The Adjustment Bureau - Blu-ray Review

4.5 Stars (out of 5)

Synopsis

A congressman (Matt Damon) who's a rising star on the political scene finds himself entranced by a beautiful ballerina (Emily Blunt), but mysterious circumstances ensure that their love affair is predestined to be a non-starter. Screenwriter George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum) makes his directorial debut with this romantic adaptation of Philip K. Dick's classic sci-fi short story "Adjustment Team." (Buy Now $28.99)

Starring:

Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, Terence Stamp, John Slattery, Michael Kelly, Anthony Ruivivar

Director:

George Nolfi

Blu-ray Release Date:

June 21, 2011

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, 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 4.4 Stars (out of 5)

Dolby and DTS Demo Discs used as basis for comparison
●        Subwoofer – 3.5 Stars
●        Dialog – 5.0 Stars
●        Surround Effects – 4.0 Stars
●        Dynamic Range – 5.0 Stars

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French: DTS 5.1, Spanish: DTS 5.1

The audio performance of this film is very much like the film it self, subdued and classy. Since this is not an action film, the subwoofer and is not utilized very often. You notice it ever once in a while when the musical score calls for it or during the club scene, but other than that low end is very sparse. However, the movie does feature some interesting sounds. Doors opening and closing are very important to the film, and they sound “special” when they are used. The audio is used very cleverly, most of the film is quite, but when action occurs the audio pumps it out a little harder and startles you a bit. Surrounding ambiance is used to hear rain fall, echoing dialog in warehouses, cheering crowds, and humming boat engines. Dialog is very important for this film and it is handled superbly.

Video  4.9 Stars (out of 5)

Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray Edition used as basis for comparison
●        Color Accuracy  - 5.0 Stars
●        Shadow detail – 4.5 Stars
●        Clarity – 5.0 Stars
●        Skin tones – 5.0 Stars
●        Compression – 5.0 Stars

Codec: VC-1, Resolution: 1080p, Aspect ratio: 1.85:1, Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

This Blu-ray has superior video performance. It was transferred using the rarely used VC-1 codec. Some videophiles might say that AVC is a better codec however, I cannot see any flaws due to codec choice. The Adjustment Bureau has light film grain and vivid colors that still remain to be lifelike without being too cool or too warm. Black colors are jet black, and can sometimes loose detail. Every scene is crystal clear and features every freckle and wrinkle on the actor’s faces. The exceptional clarity makes bathroom tiles interesting, clothing textures intriguing, and Matt Damon’s grey hairs riveting.

Bonus Features 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

• Feature Commentary by Writer-Director George Nolfi.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (HD; 6:54). Seven scenes
• Labyrinth of Doors (HD; 33:57). An interactive Google map that allows you to travel through the doors used in the film.
• Leaping Through New York (1080i; 7:36) is a nice featurette about filming in New York.
• Destined to Be (1080i; 4:51) interviews with Damon and Blunt
• Becoming Elise (1080i; 7:08) discussions about Blunt learning how to dance.
• DVD Copy, Dbox and BD Live Enabled

Movie – 4.5 Stars (out of 5)

Review

I have already seen this film 3 ½ times, 1 ½ times to review it, 2 times to enjoy. It is very rare to see a romantic movie with a Sci-Fi twist, so when one comes along I know it’s always a safe bet for the wife and I to agree on it. This is definitely a movie both sexes can enjoy. As romantic films go, the most important key is couple chemistry. This movie proves the two are meant to be together in the first 20 seconds they met, which is an extremely difficult thing to do.

The tone of this film is perfect. At its core it is a love story, but as the film goes on, it turns into Sci-Fi territory with a little action thrown in. The actors do a great job of grounding the film and make the love story and strange situations believable. The story itself is based on a Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner, Total Recall) short story, and covers territory that I have often pondered. Do we live by free will, or destiny?

Some reviews were not as glowing as mine is, and blame it on marketing. It was marketed as a mind bending fast paced thriller, when in reality, it is a small sci-fi love story.