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  
										
									
									 
									
										
											
												| 
												  | 
      
       
      
         
      
         
      Also available in a Blu-ray Steelbook: 
      
 |