4.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 1.5 | |
Overall | 1.5 |
When a mysterious cell phone signal causes apocalyptic chaos, an artist is determined to reunite with his young son in New England.
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Isabelle Fuhrman, John Cusack, Stacy Keach, Owen TeagueHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 55% |
Sci-Fi | 9% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 1.5 |
I swear to heaven there must be some kind of “Concept of the Month” club that Hollywood screenwriters can subscribe to which can help them come up with their next supposed blockbuster. I’m now up to three films I’ve had to personally review which feature the premise of cell phones being programmed to at least take over the minds of their users, if not to turn them into merciless killers. Kingsman: The Secret Service posited Samuel L. Jackson as a nefarious villain named Richmond Valentine whose new top secret SIM card is installed free of charge into countless cell phones, leading to calamitous results. Now You See Me 2 posited Ben Lamb as a nefarious villain named Owen Case whose top secret cell phone chip at the very least would seriously compromise personal privacy. And now comes Cell, which at least has the bragging rights of having been based on a Stephen King novel which predates those two other films, but which in virtually every other way dramatically fails to prove the maxim “three’s the charm”. Unfortunately, Cell gives way fairly early on to what plays like a B-movie version of The Walking Dead. The film’s narrative is also hampered by some wobbly writing and production approaches which continually undercut any supposed suspense, leaving star John Cusack to appear only slightly more animated than the zombie like creatures who surround him after a “pulse” transforms all cell phone users into shambling killers.
Cell is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. Technical data on the film is a bit hard to come by online, but it appears this was digitally shot, as evidenced by the smooth textures and generally high levels of detail, as well as the somewhat murky and ill defined ambience that informs many of the film's (ubiquitous) dark scenes. There's quite a bit of color grading going on throughout the film, sometimes in rather unique tones. One long sequence is kind of teal or greenish looking, while several others have a purplish tint. A recurring element finds some outdoor sequences looking strikingly desaturated, with only specific hues remaining in the image. Through all of this, detail levels are generally fairly commendable, but again they tend to give way in the darkest scenes. When not graded, the palette looks decently natural, at least within the stylistic confines of the film, which often tend to emphasize a cooler look.
Cell achieves sporadic but at times quite effective immersion with its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. Standout moments include the opening maelstrom at the airport, where all hell breaks loose and the surrounds are filled with the cacophony of multitudes going berserk. A later element which sees hordes of "phoners" traipsing through the frame like lemmings on their way to some unseen cliff also has some cool immersive capabilities. Otherwise, the film has a lot of talky moments, interrupted occasionally but expected startle effects. Here, the track may not offer a wealth of depth or surround activity, but supports everything with excellent fidelity and wide dynamic range.
Cell has a spooky enough premise, even if it's a by now derivative seeming premise (something ironic, given the fact that King's original novel predates some of the other films offering "killer" cell phones). But the film is haphazardly structured, inartfully directed and edited, and kind of nonchalantly performed by a cast that seems content to simply get through the madness to some better project awaiting down the line. Technical merits are generally fine for those considering a purchase.
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