6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
With personal and work pressures bearing down on them, three police officers face daily tests of judgment and honor in one of the world's most difficult jobs.
Starring: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Vincent D'OnofrioThriller | 100% |
Crime | 88% |
Action | 58% |
Drama | 17% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: LPCM 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (on disc)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Righter and wronger.
If someone were to make a short list of the most under-appreciated filmmakers working in
Hollywood today, Antoine Fuqua's name would have to be among the first listed. His films work in
a
compelling middle ground between tight and electric action and captivatingly deep thematic
elements that together reveal his uncanny ability to craft pictures that find just the right balance
between slick action and meaningful drama. While The Replacement
Killers and Shooter rely more on
taught action, his three finest films -- Tears of the Sun, Training Day, and
Brooklyn's Finest -- achieve that desirable balance, these pictures a showcase of Fuqua's
gifted
ability to blend purpose into violence and craft movies that linger with a haunting resonance long
after their conclusions. Brooklyn's Finest isn't Fuqua's best -- that honor remains with
Training Day -- but it's quite possibly his most complex and disquieting picture. It's
another movie, like Training Day, about the fallibility of those sworn to uphold the law and
the sweeping repercussions of their actions, the picture supported by impeccable direction
and a collection of
actors that bring several complexly-woven characters to seamless life.
Life was so much easier when I bought companies and sold them off in pieces.
A strong film-like 1080p transfer makes Brooklyn's Finest quite the looker on Blu-ray. The 2.40:1-framed image boasts wonderfully deep and detailed blacks throughout while also showcasing natural and impressive flesh tones. Fine detail is one of the transfer's many strengths. The urban jungle serves as a palette for the Blu-ray to paint an incredibly handsome picture; Brooklyn springs alive as the 1080p image seemingly captures the texture of every brick and paved street while interior shots are awash in the tiniest of nuances that make this one of more finely-tuned pictures on the market. Additionally, the image captures the lines and pores on every face while showcasing the finest stitches and textures of various styles of clothing. Though Brooklyn's Finest is a somewhat dark picture both thematically and visually, the brighter daytime scenes see no shortage of color; whether adornments on police uniforms, bright-colored clothes, or the many shades seen around the cityscape, the Blu-ray delivers nearly impeccable color reproduction. Only a few unstable color gradations in darker scenes bathed in an unforgiving red light prove a hindrance to an otherwise brilliant and wonderfully filmic Blu-ray transfer from Overture Films.
Brooklyn's Finest arrives on Blu-ray with a high quality PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack that doesn't set a new audio reference standard but does feature sometimes compelling but always positive and crisp audio. Though it excels in delivering perfectly clear and consistently intelligible dialogue through the center channel while offering plenty of environmental effects across the front half of the soundstage, the track lacks a pronounced rear channel element. That's not a detriment to the experience; it's never quite as engaging and seamless as the best of them, but one's ability to become lost in the story isn't negated or lost due to the absence of a more potent surround structure. Additionally, music enjoys pinpoint clarity and smoothness. The track accelerates during several action scenes; a train rumbles through the listening area in one scene and Hip-Hop music muscles its way into the soundstage on several occasions, each accompanied by a potent low end. Gunshots are nicely pronounced and suitably powerful, too. The track delivers a consistently pleasant and spacious experience; while it doesn't offer a seamless 360-degree sound field, it's a solid listen that suits the material very well.
This Blu-ray release of Brooklyn's Finest yields several supplements, the collection headlined by an audio commentary track with Director Antoine Fuqua. Similar to the style of his other commentaries, Fuqua delivers an informed but tonally hushed commentary. He shares plenty of information on a myriad of topics at a leisurely pace, speaking on the purpose behind his style and shots, his characters, shooting locations, the emotional and thematic content of the film, and much more. Fans of the film and director both will greatly enjoy this track. Next up are five featurettes. The first, Chaos & Conflict: The Life of a New York Cop (1080p, 6:49), features cast and crew discussing the three main characters that appear in the film. Boyz N the Real Hood (1080p, 5:48) looks at the importance of shooting in authentic locations around Brooklyn. An Eye For Detail: Director Featurette (1080p, 6:34) looks at the quality, pace, structure, and style of Antoine Fuqua's work. From the MTA to the WGA: Writer Featurette (1080p, 5:16) profiles Brooklyn's Finest first-time screenwriter Michael Martin. The last featurette, Three Cops and a Dealer: Character Profile (1080p, 8:00), looks at the story, its characters, and what the cast brings to each part. Also included is a collection of deleted scenes (1080i, 31:11); the Brooklyn's Finest theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:32); and additional trailers for Spartacus: Blood and Sand, The Crazies, Pandorum, Law Abiding Citizen, and The Ultimate Fighting Championships. Disc two of this set contains an iTunes-friendly digital copy of Brooklyn's Finest. Sampled on a second-generation iPod Touch, the video appears sharp and nicely detailed with good colors, while compression artifacts plague only a few scenes. The audio is suitably spacious and clear, though the action scenes, obviously, lack the heft and power afforded to the track by larger speakers and an uncompressed presentation. Overall, it's suitable for on-the-go viewing.
Brooklyn's Finest is a thematically riveting yet emotionally disheartening picture about the harsh realities of the lives of three NYPD officers, each of whom in some way has seen the luster of the job fade and the pressures on them build inside the dangerous 65th precinct. Antoine Fuqua once again finds a spellbinding middle ground between exciting action and riveting drama in Brooklyn's Finest, his latest picture supported by a stellar cast perfectly playing several challenging and well-written parts. This Starz/Anchor Bay release yields a top-quality 1080p transfer, a solid uncompressed soundtrack, and a fair collection of extras. Genre fans and those appreciative of fine cinema both need to make a date with Brooklyn's Finest. Recommended.
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