Bay

My take: (the breakdown)

I am generally not a Michael Bay fan as I thought Pearl Harbor was an insult to Americans, Armageddon was way too far fetched, and the Transformers movies were just excuses for CGI effects. However, I did at least somewhat enjoy The Rock, which was released in 1996. When Marine General Hummel becomes engrossed with the U.S. Government for not giving the proper honor to his men lost in Vietnam and Desert Storm he decides to take it to the next level. He steals 15 rockets armed with a highly poisonous gas and sets up a base on Alcatraz island with San Francisco as his target. He wants 100 million dollars delivered in 48 hours or he will fire these rockets at San Francisco killing many civilians. The government responds by sending a Navy Seal team, Dr. Goodspeed (chemical weapons specialist), and John Mason who happens to have escaped from Alcatraz. Their mission is to of course neutralize any threats including the deadly rockets, but they will have to hurry before time runs out. This is easily worth a rental and even a purchase for fans. Due to language and violence this one is not intended for children.

This Blu-ray was released in January of 2008 making the movie nearly 12 years old. Needless to say, I was extremely impressed with this transfer. Colors are extremely bright, vibrant, and well saturated. Flesh tones also appear to be accurate. Grain is moderate, but it remains consistent throughout the run time. Fine detail is actually quite good with many scenes bringing out many details you would never have seen on the DVD. There are some instances of speckles of dirt, both white and black that make their way onto the screen, but it never becomes a massive problem. As with most Disney/BV titles on Blu-ray I was extremely impressed.

We are supplied with a 5.1 Linear PCM track that is extremely aggressive from start to finish. Dialogue is easily understandable even during the more intense scenes. The musical score fills all of the channels evenly and adds to the atmosphere. Both your surrounds and sub will get a heavy workout for about the entire film. Explosions, gunshots, and other effects will shake your walls and make you feel like you are in the middle of it all. This is definitely one of the more impressive PCM mixes I have heard on Blu-ray.

We get several features in this supplemental package, but most are extremely short and are mainly fluff. We get an audio commentary with Bay, Bruckheimer, Harris, and Cage, a 15 minute history of Alcatraz, a 16 minute interview with Bruckheimer, six minutes on the Navy Seals, an 8 minute look at the firearms used for the film, an 8 minute feature on the Seal dive, an 8 minute look at two action scenes from the film, 9 minutes of outtakes, and finally several trailers and TV spots. The only letdown is that all of the above features are presented in 480.

Movie: 7.5/10
VQ: 9/10
AQ: 9/10
Supplements: 6/10
Final word: A Purchase For Fans

As always thanks for reading folks. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews HD Goofnut http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103597-my-take-rock.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103551-my-take-ugly-truth.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:46:19 GMT Image: http://images.blu-ray.com/movies/covers/7038_medium.jpg Title: The Ugly Truth BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc/Two Disc Set Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Aspect Ratio: 2:40:1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese Run time: 96 minutes Studio: Sony Pictures...
Title: The Ugly Truth
BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc/Two Disc Set
Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Aspect Ratio: 2:40:1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese
Run time: 96 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rating: R
Region Coding: Region A Only
Player used for review: LG BH200

Cast/Crew Info:
Katherine Heigl as Abby Richter
Gerard Butler as Mike Chadway
Bree Turner as Joy
Eric Winter as Colin
Directed by Robert Luketic

My take: (the breakdown)

I am not really a fan of romantic comedies, but being married I certainly have seen my share. Believe it or not I actually wanted to see The Ugly Truth after I saw the trailer a few months ago because it looked extremely humorous. The story follows that of Abby Richter (Heigl), a producer for a local morning show in Sacramento, CA, who seems to be becoming desperate to find a love interest. When she finds Mike Chadway's (Butler) show The Ugly Truth by accident on television she is instantly revolted by him and his theories that men just want that one thing. Abby's boss decides to offer Mike a job to boost their ratings since their station has the worst morning ratings in the city. When Abby has a new neighbor move in where she lives she asks Mike to help get a date with him. When Abby gets the guy she begins to realize that maybe Mike was exactly what she was looking for. Filled with many down right hilarious moments I would say this is definitely worth a rental. Also, due to language this one is not for children.

Sony has continued to put out movies onto Blu-ray that look fantastic and you would expect this since they put all their eggs in one basket with the technology. Anyway, colors are vivid and well saturated. Flesh tones seem to lean to the red/orange tints slightly, but it was distracting in any way. Grain is fair to moderate and it remains consistent except during the few darker scenes, but again it's not a major problem. Fine detail is the star of this transfer though. Pores, hair, and clothing textures are clearly visible and there are never any shots that appear soft or our of focus.

