4.2 | / 10 |
Users | 2.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Catherine Tramell proves to be respected criminal psychologist Dr. Michael Glass' deadliest challenge. With professional boundaries blurred by obsession, Dr. Glass is lured into a murderous web of lies and deceit and begins a torrid affair with Tramell that takes him to the point of no return. As their passions rise, so does the body count - and Dr. Glass faces a choice that will change his life forever.
Starring: Sharon Stone, David Morrissey, Charlotte Rampling, David Thewlis, Hugh DancyThriller | 100% |
Crime | 80% |
Erotic | 47% |
Mystery | 44% |
Psychological thriller | 36% |
Drama | 24% |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: LPCM 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 1.0 | |
Video | 2.0 | |
Audio | 2.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
There are different reasons why we all remember Dutch director Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct (1994) -the great suspense, the stylish camerawork, and, let’s be honest,” that” shot with Sharon Stone being interrogated. Fourteen years later we finally have a sequel - Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction (2006).
Successful and sexy novelist Catherine Tramell (Stone) is questioned by Dr. Michael Glass (Morrissey) who must determine whether or not she is capable of committing a murder. Or suicide, given what she reveals in front of a nervous police inspector from Scotland Yard after her car and the body of a well-known football player are found on the bottom of the Themes. Apparently Catherine has a “risk addiction” forcing her to perform reckless acts and Dr. Glass must determine how she should be treated. After a series of interviews he submits a lengthy report to the authorities.
Catherine however isn’t done with the doctor. She is convinced that he is worth the risk and the two become lovers. Shortly after dead bodies begin to appear. An ambitious cop (Thewlis) embarks on a mission to prove that Catherine is not who she pretends to be and all hell breaks loose.
Still irresistible?
Basic Instinct 2 arrives on Blu-ray presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and encoded at 1080p. Unfortunately, this was one of SONY's last MPEG-2 discs and there is a lot here that I am unhappy with. Detail for instance is average at best with large portions of the transfer revealing questionable balance as well as unintentional softness. Color reproduction is equally substandard often translating in an overall anemic looking picture quality which many will undoubtedly be irritated with. Furthermore, there appears to be a heavy dose of overcompression which those of you with large enough screens will clearly notice (a good example is the tunnel scene in the beginning of the film, right before the crash). On the other hand I also see a dramatic discrepancy between nighttime and daytime color saturation which I am convinced isn't intentional. To sum it all up this is an average at best produced disc with a multitude of issues truly having an impact on how the main feature is seen.
Presented with English PCM 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and French Dub 5.1 tracks the audio treatment isn't too far off the video presentation described above. What we have here is a rather inconsistent mixing with plenty of issues. The PCM mix for example isn't as balanced and strikingly clear as it should be (for such a recent film I am quite disappointed to see how less than aggressive the sound treatment was). Aside from a few of the flashy action scenes there really isn't much here to be wowed with. On a positive side the dialog is predominantly clear and very easy to follow. Optional English and French subtitles are provided for the main feature as well as English SDH.
For this BD release SONY have provided only a short behind-the-scenes type of a featurette titled "Between the Sheets: A Look Inside Basic Instinct 2"which is nothing more than a collection of meaningless comments from the cast highlighting how incredible the story of the sequel is. Unfortunately a lot of the comments made here actually pinpoint precisely the area where the film fails – script, execution, acting, directing. Next, there is a full-blown commentary with the director of the film Michael Caton-Jones where he goes in depth discussing how this entire project was made possible, the technical difficulties the cast and crew had to overcome. He also addresses specific fragments of the film with adequate technical information. Finally, the producers of the disc have also provided the original theatrical trailer.
Producing a sequel, especially to a hugely popular and successful feature, is always a challenging task. One has to meet not only the high standards set by the original but also be as innovative as possible in order to please those viewers expecting more than a rehashed or slightly updated version of the same story. Unfortunately for the producers of Basic Instinct 2 there is hardly anything they have created that comes even remotely close to what made the original film by Paul Verhoeven a huge hit. Narrative, acting, and directing here are all third-grade material at best. Yes, fans of Sharon Stone might get a temporary fix seeing their icon in a few provocative scenes but the arousing talk, edgy flirts, and the dirty and o, so seductive moves we know she is capable of…well, they appear long, long gone.
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