Source Code - Blu-ray Review

4.1 Stars (out of 5)

Synopsis

Jake Gyllenhaal portrays a soldier recruited for a time-bending government investigation that places him in another man's mind and body, reliving the same traumatic event repeatedly in an effort to identify the perpetrators of a terrorist bombing. Vera Farmiga plays a communications specialist who provides the vital link to the soldier's primary reality as he searches for critical clues within a recurring nightmare. (Buy Now $17.99)

Starring:

Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, Michael Arden, Cas Anvar, Russell Peters, Brent Skagford, Craig Thomas

Director:

Duncan Jones

Blu-ray Release Date:

July 26, 2011

Subtitles:

English SDH, 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 - 4.5 Stars
●    Dialog - 5.0 Stars
●    Surround Effects - 3.5 Stars
●    Dynamic Range - 4.5 Stars

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Source Code has a solid DTS-HD Master audio presentation. Everything is crisp and helps engulf you into the film. The most noticeable assent to the soundtrack is the deep penetrating bass heard during the train explosions. Even though it's heard multiple times throughout the film, it seams to be a little different every time. Surrounds are not often used but they do come alive during explosions, helicopters flying by, and small chatter from other train passengers. The musical score sounds alot like an old Hitchcock movie, and it fills the room with tension when it's heard.

Video  4.5 Stars (out of 5)

Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray Edition used as basis for comparison
●    Color Accuracy  - 4.0 Stars
●    Shadow detail - 4.5 Stars
●    Clarity - 5.0 Stars
●    Skin tones - 4.5 Stars
●    Compression - 4.5 Stars

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC, Resolution: 1080p, Aspect ratio: 1.78:1, Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

The colors of this film are a tad warm, and make blue and red colors pop. This Blu-ray also has high contrast, that makes light colors bright, and dark colors darker. The color palette and contrast seam to work for this film by keeping the colors alive, it helps us deal with the fact the movie only takes place in about 4 different locations. Clarity is of high quality in this film. Even though there is some film grain, every pore, whisker, freckle, and wrinkle is seen without having to squint. The clarity is also noticeable during aerial shots of Chicago, all the buildings, windows, and bridges show clearly and without any binding or compression problems.

Bonus Features 2.5 Stars (out of 5)

●    Commentary Track - With director Duncan Jones, actor Jake Gyllenhaal, and writer Ben Ripley.
●    Access: Source Code - A picture-in-picture feature that offers interviews with the cast, expert's comments on time travel, "behind the science" features, and trivia facts. It sounds like a good idea, but it works very clunky. I wish they would have put all of the interviews separate from movie playback.

Movie - 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

Review

Source Code is an original Sci-Fi thriller with a debatable ending that's interesting to watch but leaves feeling a little melancholy. Its nice to see that every once in a while, Hollywood will spit out a movie that isn't a remake, based on a book, or a sequel. Even though this movie seams like its Groundhog's Day meets Speed, there are a few twists in the film to keep you interested in the characters and the storyline. All the actors give good performances, and the chemistry between the main characters is believable. There are even a few unexpected heartfelt moments that keep you rooting for the hero. Source Code is a good movie however, it does have it's problems.

There are a few plot holes in the movie. I understand that to enjoy some Sci-Fi, you must "buy in" to certain plot points to enjoy the movie. However this film does not explain enough for me to completely enjoy it. It might be because the story was told mostly from the perspective of the main character, and he was told only what he needed to know. The ending of this film is debatable. Some may not think so, but I sat on the couch with my wife and daughter for 15 minutes trying to figure out what happened. We all had different theories, but we all enjoyed the movie.