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is right on the par with the video quality for this Blu-ray release. Dialogue is clear and understandable for the entire run time. Your surrounds and sub will definitely get more work than you would expect during the louder scenes and when the music cranks up. I did find the music to be slightly overbearing at times, but this was just a minor problem.

We are given a rather typical supplemental package, but of course it's better than nothing at all. We get an audio commentary with director and producer, six deleted scenes totaling 16 minutes, two alternate endings totaling five minutes, a 10 minute blooper reel, 12 minutes of cast and crew interviews, a 15 minute look at the characters, and trailers for several films. Thanfully, all of the above features are presented in 1080. There is finally a digital copy included on a second disc.

Movie: 6.5/10
VQ: 9/10
AQ: 9/10
Supplements: 5.5/10
Final word: Worth A Rental

As always thanks for reading folks. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews HD Goofnut http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103551-my-take-ugly-truth.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103515-my-take-predator-1-predator-2-a.html Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:17:43 GMT Image: http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/images/post/4/4880/original.jpeg Title: Predator BD-25 Single-Layer Disc Video: 1080p/MPEG-2 Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1 Subtitles: Many Languages Run time: 107 minutes Studio: Fox Home Entertainment Rating: R
Title: Predator
BD-25 Single-Layer Disc
Video: 1080p/MPEG-2
Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1
Subtitles: Many Languages
Run time: 107 minutes
Studio: Fox Home Entertainment
Rating: R
Region Coding: Region A Only
Player used for review: LG BH200

Cast/Crew Info:
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch
Carl Weathers as Dillon
Bill Duke as Mac
Jesse Ventura as Blain
Sonny Landham as Billy
Richard Chaves as Poncho
R.G. Armstrong as General Phillips
Shane Black as Hawkins
Elpidia Carrillo as Anna
Kevin Peter Hall as The Predator
Directed by John McTiernan

My take: (the breakdown)

I have always been a loyal of fan of both Predator movies even though the first one is slightly better than the second, but that's to be expected with sequels. The story follows the mission of a Special Forces squad as they look to find Green Beret hostages that have gone down somewhere in the jungles of South America. They are the best at what they do, which is search and rescue, but things don't exactly goes as planned. One by one Dutch (Schwarzenegger) sees that his team is being hunted by some powerful force, who they can't even seem to actually see. What unfolds is an all out battle for survival for these men against some unknwon predator. This is definitely worth a purchase for fans simply because it's a decent improvement over the DVD.

Predator has been ripped apart ever since it was released on Blu-ray in April of 2008, but to be honest it's really not that bad. Colors receive a noticeable boost when compared to the DVD version. Also, flesh tones appear to be accurate for the most part. Grain is rather heavy, but it never becomes noisy. Fine detail is rather hit or miss though. Some scenes look fantastic while others, especially wider shots, look extremely soft. I also noticed no EE, DNR, or artfifacts at all. Considering the film was 21 years old last year I was rather impressed by this Blu-ray transfer. Is it demo material? No, but it still looks significantly better than the DVD.

We are given a 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio track that is actually performs rather well in the majority. Dialogue is clear and conise for most of the run time. Surrounds get plenty of work during the action scenes and from musical score throughout the entire run time. Your sub will get some work, but it seemed slightly muted to me, which could have been attributed to the age of the film. I was actually surprised at how well the movie sounded.

Sadly, there's no supplemental material whatsoever, but a trailer would have been nice. If you own the two disc special edition DVD of Predator that was released a few years ago be sure to hold onto it for its wealth of supplements.

Movie: 8/10
VQ: 7/10
AQ: 7.5/10
Supplements: 0/10
Final word: A Purchase For Fans


Title: Predator 2
BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc
Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1
Subtitles: English and Spanish
Run time: 108 minutes
Studio: Fox Home Entertainment
Rating: R
Region Coding: Region A Only
Player used for review: LG BH200

Cast/Crew Info:
Danny Glover as Lieutenant Mike Harrigan
Gary Busey as Peter Keyes
Rubén Blades as Danny Archuleta
Maria Conchita Alonso as Leona Cantrell
Bill Paxton as Jerry Lambert
Robert Davi as Captain Phil Heinemann
Adam Baldwin as Garber
Kent McCord as Captain B. Pilgrim
Kevin Peter Hall as The Predator
Directed by Stephen Hopkins

My take: (the breakdown)

Predator 2 was released three years after the first installment of the franchise, but the actual movie takes place 10 years after the first film. The story follows that of Lt. Mike Harrigan (Glover) and his extremely rocky career as a Los Angeles police officer. Fighting and arresting bad guys seems to be just another work day for this guy. When both Colombian and Jamacian drug leaders start getting slaughtered it is up to Harrigan and his crew to find out what's going on. Before they get too far though Peter Keyes (Busey), who claims to be working for the DEA, is starting to get in the way. Harrigan later finds out that he is dealing with something a lot more menacing than he first realized. Of course it's not as good as the first film in this franchise, but it still works and I have always enjoyed it.

