Beyond Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Beyond Blu-ray Movie Review

Does this movie rise beyond expectations or sink beyond hope?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 2, 2012

The Beyond efforts to create a unique "Missing Person" film with a supernatural twist. Sadly, the film falls into routine and never elevates above genre convention, even as it dabbles in the paranormal and offers the obligatory twist ending that's not particularly difficult to spot early into the proceedings. A solid cast is reason enough to watch, but the characters they play -- not inhabit -- linger in convention and common movie characteristics to the point that none of them, even the psychic, emerge as anyone with whom the audience may truly relate or enjoy beyond a superficial good/bad/indifferent plane. The film is competently assembled and paced well enough, but don't expect miracles or even an above-average experience out of this rather ordinary Thriller.

Searching.

A seven-year-old girl named Amy (Dharbi Jens) has befriended an imaginary companion named Rory. Her mother Sarah (Teri Polo) and father Gavin (Brett Baker) aren't thrilled that their daughter has struck up a friendship with a make-believe companion, but relegate that issue to the back burner when Amy goes missing. The frantic search involves Sarah's brother, who is also the chief of police (Dermot Mulroney), and a crack missing person's investigator only months from retirement, John Koski (John Voight), a grizzled veteran who has no sympathy for abductors and who will go to any length to rescue a taken child. The case takes a turn for the bizarre when seemingly out of nowhere a television psychic named Farley Connors (Julian Morris) contacts the family and claims to see visions of the abducted child. He pairs up with a skeptical Koski in an effort to rescue Amy and expose her kidnappers before the unthinkable may occur.

Certainly the plot of Beyond is as ordinary as they come, at least until the part about the random psychic contact comes into play. That angle defines the movie and any and all expectations and reasons to watch, at least beyond the starring presence of the always-wonderful John Voight. Yet the film never ascends into the sort of creepy, unearthly territory traversed by the superior Psychological Thrillers and Dramas and Horrors with supernatural twists. The film follows police procedure and missing persons drama with little rhythm and even less palpable tension, while the supernatural angle plays blandly and with little verve. In fact, some of the psychic elements descend into goofy, contrived, cliché scenes. Rather than manage a unique, contemporary, and fun spin on the subject -- which was the heart of the success behind the recent and vastly superior Insidious -- Beyond is content to show a few random Ouija board moments and a self-drawing Etch-a-Sketch to spook audiences into hanging around on through to the predictable end.

The Supernatural angle really never catches fire, and neither does anything else in the plot. The picture maneuvers through all of the typical lazy Thriller elements: the cold, dreary setting; the cop close to retirement; the suspect list that includes all those people close to the abductee; the twist ending that in this case isn't difficult to spot; and so on and so forth. Fortunately, Beyond isn't a total loss; it handles its generic attributes with competency and even some confidence. The movie's watchable and plays with an easily-identifiable cadence that's professional and polished. Yet it feels rather hollow underneath the well-constructed surface. Beyond the quality acting and salvageable plot lies a vacant structure that's only strong enough to hold up a rather unimaginative movie. The film finds a few creepy vibes to be sure, there are several moments of quality action, and the picture holds several minor surprises, but the total package otherwise has little to offer. Beyond works well enough as a serviceable time killer, but audiences hoping for something with some thematic heft will be left looking for a superior product.

Beyond Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Beyond's 1080p Blu-ray transfer satisfies at every turn. The HD video source takes on that slightly glossy, lifeless appearance, but it also reveals sharp details and natural colors. As to the former first, the palette is certainly dim. The film favors a cold, gray, hopeless sort of appearance, appropriate for both the Alaskan setting and the picture's mood. Balance is fine and when the image finds splashes of color they're handled with precision and accuracy. Detail is largely excellent and sharp and appears with superb clarity, even if the image as a whole falls rather flat thanks to the nature of the source. Viewers will enjoy intricate facial and clothing textures, not to mention the precision with which the transfer renders elements such as the metallic body and the bolts and dents appearing on Voight's character's airplane. Viewers may note minor aliasing and banding, but the image is otherwise free of excess noise, blocky backgrounds, or other areas for concern. This is a solid HD video image from Anchor Bay.

Beyond Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Beyond features a clear and precise but sonically unremarkable Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music plays with good spacing, fine range, and deep bass. It's perhaps a hair muddled, but certainly robust, authoritative, and confident. The track features good little ambient effects here and there, including background elements inside a police station, a plane buzzing overhead in one early shot, and another taxiing along the runway from side to side during a scene in the middle of the movie. The rattle and rumble of propellors represents one of the film's heaviest effects, which plays accurately and with a room-filling sensation. Gunshots are fine, though not very spacious or potent, disappointing considering the shots heard early in the movie a fired in a spacious outdoor setting prime for a good reverberating effect that's not here. Dialogue is smooth and plays cleanly and efficiently from the center and with no competition from surrounding elements. This track won't go into the record books, but it's fine for the film it supports.

Beyond Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Extras are apparently Beyond the scope of this Blu-ray release.

Beyond Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Beyond doesn't really do anything wrong, but neither does it really do all that much right. The highlight is another solid performance by John Voight, who injects the film with some life and urgency where none otherwise exists. The premise is stale and the twist -- the supernatural elements -- falls flat instead of sprucing up an otherwise struggling and linear but serviceable plot. Beyond is by no means a disaster. It's just the sort of movie that's best enjoyed as filler until something better comes along. Anchor Bay's featureless Blu-ray does offer solid video and audio. Worth a rental on a slow day.