5.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A woman fights to protect her family during a home invasion.
Starring: Gabrielle Union, Billy Burke, Richard Cabral, Levi Meaden, Seth CarrThriller | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French (Canada): DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Breaking In whittles the "home invasion" sub-genre down to its most bare, simplistic essentials. Picture a parent desperate to save her children and a handful of bad guys who are not necessarily over their heads but who struggle to improvise when mom becomes supermom with no qualms about doing whatever it takes to save her family. The film's twist, if it can even be described as such, is that mom gets caught outside the house while the kids are locked inside with the bad guys, and hence the title: she's forced to find a way into an impenetrable mansion. But that's really no reason to think the movie has anything of value to offer. Director James McTeigue, who helmed the popular V for Vendetta, crafts the film competently but does nothing to enhance a script that's made of cobbled-together genre nuts-and-bolts that altogether deliver a perfectly serviceable, but wholly forgettable, picture.
She's coming in.
Breaking In's 1080p transfer pleases in every scene. From the first shot the film reveals a top-tier Blu-ray image quality. Details are intimate and crisp. The effortless complexity shines throughout. Everything from the natural beauty around the house to the nicely appointed interior furnishings and accents shine. Wood grains, stone work, and other textural delights abound, while core clothing and facial features dazzle, all pushing the 1080p format to its limits. Colors are satisfyingly neutral. There's good depth, vitality, and saturation to everything from natural greens around the house to warmer supports and sleeker modern grays and whites inside the house. Black level depth is excellent, appearing dense and deep with shadow detail that is perfectly resolved, critical for the film's many nighttime exterior scenes. Some aliasing along a roofline at the 6:18 mark is visible, but other technical shortcomings, or even source noise at a distracting level, are rare. This is a very high end digitally sourced Blu-ray image.
Breaking In's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is of the "gets the job done" variety. The first sounds -- some background radio chatter -- are presented at such a low volume that one almost begins to believe there may be a problem with the track or the sound system, but the track opens up nicely soon thereafter as a character listens to some tunes while he's out for a jog. Nothing in the movie really stands out, sonically. Everything is presented in good working order, with adequate stage width, surround depth, and low end engagement to support music and effects with a tonally clear presentation. Neither music nor action are true, sound system-stretching stalwarts, but both present with enough baseline vigor and clarity to carry the movie but not enough to elevate the track beyond anything other than "good." Modest environmental details are fairly engaging and positioned. Dialogue drives the bulk, and whether normal volume exchanges, hushed whispers, or intense screams, it's always well positioned in the front-center and prioritized above any competing sound elements.
Breaking In's Blu-ray release contains a nice smattering of bonus content, including a commentary track, deleted scenes, an alternate open,
and a few featurettes. Two cuts of the film are also included: Theatrical Version (1:28:01) and Unrated Director's Cut (1:28:24). A DVD copy of the film
and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. The release ships with an embossed slipcover.
Assumptions are never a good bet and judging a movie by its cover and summary can mean missing on some gems, but Breaking In lives up (or down) to all of the assumptions one can make of its marketed presentation. It's a flat movie with no redeeming value. It's well put together from a baseline technical perspective but it's stale and takes no risks; one can count on the movie following the Thriller playbook to a fault. Universal's Blu-ray features excellent video, stable audio, and a nice little array of bonus content. Rent it.
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