I felt that Predator 2 looked slightly better than the first installment. Colors are saturated extremely well and flesh tones seem to be accurate. Grain is fair, but I did notice some minor DNR in some places but at least it wasn't excessive. Fine detail is actually quite good in the majority and looks noticeably better than the DVD version. Again, like the first one it looks decent, but I wouldn't choose to use it as a demo disc.

Like the first film we get a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio that is rather aggressive. Dialogue is crisp and clear and never struggles to be heard. The surrounds get plenty of use especially during the heavy action scenes and the musical score swells nicely. The sub seems to get a little more work and sound slightly better than it did with the first film though. Again, it sounded good, but I wouldn't use this one as a demo disc.

Unlike the first film we get a decent supplemental package consisting of two audio commentaries and several making of features. Unfortunately, all of the features are presented in 480.

Movie: 7/10
VQ: 7.5/10
AQ: 7.5/10
Supplements: 6/10
Final word: A Purchase For Fans

As always thanks for reading folks. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews HD Goofnut http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103515-my-take-predator-1-predator-2-a.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103482-one-only-blu-ray-review-request-thread.html Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:28:59 GMT Please let us know which Blu-ray titles you want to see a user review on and post it in this thread. :hithere: Please let us know which Blu-ray titles you want to see a user review on and post it in this thread. :hithere: ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews bruceames http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103482-one-only-blu-ray-review-request-thread.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103449-my-take-ice-age-dawn-dinosaurs.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:26:09 GMT Image: http://images.blu-ray.com/movies/covers/6782_medium.jpg Title: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc/Three Disc Set Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 Audio: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1 Subtitles: Many Languages Run time: 94 minutes Studio: Fox Home...
Title: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc/Three Disc Set
Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Audio: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1
Subtitles: Many Languages
Run time: 94 minutes
Studio: Fox Home Entertainment
Rating: PG
Region Coding: Region A Only
Player used for review: LG BH200

Cast/Crew Info:
Ray Romano as the voice of Manny
John Leguizamo as the voice of Sid
Queen Latifah as the voice of Ellie
Denis Leary as the voice of Diego
Seann William Scott as the voice of Crash
Josh Peck as the voice of Eddie
Simon Pegg as the voice of Buck
Directed by Carlos Saldanha & Mike Thurmeier

My take: (the breakdown)

I have been a fan of the Ice Age franchise since the original was released in 2002. Compared to the original I was actually kind of let down by the second installment, but this third installment is actually a bit better than its predecesor. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs brings back all of the same actors to portray the same characters from the first two movies. The story opens with Manny and Ellie expecting a baby mammoth sometime in the upcoming weeks. Everything seems to be going well until Sid stumbles upon some dinosaur eggs, which he begins to take care of. This becomes a highly volatile situation when the mother comes looking for her babies. Sid is captured and taken back to where the dinosaurs are from so it is up to the rest of the herd to find Sid and bring him back home. Luckily with the help of a guide named Buck they may just find him. I found this to be nearly as good as the original and better than the last Ice Age movie. It is a must own for Ice Age fans and a rental for everyone else.

I was just about blown away with the stellar quality of this Blu-ray release. The first two movies were MPEG-2 while this one is MPEG-4 and it must have made a difference because it looks even better than the first two. Colors instantly create a three-dimensional environment and are well saturated throughout. Fine detail is also top notch as every little hair is visible on each character. Because of the digital nature of the source there is no grain whatsoever just like the first two installments. In my opinion this is right up there with Cars, Ratatouille, Kung Fu Panda, and Wall-E.

We are supplied with a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track that is actually very well done in the majority. Dialogue is clear and understandable throughout the entire run time and never struggles to heard. Your sub will also get quite a workout throughout the movie as there is quite a bit of action. My one complaint is that the surrounds did not see as much use as I hoped they would. Except for just a couple explosions, discrete effects, and music this is mainly a front heavy mix. I am not sure if it was intentional, but I know have heard better 7.1 lossless mixes from titles such as 3:10 to Yuma and Crank.

There is an extensive amount of supplemental material to wade through and most of it is actually quite interesting although some of it is not. Most of the features are in 1080, but there are a few in 480. There is also a DVD copy of the movie on disc two and a Digital Copy of the movie on disc three.

