5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
A brash, young pilot who takes her friends for a small-plane joyride, only to get lost in a deadly storm. But things get worse when they hit some unexpected turbulence. Turns out some people's fears when it comes to flying aren't entirely unfounded.
Starring: Jessica Lowndes, Ryan Donowho, Landon Liboiron, Jake Weary, Julianna GuillHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 40% |
Mystery | 12% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Are you declaring an emergency?
The direct-to-video Altitude flys into home theaters on the coattails of Director Adam Green's Frozen as another Horror picture that tells a tale of terror set in a
single
location. Not only easier on studios' pocketbooks but by their very nature creating almost infinitely more opportunities for deeper character
development and
interaction as individuals struggle to mesh their own personalities, fears, and base emotions with those of their fellow stuck and frightened
companions, these single location Horror films seem like the perfect ticket for studios to make a good movie on-the-cheap while filmmakers can
prove
their worth by crafting a consistently engaging and entertaining film within the limited resource of space, having to rely more on story than visuals
to
make their movies work. The challenge of shooting a film in a small and confined locale seems greater than the process of writing such a story, so
with
films like Altitude, the onus falls on the director -- in this case Kaare Andrews -- to bring it all together into a worthwhile endeavor. Andrews
succeeds, even if his first feature-length film is no
Frozen. Altitude lacks the sheer tension, terror, and believability of Adam Green's master work, but Andrews holds his own and
proves
himself a
competent director who makes Writer Paul A. Birkett's story work very well on-screen. Indeed, Birkett's story thrives at 24 frames per second, and
his
work that seems like an amalgamation of Adam Green, Stephen King, and M. Night Shyamalan makes for an entertaining, but not particularly
frightening, high-flying experience.
Who ate the baked beans?
Altitude lands on Blu-ray with a proficient 1080p high definition transfer. Though it never reaches the stratosphere of Blu-ray transfers, this image is consistently stable and pleasant, even through the dark and challenging material thrown at it during the second and third acts. The film's open sports a metallic, blue-gray color scheme, with only the characters' skin standing out against the deliberately cold imagery. Detail is strong here, too, with faces, clothes, and various objects scattered around the frame enjoying the benefits of a well-encoded high definition transfer. Blacks are steady early on, but they tend to devour details and attract excess noise once the action shifts to the darkened interior of the plane. Banding is occasionally visible in exterior shots as the plane zips through the darkened clouds, but the transfer is free of any other excess visual anomalies. A light coating of grain is retained over the transfer, making for a handsome film-like image in most of the brighter scenes. Altitude's 1080p transfer isn't a show stopper, but this is a solid all-around image that serves the movie and its challenging visuals well enough.
Altitude features a potent and well-mixed Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack that puts every speaker to good use. Whether the powerful winds that tear through the soundstage or the slightest of echos as characters speak in a hangar prior to takeoff, the soundtrack puts every speaker to work to bring the film's several environments to life. The bulk of the picture takes place inside the aircraft, and interior shots are generally accompanied by the humming of the propellors outside the aircraft or the booming thunder around it. The entire 5.1 configuration is in some way active throughout, and while the environment is never completely seamless -- listeners won't be fooled into thinking the couch has been transported into the plane -- Anchor Bay's 5.1 track nevertheless makes for a compelling listen. Bass is powerful and tight, rumbling and pounding with authority on several occasions, and dialogue remains focused up the middle and never runs into any problems. Altitude's well-realized lossless soundtrack is the perfect compliment to a movie that demands an ever-present and fairly seamless sonic support structure.
Altitude lifts off with a few extras in tow. First up is an audio commentary track with Director Kaare Andrews. Andrews offers up a standard commentary, sharing all of the basics of the filmmaking process, including how he was approached for the project and crafted a makeshift trailer to sell it, differences between various revisions of the script, the film's special effects (and an admission that a few of them don't work as well as they should), his hopes that the audience will understand the picture's size and budget and resultant limitations, his satisfaction with the filmmaking process and the end picture, shooting inside the plane, and much more. Most of the emphasis is on the picture's effects; those interested in the field might find value in this track. 'Altitude': Behind the Scenes (1080p, 49:02) is a four-part documentary that takes viewers through the process of making the film, looking at the pre-production elements such as writing, assembling the cast, and analyzing the characters they play; the rigors of the shoot; the work of Director Kaare Andrews; stunt work; special effects; and more. Green Storm (480p, 10:06) is a piece that focuses on the process of building the film's special effects, beginning with the exterior green screens and the resultant construction of various effects to complete the movie. Original Concepts Gallery (1080p) features an assortment of hand-drawn storyboards. Also included is the Altitude trailer (480p, 2:02).
Altitude is a fun little diversion in the same vein as Frozen, but it's never as effective as Adam Green's masterpiece of terror. Nevertheless, Altitude flies high thanks to a good story that might be the result if Adam Green, M. Night Shyamalan, and Stephen King were to morph into one person and write a single story that's reflective of each individual's style and attributes. That's high praise, and while Writer Paul A. Birkett could tighten up his dialogue and paint more believable and less obnoxious characters, the core of his story works extraordinarily well and even finds some deeper meaning through all of the action and scares that define the picture on a superficial level. Altitude is a quality little film that's good enough to have earned a theatrical release, but it will hopefully find a following on home video. This Anchor Bay Blu-ray release of Altitude features a sound technical presentation and an average allotment of extras. Recommended.
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