Feb 15 RED HT Guys Blu Ray Disc Review
RED: Overall - 4.3 Stars (out of 5)
Synopsis:
After trading in his professional past as a black-ops CIA operative for a new identity, Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is basking in normality. But he's forced to return to old habits when an assassin puts a target on his back and goes after the woman (Mary-Louise Parker) he loves. Helen Mirren and John Malkovich co-star as former members of Frank's team who reluctantly reassemble to save his life in this Golden Globe-nominated action-comedy. (Buy Now)
Starring:
Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, Morgan Freeman
Director:
Robert Schwentke.
Blu-Ray Release Date:
January 25, 2011
Subtitles:
English, Spanish
Rating:
Overall rating weighted as follows:
Audio 40%, Video 40%, Special Features 20%, Movie - its just our opinion so take it with a grain of salt
Audio 4.6 Stars (out of 5):
Dolby and DTS Demo Discs used as basis for comparison
-
Subwoofer - 4.5 Stars
-
Dialog - 4.5 Stars
-
Surround Effects - 4.5 Stars
-
Dynamic Range - 5.0 Stars
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
There are parts of this movie I rewound, just to hear again. One scene in particular featured several different sounding guns firing with great surround effects, then was followed by a very high pitch sound to simulate ringing of the ears. This type of dynamic range helped bring the action right into my living room. The witty dialog was easily heard. Explosions and the bass filled musical score rattled the couch.
Video 4.6 Stars (out of 5):
Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu Ray Edition used as basis for comparison
-
Color Accuracy - 4.5 Stars
-
Shadow detail - 5 Stars
-
Clarity - 4.0 Stars
-
Skin tones - 4.5 Stars
-
Compression - 5 Stars
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC, Video resolution: 1080p, Aspect ratio: 2.40:1, Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
I never thought I would enjoy seeing wrinkles and liver spots on people’s faces, but this movie gave them to me in crisp clear detail without any apologies. The dark scenes in RED are great, and the shadow detail is some of the best I have seen. However, their were a few scenes in the beginning of the movie, where it appeared a little grainy, and not as clear as the rest of the movie.
Bonus Features 3.0 Stars (out of 5):
-
Audio Commentary Track with retired CIA Field Officer
-
Deleted and Extended Scenes
-
Acess Red: Immersive 6-part interactive feature including pop up trivia, videos, interviews and more
-
CIA Exposed
Note: Bonus Features are only on the Special Edition version of the Blu-ray.
Movie - 3.5 Stars (out of 5)
Review:
RED sounds like a ridiculous movie. Actors old enough to draw social security playing the parts of retired CIA agents forced into rip roaring action. Maybe that’s why 4 Oscar winning actors are in this movie, to pull it off without making it look hokey. Needless to say, they did a good job of it. RED is a fun popcorn movie to watch. It has a lot of witty humor, great action scenes, a decent plot, and most importantly it has heart.
This movie doesn’t get too sappy about getting old, but it does remind you that as you get older the things that are important to you change. RED is also a light love story, granted its a little twisted, but it works with these characters. I do however wish the “old team” had more camaraderie, and made me care about the characters more. The movie also spends a lot of time talking about the things they did when they were younger. Although this is quaint, it just makes me want to watch a movie about them when they were younger.
Reader Comments (6)
IMO, this is the perfect format and length for this type of review, especially considering your audience. There are sites that have full-time staff to do crazy in-depth reviews of discs, etc. I really prefer a quick summary/bottom-line like what you have here. I should also note that I do appreciate the quick critique of the film itself. I will occasionally watch "stinker" movies if there is a compelling technical reason to do so, but I prefer to have good content and quality together, so this is appreciated.
Good start - keep it up! :-)
Nice job! Love the at-a-glance format. If I want verbose over-analysis there are several other places I can find that. But you may want to consider slapping your Amazon affiliate link on here somewhere 'cause the review definitely makes me want to pick up the Blu-ray!
Hi pvalex,
If you use the Buy Now link or click on the cover art it will take you to our store!
Thanks for the feedback!
Ara
Well, there's a downside to the at-a-glance format right there! I already knew what the movie was about so I skipped over the synopsis and didn't notice the "buy now" button!
Be careful...there is a version of this movie on Blu-ray that only has Dolby Digital sound. Yes, you heard me right. No Dolby THD or DTS MA.
That's the copy Netflix sent me, also available for purchase at Amazon as "Movie Only". Sick money grab from the studio, suggest you initiate boycott/massive feedback campaign immediately (I've already called Netflix).
Love the reviews guys, good added feature! I have been meaning to check out RED since redbox release and this has finally motivated me to go get it.
Keep up the great job guys.
Sten