6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A comet is discovered to be on a collision course with Earth. As doomsday nears, the human race prepares for the worst.
Starring: Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Morgan FreemanAction | 100% |
Thriller | 60% |
Sci-Fi | 56% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Life will go on.
Perhaps the greatest Disaster film of them all, Deep Impact foregoes the hackneyed faux
emotion, trite clichés, and bigger-than-life heroes in favor of a more grounded, realistic, and by
extension,
altogether moving experience. A film about love, family, hope, and the perseverance of man in
the
face of certain doom, Deep Impact treats its material honestly and passionately, putting
its
people first and its special effects second. The danger of the looming disaster is not defined by its
destructive force, massive size, or threat to destroy the planet, but by the heartache, raw
emotion,
and strength of the characters. The emotion of the picture is not derived from last-second
heroics, catchy one-liners, or awe-inspiring special effects, but the plight of human beings, the
ties that bind them together, and the strength of family. Deep Impact is a big-budget,
special effects extravaganza, but it succeeds in conjunction with -- and not solely because of -- its
superficialities. The film excels thanks to its deep and meaningful look at the human condition
from several perspectives while commenting on the power of love, courage, sacrifice, integrity,
perseverance, and spirit even in the face of tremendous odds.
Biederman flees Biederman.
Deep Impact peers through the Blu telescope and reveals a quality 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer. This is a stable, pleasing-on-the-eye transfer with few faults; it does showcase black levels that sometimes brighten up beyond a natural shade; a hint of edge enhancement here and there; flesh tones that go slightly rosy on occasion; and several scenes that look a bit too flat and processed; but otherwise, this one should more than satisfy longtime fans looking to upgrade from various standard-definition releases. Grain is minimal; the image takes on a somewhat smooth appearance but fine detail remains in abundance through much of the film, though certain scenes look a bit more smooth than others. Clarity is generally superb, and both foreground and background objects remain focused, sharp, and nicely detailed throughout. Colors are bold yet natural; every shade is precisely rendered, from the steely gray interior of the Messiah to the neutrally-shaded furnishings and Presidential Blue carpet in the Oval Office. Deep Impact isn't the sort of disc used to wow potential buyers of Blu-ray or high definition displays, but it delivers a better-than-average 1080p presentation that will please the film's fan base.
Deep Impact crashes onto Blu-ray with a startling Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track enjoys a nice, full, and precise presentation. The rear channels are implemented often, beginning with Dr. Wolf's repositioning of the heavy telescope in Tucson; the shifting gears and mechanical movements are heard all around the soundstage. Meanwhile, his opera music enjoys superb clarity as it spills out of the front half of the soundstage and seems to reverberate about the listening area, and a subsequent explosion rocks the floorboards with a loud and powerful low end effect. Later, the Messiah's rockets explode throughout the soundstage, and its rough ride into the comet features the sound of rattling bolts and metal on the inside and debris bouncing off the hull on the outside in a full-fledged surround sound presentation that, through all the goings-on, retains excellent clarity. There are too-numerous-to-count instances of the track delivering powerful, full, and exciting sound effects that engulf the soundstage. Deep Impact also offers several more nuanced atmospheric effects that bring the track to life; listeners will enjoy the bustling background activity of the MSNBC offices in several scenes and the gentle rocking of a pier-side boat in chapter four. Also featuring crystal-clear dialogue reproduction, Deep Impact delivers a wonderful listening experience that nicely compliments a wonderful movie.
Deep Impact collides with Blu-ray and unearths a few special features. First up is a feature-length commentary track with Director Mimi Leder and Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Farrar. This is a smooth, interesting, and somewhat reserved track; there's a nice mixture of information, beginning with a comment on how the filmmakers perceive audiences to like Deep Impact more than Armageddon, their initial introduction to the project, changes in script throughout the process, the work of the actors, their previous work and experiences, the film's scientific background and accuracy, and much more. Preparing for the End (480p, 8:56) takes a brief look at the origins of the idea behind Deep Impact, the piece grounded in real-world possibilities with interview clips with scientists discussing the possibilities. Also included is a look at the process of condensing the script from a three-hour epic to a more manageable two-hour runtime, the participation of Director Mimi Leder, casting the film, and more. Making an Impact (480p, 12:08) takes a look at the creation of several of the film's special effects. Creating the Perfect Traffic Jam (480p, 6:14) takes a brief but concise look at the filming of one of Deep Impact's more challenging scenes. Parting Thoughts (480p, 4:50) features Director Mimi Leder sharing a few thoughts on the film's test screenings and placing in context the untimely death of Director of Photography Dietrich Lohmann with the themes of the film. Also included on this Blu-ray release of Deep Impact is a photo gallery (1080p) and the film's teaser (1080p, 2:06) and theatrical (3:42) trailers.
A highly emotional, superbly crafted, and altogether timeless movie, Deep Impact may superficially fall into the "Disaster" movie category but it's more a tale of the human condition than the end of the world. Revolving around its themes of love, family, and sacrifice rather than building a ten-cent story around special effects and catchy one-liners, Deep Impact positively nails what its genre is all about and bests the competition in every regard. The pinnacle of the Disaster genre and one of the better emotionally-centered movies of the past several generations, Deep Impact withstands the test of time and holds up as an emotional tour-de-force examination of the human spirit. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Deep Impact does the film justice. Featuring a steady 1080p transfer, a wonderfully robust lossless soundtrack, and a fair collection of bonus materials, Deep Impact comes highly recommended.
2017
20th Anniversary
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