Movie: 7.5/10
VQ: 10/10
AQ: 8/10
Supplements: 8/10
Final word: A Must Own For Ice Age Fans

As always thanks for reading folks. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews HD Goofnut http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103449-my-take-ice-age-dawn-dinosaurs.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103411-american-werewolf-london.html Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:26:06 GMT Every version of the movie released in any format has always suffered from the same flaws. A dark dank image lacking detail and heaving in distracting grain. I am sorry to say that the Blu Ray version is almost as bad. The opening scenes are a huge disappointment and none of the stark beauty of... Every version of the movie released in any format has always suffered from the same flaws. A dark dank image lacking detail and heaving in distracting grain.

I am sorry to say that the Blu Ray version is almost as bad. The opening scenes are a huge disappointment and none of the stark beauty of the Welsh landscape that doubles up as Northern England comes through. I have seen 80's home video with better quality images quite honestly.

Things improve a bit for the rest of the movie but not to the point where I was convinced the Blu Ray release was worth spending money on.

Peter M. Bracke gives the video a 4 out of 5 score in his review. Frankly the man’s score is exceedingly generous to the point of blatant stupidity in my opinion. I wouldn't give it more that 3 out of 5 and only because it’s just slightly better than 2.

The soundtrack isn't too bad though. There is some nice use of the rear speakers and the effects, particularly the haunting howl of the wolf sounds really good. The surround in London's streets is very effective too. A definite improvement over previous releases.

It’s such a shame but it is obvious to me that we are never going to see a really good release of this movie as far as Picture quality is concerned and this really is as good as it’s going to get which isn't saying much.

If you don't have it on DVD it may be worth picking up on Blu Ray or even HD DVD for just a few bucks if you have HD DVD but otherwise I really wouldn't bother wasting money on it. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews cbcdesign http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103411-american-werewolf-london.html http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103406-my-take-28-days-later.html Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:19:21 GMT Image: http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/images/post/3/3608/original.gif Title: 28 Days Later BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1 Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, and Korean Run time: 113 minutes Studio: Fox Home Entertainment...
Title: 28 Days Later
BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc
Video: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, and Korean
Run time: 113 minutes
Studio: Fox Home Entertainment
Rating: R
Region Coding: Region A Only
Player used for review: LG BH200

Cast/Crew Info:
Cillian Murphy as Jim
Naomie Harris as Selena
Brendan Gleeson as Frank
Megan Burns as Hannah
Christopher Eccleston as Major Henry West
Directed by Danny Boyle

My take: (the breakdown)

I am not a large fan of horror movies, but I do really enjoy zombie movies and although the infected people are not really zombies in this movie they are really close enough. The story focuses on the city of London 28 days after a violent virus has been released onto the populace called Rage. When Jim wakes up in a hospital about a month after a car accident he finds most of London deserted. However, it's not long before he begins to piece together that a virus of epidemic proportions caused mass deaths and a large scale evacuation. It's also not long before he finds infected people as well as a couple survivors. This is certainly a different kind of zombie movie and I was mildly impressed by it. I say it's worth a rental, but I certainly wouldn't blindly purchase this title. Due to graphic violence and language this is not suitable for children.

The first thing I noticed about this Blu-ray transfer was how ugly it is. However, it is not a fault of the transfer, but a fault of the cheap camcorders used to shoot this British film. Colors appear rather drained and flesh tones I guess are accurate although it is tough to tell through such a murky picture. There are artifacts, unresolved blacks, and grain everywhere. Fine detail is also awash and really wasn't any better than a SD video from You Tube. I have honestly seen better looking DVDs and if the Blu-ray looks this bad I can't imagine how bad the DVD version looks. This has got to be one of the worst transfers I have ever seen on Blu-ray.

We are given 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track and while it is substantially better than the video quality it's still not that great. Dialogue tends to suffer at different times and can be extremely hard to hear. Then the action will kick up and blow you out of your seat so I found the mix to be fairly unbalanced at times. There's not much going in the surrounds other than music and just a few discrete effects like bullet ricochets and rain. At least your sub will get a lot work especially during the intense zombie oriented scenes.

We are provided with an array of supplements including four alternate endings, nine minutes of deleted scenes, and several making of features. From what I found out it's the identical supplemental package as found on the DVD version except that this Blu-ray contains an exclusive fourth alternate ending.

Movie: 6.5/10
VQ: 2/10
AQ: 7/10
Supplements: 5/10
Final word: Worth A Rental

As always thanks for reading folks. ]]> Blu-Ray Movie Reviews HD Goofnut http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-movie-reviews/103406-my-take-28-days-later.html