5.7 | / 10 |
Users | 2.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 2.9 |
In this thrilling, live-action adventure, Ben breaks rank with Gwen, Kevin and Max to help a mysterious young woman uncover an alien threat to our world. But it will take all the super powers they have to battle this unstoppable alien technology. The stakes are high and the action is intense as Ben fights to protect our planet from the Alien Swarm.
Starring: Ryan Kelley (I), Alyssa Diaz, Barry Corbin, Dee Bradley Baker, Alex WinterFamily | 100% |
Action | 86% |
Sci-Fi | 70% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Before I begin over-analyzing yet another recent kids' flick or sermonizing about the ails and ills of children's entertainment, let me make one thing clear: if I were eleven, Ben 10: Alien Swarm would be a permanent fixture in my parents' Blu-ray player. Loud music, roaring cars, motorcycle chases, massive spiked boulders careening down a highway, a winged creature battling a tornado of nanobots, a massive monster smashing its way through a series of formidable foes, a clash of tiny titans inside of a devious villain, brain-dead crowds of zombified adults... were I an excitable member of Ben 10's target audience, I would be unabashedly, undeniably ecstatic. However, as a parent, I find myself sliding anything my son wants to watch beneath an increasingly harsh light. Alien Swarm certainly thrills, but it also succumbs to the same pitfalls as similar productions that have crawled out of the primordial direct-to-video ooze. It has little to offer beyond entertainment value, its story has next to nothing to say about the world or times in which we live, and its characters' worst choices come and go without consequence. Am I looking too far into things? Probably. Does it change the fact that Alien Swarm is a relative waste of any grade-schoolers time? Particularly when more rewarding home video releases are available for their consideration and investment? Nope.
A rebellious teen holds the fate of the world in his hands. Sound familiar?
At least Warner's unexpectedly striking 1080p/VC-1 transfer makes Alien Swarm a joy to watch. While skintones and other elements have intentionally been robbed of color, Ben 10's patented greens are bold, explosions flood the screen with vivid flames, and blacks recall the stark inkiness of the cartoon series. Contrast is just as strong, granting the image fairly convincing depth and dimensionality, and shadow delineation is revealing. Even fine detail, long the bane of television films and direct-to-video productions released in high definition, is razor sharp and surprisingly refined. Edge enhancement is nowhere to be found, textures are crisp and lifelike, and a hint of faint grain lends most scenes, dare I say, a filmic appearance. Moreover, aliasing only affects the opening title card letters, banding is rare and never a distraction, crush isn't an issue, and compression artifacts, while flitting into view during a handful of CG-heavy dust-ups, is kept to an acceptable minimum. My only major complaint is that source noise spikes whenever the lights go down, particularly during Ben's third-act assault on a shadowy warehouse. Regardless, I was more than pleased with Alien Swarm's video presentation and I'm confident young fans will be thrilled with the results.
It's also nice to see Warner devoting a full-blooded Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track to a lower tier release, even if it relies on blunt force trauma more than legitimate immersion or subtlety. Recently, any television title from the studio has been saddled with weak-kneed Dolby Digital audio. Here's hoping the negative reactions that have ensued have reminded Warner of the every-BD-will-have-a-lossless-track promise that was made in 2008 (before being broken, time and time again, in 2009). But I digress. Alien Swarm is, by design, a front-heavy endeavor that only comes to life when Ben takes advantage of his Omnitrix or Kevin gets behind the wheel of a car. Dialogue is clean and intelligible throughout, but rear speaker activity waxes and wanes as readily as the film's on-screen explosions. Likewise, LFE output packs some punch, but only when an energy blast or a shattering nano-probe requires some extra oomph. That's not to say the experience is disappointing, particularly if your expectations are in proper order, just that it lacks the precision, movement, and nuance of a summer blockbuster's mix. As a result, directionality is rather two-dimensional, pans alternate between smooth and stocky, and dynamics prioritize volume over proficiency. That being said, Alien Swarm sounds pretty good, especially considering the low-budget nature of the production. I'm tempted to give it a higher score, but I know I'd be rewarding the mere presence of a TrueHD track more than evaluating its actual quality.
The Blu-ray edition of Ben 10: Alien Swarm doesn't have much to offer. A brief "Behind the Scenes" featurette (HD, 2 minutes) is little more than a flashy commercial and a There for Tomorrow "Music Video" (HD, 3 minutes) is only good for laughs. The disc's only saving supplemental grace is "Ben 10 Alien Force: Vengeance of Vilgax" (HD, 44 minutes), a two-part episode from the Cartoon Network animated series presented with an impressive technical transfer; one that bodes well for a potential Blu-ray release of the show.
Ben 10: Alien Swarm doesn't try to be anything more than it is: an action-driven extension of an animated television series. It forgos context in the hopes that its viewers are up to speed, it shrugs off logic in the hopes its fanbase is too young to notice, and it skirts a meaningful story in the hopes that its defenders will be smitten with its alien beat-downs. Its Blu-ray release is more up to snuff, arriving with an excellent video transfer, a decent TrueHD audio track, and an underwhelming smattering of supplements. I wouldn't run out to buy Alien Swarm anytime soon. If your children are begging for some live-action Ben 10 goodness, renting this one is a wiser, less costly course of action.
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