6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
With the world overrun by vampires, humanity is dying out and the blood supply is nearly depleted.
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Claudia Karvan, Michael Dorman, Sam NeillThriller | 100% |
Action | 78% |
Horror | 51% |
Sci-Fi | 43% |
Supernatural | 24% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy (on disc)
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Mobile features
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
With every new vampire film released, I’m left with a lingering suspicion that Hollywood is slowly draining the blood out of a lucrative franchise. The Blade and Underworld trilogies went steadily downhill after a strong initial showing; Timur Bekmambetov’s Night Watch/Day Watch series remains unnoticed by viewers in the United States; and despite the fresh perspective offered by Let the Right One In, I was beginning to fear vampire mythology had run its course. Suddenly the game changed with the arrival of a mysterious phenomenon known as the Twilight series, offering the blood-sucking equivalent of a melodramatic soap opera to legions of viewers who normally wouldn’t be caught dead in front of a vampire film. Despite my dislike for anything remotely related to Twilight, I’ll readily give credit to the franchise for restoring Hollywood’s faith in the marketability of fang-focused productions, paving the way for new genre offerings such as Daybreakers.
I always wondered what Han Solo was up to in his younger days.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 18Mbps), Daybreakers offers an above-average visual presentation despite mild weaknesses that occasionally crop up. Fine object detail rarely rivals the precision of top-tier high definition productions, but with the exception of several overly soft sequences, I'd still rank Daybreakers in the top 80 percentile. From a color standpoint, the film incorporates contrasting stylistic choices that drench the vampire environment in cold, monochromatic hues, while bringing warmth to the human hideout through the use of sandstone and wood. This dichotomy stopped just short of presenting alternate timelines, as if the human survivors stepped back fifty years to a simpler moment in history. Similar to most genre offerings, Daybreakers is set almost entirely at night (after all, vampires are sensitive to the light), so a vital aspect of producing a good transfer relies on subtle contrast gradients and abundant black level depth. Fortunately, this is one example that effortlessly rose to the challenge. Whether we're witnessing the explosion of a staked vampire in the dead of night, or a subsider emerge from the shadows of an open doorway, I never detected a shred of weakness in black level and contrast.
I'll readily commend the Spierig Bros. on their ability to create a visually engaging experience that oozes atmosphere. Given the stylistic elements of the production, I could envision the transfer struggling to keep up, but I was quite pleased with the proficiency of the end result.
Despite my ho-hum reaction to the film itself, the lossless audio track is exactly what I'd hoped it would be. From the rumble of Elvis' Firebird to the crackle of burning vampires, every element is geared toward putting a smile on your face. Even during moments when the surround channels aren't bombarded with loud effects, you'll notice subtle nuances that still maintain tension, but give our ears a break from the dominant flipside of the spectrum. Regarding surround separation, I'd suggest you listen closely to several scenes where the advancing vampire military group employs the use of tranquilizer darts to capture the remaining human survivors. The high-pitched sound of darts cutting through air move across the surround field in all directions, while occasionally delivering a thud of contact as onscreen characters slump to the ground. Moments such as these will help you realize the level of effort on the part of the sound department in order to generate an immersive audio experience.
Although I enjoyed the overall audio track immensely, there was one element that could've used a degree of improvement. With a track this robust, it's easy for your ears to grow accustomed to the presence of loud sounds, which often exceed the volume levels of the dialog within the track. In the case of Daybreakers, the vampire roles incorporate dialog that registers just a hair above a whisper, forcing viewers to strain more than we're accustomed to. It's not drastic or overly-problematic, but the slight imbalance is still worth mentioning in the interest of explaining my final technical score.
The Making of Daybreakers (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 2:01:38 min): We rarely find such a comprehensive documentary covering the production of a horror film, but considering this is the Spierig Brothers first Hollywood break, they made it a point to capture absolutely every stage in the development process. Beginning with the original story and the brother's method of pre-conceptualizing key scenes using computer models, the feature follows the cast and crew through the entire journey until we emerge at the film's introduction in the Toronto Film Festival. Budding filmmaker will find this a fascinating inclusion, since we're shown a glimpse of every critical point in the overall process. However, for those with little interest in the intricacies of film production two hours can be a healthy investment of time, so I'd suggest you focus solely on the chapters that interest you the most.
The Big Picture: Spierig Bros. Short Film (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 13:51 min): This brief production by the pair of directors has no connection with Daybreakers, but remains a highly entertaining concept (with a tremendous payoff at the end).
Bonusview Storyboards/Animatics: If you're so inclined, you can view storyboards and lengthy animatics rendered for key scenes in the film. They appear in a small window during the main feature to demonstrate similarities between the idea and final product.
Poster Art Gallery: Seven theatrical posters are on display.
Digital Copy: The second disc included in the Blu-ray set includes a digital copy available for download on Mac or PC (iTunes compatible).
Rounding out the extras, we have a high definition trailer for Daybreakers, and a feature-length audio commentary with Michael and Peter Spierig. The writing/directing duo seem like two of the nicest guys currently working in Hollywood, as they discuss elements of the story, budgetary limitations, and special effects created by WETA Digital.
In the hands of a more experienced director with a higher budget, Daybreakers could have been a must-see addition to the expanding vampire genre. The premise is interesting, the special effects are competent, and who doesn't love a few tense moments with blood-sucking creatures of the night? Sadly, Daybreakers quickly lost credibility as the plot holes multiplied, and eventually unraveled into a mundane ride with characters we care little about. The film is still an entertaining way to spend 98 minutes of your time, but I don't imagine most genre fans will revisit this title in the near future.
2002
2007
2009
2004
Ultimate Collector's Edition
1986
3-Disc Set
2010
1987
2007
Unrated
2011
2016
2013
40th Anniversary Edition
1979
1997
2013
2010
2014
Unrated Extended Edition
2005
バイオハザード:ディジェネレーション / Biohazard: Degeneration
2008
Extreme Unrated Set
2007
Special Edition
2000