Review by Gary Tooze
Studio
Blu-ray: Paramount
Transfer
:
Region: FREE!
(as verified by the
Oppo Blu-ray player)
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audio:
English: DTS-ES Matrix 6.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:
English SDH, English, French, Spanish,
none
Extras:
Audio commentary by John Woo and writers
Mike Webb, and Michael Colleary
2nd audio commentary by Mike Webb and
Michael Colleary
7 deleted including an alternate ending
(with optional commentary) -
in HD!
Featurette: The Light and the Dark:
Making Face/Off
(in HD!)
Featurette: John Woo: A Life in Pictures
(in HD!)
Theatrical Trailer (in HD!)
Disc:
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Product Description: John
Travolta stars as FBI agent Sean Archer
doing the unthinkable to stop the
elusive terrorist Castor Troy (Nicolas
Cage). Watch the bullets fly and the
action explode as master action director
John Woo (Broken Arrow) detonates the
screen in this special collector s
edition DVD. Loaded with high-voltage
special features this two-disc set
redefines the action genre like never
before!
***
The Film: Pay attention, none of this makes much
sense. Five years after the murder of
his son, FBI agent Sean Archer
(Travolta) finally has the drop on
terrorist Castor Troy (Cage) - but with
Castor comatose and a bomb ticking
somewhere in LA, Archer's persuaded to
undergo facial surgery, swapping
Castor's features for his own. In this
way, Archer-as-Troy (Cage) hopes to
trick the location out of Castor's
brother Pollux (Nivola). Unfortunately,
Castor wakes up, and makes off with
Archer's face, killing everyone who's in
on the secret, and moving into his
enemy's office. Woo's poetic-kinetic
style has evolved, if not to the point
of abstraction, then to delirium: he
makes a virtue of incredulity. With two
of Hollywood's most flamboyant actors
playing each other, the movie becomes a
kind of pop Heat, an elaborate
self-parody and quasi-serious
examination of the art of film acting.
Yet there's an authentic subversive
frisson as Travolta (as-Troy-as-Archer)
sizes up his rebellious teenage
daughter, puts the sizzle back into a
stale marriage, and generally carries on
with the air of a sociopath getting the
most out of life. 'Are we having any fun
yet?' he demands. Twice over.
Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located
HERE
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
Image: I have some reservations
about, both, the film itself and the
1080P image which is marred with
edge-enhancement. I did note
severe-to-moderate instances of edge-enhancement and,
what look like potential,
moiring (a style choice?) although I'll
wager neither would be
off-putting for fan-base of this
particular film. The
performers look mannequin-like at times
- almost too 'clean' (waxy). The colors are a
bit muted but contrast and detail are
reasonably strong... Noise is virtually
non-existent and the film has a fairly
dark (intentional?) look.
Positively there is a fair level of
consistency with the visuals on this
title with a few bona-fide instances of
'wow' factor - perhaps, more attributed
to the cinematography.
CLICK EACH
BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio & Music: I sampled both
English audio tracks (DTS-ES Matrix 6.1
and Dolby Digital 5.1 EX) and they are
some of the best I have heard on my new
system. I believe a lot of effort went
into the track in production (and less
on continuity details?!?) and it
presents itself extremely well in this
Paramount
Blu-ray.
Tight separation is undeniable - with
some remarkable subtleties that can
eventually explode you into the next
room. The audio transfer approaches
zenith demo-quality. There are optional
subtitles, adequately translated, in
English SDH, standard English, French or Spanish
flavors - off-white font with a black
border. Like all Paramount discs this is
region FREE
Blu-ray.
Extras: The two commentary tracks
(same as on the previous HD) are another
solid enticement for fans to indulge
although they are also directly
duplicated from the 10th Anniversary
edition. The first features director Woo
and
co-writers
Mike Werb and Michael Colleary. It
covers a lot of ground from production
details - choreographing action
sequences and the writers give input on
finalizing the script. The second track
features the same participants with Woo
apparently in the washroom and they,
perhaps feel more free to discuss the
enigma surrounding him. There are seven
deleted scenes lasting around 8 1/2
minutes with optional commentary by
above listed writers and like the next
two featurettes - a five-part
documentary entitled The Light and
the Dark: Making 'Face/Off' this is
in HD also. The 1/2 hour featurette:
John Woo: A Life in Pictures sums up
his career to that point to some degree.
We are also given the theatrical trailer
in HD. To be honest, I struggled through
these supplements as I am not a fan but
can see those keen on Face/Off
eating them up with relish (and
mustard!). Bottom line is that Paramount
spared little expense in augmenting this
bombastic BRD 'Special Edition' package.
Bottom line: I find this is one
giant machismo infused drama with
scattered details and omissions all over
the place. But as violence-art goes from
Hollywood it is probably 'iconic'.
The Blu-ray video itself is definitely
imperfect. The
audio is stupendous
and the extras (dual
commentaries and featurettes in HD) may be appealing enough to
shift the balance towards a purchase
especially of you are a fan of the film.
I have quite a few 'buddies' that this
will this a make the perfect go-to disc. The
film is a wild ride - one that I,
personally, wasn't particularly keen on
taking. Others embrace it as one of the
more extreme examples of non-stop,
explosive, gun-toting cinema made in the
'lost' 90's. To each his own, although
this latter statement may actually be
quite accurate.
This
Blu-ray
should satisfy its,
less-discerning, fans, but those
demanding a superior 1080P image should
be patient.
Gary Tooze
May 21st, 2008
New Captures - May
2014
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