6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The memories & skills of a deceased CIA agent are implanted into an unpredictable and dangerous convict.
Starring: Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, Gal Gadot, Ryan ReynoldsAction | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
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
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Criminal is one of those so-called “high concept” films, by which I mean someone was obviously high when they conceived it (it seems like it actually took two high folks, co-screenwriters Douglas Cook and David Weisberg, to come up with the idea). Equal parts Source Code and the long ago and mostly forgotten Project X, along with a smattering of other science fiction-y referents (including what amounts to a tip of the hat to the swelling IQ of Charly ), Criminal deals with the sort of “mind swapping” that informs more whimsical films like Freaky Friday, though in this case the laughs are mostly unintentional. A nefarious con named Jericho Stewart (Kevin Costner) gets “implanted” with the memories of a deceased CIA operative whose mind holds the secret that will (hopefully) prevent an imminent nuclear holocaust. Already some armchair scientists may be wondering about this concept, since it hinges upon technologies which are able to preserve brain matter and then transport relevant “data” to another cranium, but which are unable to simply “extract” that data for review without the need of an intermediary of another actual human getting involved. Criminal repeatedly relies on artifices of this type, and so audience enjoyment will probably be predicated on how much tolerance individual viewers have for setups that are rigidly proscribed and yet almost willfully illogical at times.
Criminal is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. According to the IMDb, this was shot largely with the Arri Alexa (at a 2.8K source resolution), with some augmentation for aerial shots courtesy of Red Epic cameras (at 6K resolution), all of which was then finished at a 2K DI. This is an often commendably sharp and very well detailed presentation, at least when it ventures into natural light and when sequences have not been variously color graded. A lot of the outdoor material, including those aforementioned aerial shots (used to establish various locations, including a lot of urban London settings), pops extremely well, and depth of field is often fantastic (the bookending sequences on the beach are a notable example). Close-ups offer a great views of elements like Costner's gristly beard stubble. Perhaps surprisingly given the science fiction subtext of the film, there aren't that many high tech bells and whistles that adorn the film's production design, but when Jericho experiences flashbacks of Pope's memory, the imagery is often toyed with (see screenshot 5 for one example). Several long sequences are rather dark, including a couple of interior scenes where Jericho visits Pope's home and/or family, and a number of other moments are rather interestingly graded into somewhat unusual greenish or brownish tones, and detail levels are incrementally less impressive as a result.
Criminal's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix starts swirling around the listener from the Summit logo, and offers a glut of great effects throughout the presentation, albeit often in a rather cliché ridden manner. Pope's early struggles to evade captors in the urban grounds of London provide a cacophony of sounds, but every time a bad guy shows up, there's a sudden swooping LFE effect that "announces" the arrival. It's sonically interesting, but dramatically tired. Several set pieces offer tons of immersive activity, with gunshots, combat and explosions offering ample energy. Dialogue is well rendered and smartly prioritized, even in some rather noisy sequences. Fidelity is excellent and dynamic range extremely wide on this problem free track.
What's criminal about Criminal is how it largely wastes a great cast and an at least passable concept by squandering elements far and wide and never really forcefully hitting any one target. The film has a few exciting moments, almost by default, but nothing ever registers very strongly. Technical merits are first rate for those considering a purchase.
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Lucía y el sexo | Unrated Director's Cut
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