6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In Colombia, a young surfer meets the woman of his dreams - and then he meets her uncle, Pablo Escobar.
Starring: Benicio del Toro, Josh Hutcherson, Claudia Traisac, Brady Corbet, Carlos BardemDrama | 100% |
Crime | 52% |
Thriller | 4% |
Foreign | Insignificant |
Romance | 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 5.1
English, English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
There's almost a comedic setup to Escobar: Paradise Lost, a film that tells the story of a young, somewhat naive Canadian who finds his soulmate on Colombia's beaches, only to learn that she's the niece of none other than famed drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. "You think YOU have it bad? Do you have ANY IDEA who my wife's uncle is?" Fortunately, the film isn't another lame-brained "in-laws" Comedy but instead a fairly dark, and very well acted, story of love in the midst of violence and a dangerous path down towards personal corruption. The protagonist must ask himself what he holds more dear: his beautiful fiancé or his very conscience? Can he become the man he never wanted to be keep her hand, or will he be forced to abandoned all he loves to maintain his personal equilibrium? The movie is terrific, at least through its first two acts. It devolves into a fairly bland chase/action film in the third, but the strongly defined characters and believable and engrossing world make Escobar: Paradise Lost a worthwhile film. Just save the popcorn for the final thirty minutes.
Friends?
Escobar: Paradise Lost features a good-looking 1080p transfer. Flaws are few and limited to some heavy banding in a few darker shots -- an opening dark shot of a shirtless Escobar is probably the single worst offender in the film -- and uneven black levels that fluctuate between unnatural paleness and mild crush. Otherwise, the transfer is pleasantly enjoyable and stable. Daytime scenes reveal a nuanced color spectrum that's bright and lifelike. The natural Colombian greens sparkle, clothes are cheery, and support colors around various locations are naturally vibrant. Details are strong, perhaps not so finely exacting as those seen in the absolute best Blu-ray releases but viewers will enjoy the razor-sharp definition by which faces (beads of sweat, pores, wrinkles, facial hear), sweat-drenched clothes, leaves, and dirt terrain all yield a good bit of tangible definition. A light but evident grain structure accentuates. Skin tones can push mildly warm, understandable under the hot Colombian sun. Aside from the blacks and light banding, there are no other flaws of note in what is, in sum, a very enjoyable and filmic presentation from Anchor Bay.
Escobar: Paradise Lost arrives on Blu-ray with a satisfying DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This is a fairly straightforward listen that presents everything in good working order but never goes the extra mile to truly dazzle. Basic ambient effects are nicely immersive and natural, particularly various jungle atmospherics that often saturate the back speakers. Seaside waves are nicely potent and all but splash water into the listing area. Several gunshots deliver adequate heft but lack lifelike precision. Music is nicely spaced and well defined. Dialogue is the main component here, and the spoken word enjoys naturally crisp and front-center placement. This is a good example of a track that does everything right but still flies under the radar, for the most part. In other words, most won't notice anything special, which means it's doing its job.
Escobar: Paradise Lost contains only one supplement. "Catching Pablo" The Making of 'Escobar: Paradise Lost' (1080p, 31:23) is a very well spoken analysis of the film and a detailed examination of the filmmaking process.
Escobar: Paradise Lost is film that, despite a fairly routine story arc, manages to impress -- sometimes even mesmerize -- in its establishing and middle acts. The third act devolves into a well done but nevertheless trite and predictable Chase/Action movie that's absent the finely honed dramatic depth of the first two, but fortunately the film survives on its center narrative and performances, which are terrific, particularly from Del Toro. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release contains one thirty-minute extra to go along with quality video and audio. Highly recommended.
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