Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Cargo Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 19, 2010

Swiss directors Ivan Engler and Ralph Etter's "Cargo" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The only supplemental feature on the disc is the film's original theatrical trailer. In German, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Close to Earth

The Future. The Earth’s ecosystem has collapsed and powerful corporations have started shipping people to different stars around the galaxy. Some are also transported to temporary space stations orbiting the Earth. On many of these stations, however, living conditions are terrible, which is why some of the passengers have started dying. Different terrorist organizations have also started attacking the stations as well as the corporations owning them.

Young medic Laura Portman (Anna-Katharina Schwabroh) has taken a job on a cargo ship hoping to make enough money to pay for a ticket to Rhea, a beautiful and clean planet, where her sister, Arianne (Maria Boettner), lives. Laura and Arianne keep in touch via advanced videophones.

Captain Lacroix (Pierre Semmler) is in charge with the cargo ship and the small group of maintenance workers that are on it - Miyuki Yoshida (Yangzom Brauen), Igor Prokoff (Claude-Oliver Rudolph), Claudio Vespucci (Michael Finger), and Anna Lindbergh (Regula Grauwiller). Because of a series of terrorist incidents that have disrupted cargo deliveries, Captain Lacroix and his men are joined by Samuel Decker (Martin Rapold), a certified anti-terrorism specialist.

To get to its destination the cargo ship will have to travel well over four years. A super computer will navigate it while Captain Lacroix's men will go into cryosleep. One of them will always be on duty to make sure that the super computer functions properly.

The journey begins. During Laura’s shift, however, something strange happens in the cargo hangars. The ship’s crew is immediately awakened, and Captain Lacroix orders a search. Very soon, a terrible secret is revealed.

Cargo is a Swiss production directed by Ivan Engler and Ralph Etter. In the United States, Cargo was screened at a couple of different festivals, including the San Francisco International Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival, but a release date for it is yet to be announced.

Filmed with a limited budget, Cargo looks surprisingly good. The special effects during the second half of the film, in particular, are most definitely on par with what you are likely to see in a similarly-themed Hollywood production.

The narrative is uneven, at times even lacking clear direction. A few of the main characters, for example, are disappointingly underdeveloped, even though their presence is crucial for the proper deconstruction of a a few of the key enigmas in the film. The finale is also slightly rushed - it is used to deliver a universal message that feels fairly awkward.

The acting, however, is very strong, and actually negates a lot of the issues mentioned above. Anna-Katharina Schwabroh is outstanding as the young medic who gradually realizes that reality can come in many forms and shapes.

Ralph Baetschmann’s lensing is outstanding. The sense of claustrophobia it maintains throughout the entire film is indeed very effective. The trips through the hangars, in particular, are absolutely jaw-dropping.

Cargo also benefits from a notably eerie soundtrack courtesy of Fredrik Strömberg. Swiss electronica wizards Yello's hauntingly beautiful "You Better Hide" can also be heard in the film.

Cargo Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080/50i transfer, Ivan Engler and Ralph Etter's Cargo arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.

This is a strong high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is very good, clarity pleasing and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. The color-scheme does not disappoint either; blues, greens, reds, grays, blacks and whites look rich and well saturated. Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern; neither is macroblocking. Some very mild motion-judder is occasionally noticeable, but I did not find it to be distracting. There are no serious stability issues. I did not detect any transfer-specific anomalies to report in this review either. To sum it all up, despite getting a 1080/50i high-definition transfer, Cargo looks very good on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Cargo Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: German LPCM 2.0. For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The German LPCM 2.0 track is pleasing. Its dynamic amplitude is surprisingly good; the bass is strong and the high-frequencies not overdone. During the cargo inspections, for example, there are some excellent ambient effects. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable and very easy to follow. There are no serious balance issues with Fredrik Strömberg's soundtrack either. I also did not detect any pop, cracks, or dropouts to report in this review. (Note: The German Blu-ray release of Cargo apparently offers a German DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track).

Cargo Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Trailer - the original theatrical for the film. In German, with imposed English subtitles. (2 min).

Cargo Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cargo is a very ambitious Swiss indie sci-fi film that I enjoyed a lot. There are a few minor issues with its narrative, but I thought that they were very easy to tolerate. I also thought that the young Anna-Katharina Schwabroh was outstanding. Clearly, without her Cargo would have been a very different film. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment, looks and sounds good, but it is Region-B "locked". RECOMMENDED.