7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
Colonel Katherine Powell, commander of a top-secret drone operation, discovers that terrorists are planning a suicide bombing. As American pilot Steve Watts is about to engage, a nine-year-old girl enters the kill zone, triggering an international dispute.
Starring: Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Babou Ceesay, Carl Beukes, Alan RickmanWar | 100% |
Thriller | 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
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
BD-Live
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Warfare in the post 9/11 world has largely shifted away from the more traditional army-versus-army confrontations of the past to a different, but no less dangerous, asymmetrical style of warfare, pitting advanced national militaries against less sophisticated, less organized, and less technologically advanced militants whose M.O. is the quick strike, often against soft civilian targets, rather than the large clash on the field of battle. Just on the very day this review was published, a terror attack rocked Turkey's Istanbul Ataturk Airport, killing dozens and injuring many more. It's symbolic of the new world of warfare that's at the heart of Eye in the Sky, Director Gavin Hood's (Ender's Game) cutting-edge film that not only explores the real time, globally stretched, and multinational cooperative undertaking that is the war on terror but also the ethical dilemmas that come with it, that evolve from the rapid advances in technology that, even for those large standing armies, make warfare far less intimate, but no less personal. How does pulling the trigger alter the lives of all involved, on both sides of the attack, and on those innocently caught in the middle?
The eye, and missiles, in the sky.
Eye in the Sky's 1080p transfer, sourced from a digital shoot, rarely, if ever, excites the visual senses. It's stable in its relative blandness, its digital sheen and glossy finish never accentuating the earthy Kenyan landscape or, really, even the cold, spartan command center set pieces. Surfaces never stretch the format's potential. Heavy fabric military uniforms are unfortunately flat. Faces aren't revealing beyond core basics. Instrument clusters lack intimate definition. Kenyan terrain is a little more capable, if only for its more naturally complex variables, but even still the image never brings out the best. Colors are fine, though the relative dearth of eye popping shades never allows the image to dazzle. A few primaries pop down on the ground in Kenya, particularly against the sandy, earthy terrain. The cold military interiors lack pizzaz, revealing the steely blues and grays and military fatigue greens only well enough. Black levels are fine, with only a trace, nearly imperceptible, push to purple. Light aliasing is evident in spots, particularly on some of the more noticeably low end visual effects shots. Flesh tones appear fairly neutral under the movie's rather diverse locations and lighting conditions.
Eye in the Sky's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack doesn't stretch the sound system, but it's technically sound and offers some enticing sound design elements on a few occasions. Music is healthy if not heavy along the fronts, producing solid enough instrumental clarity throughout the film. Ambient effects are nicely filing, including light background din at an airport, a crackling fire heard in the rears, and winds pushing through. A few sound elements really impress. Gunfire tears through the rears in a few shots with positive authority and detail. In the film's brief China scene, ping pong balls bounce around the stage with awe-inspiring realism. The sense of total immersion and maneuvering is fantastic, making for one of the most purely interesting, and perfectly recreated, sound experiences in recent memory. The film is primarily dialogue intensive, however, and the spoken word plays with positive command of the center channel, natural clarity, and constant prioritization over other surrounding sound elements.
Eye in the Sky contains two featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy are included with purchase.
Eye in the Sky takes a similar path through modern warfare and the human condition as did Good Kill, but this film lacks the spark of the other. Eye is a rather dry and stale production, soaring to be sure in terms of depth but failing to find the support pieces necessary to keep it of interest beyond its engaging core. Good Kill is the full package and, of the two recent "ethical dilemma/drone" movies, the one to watch. Universal's release of Eye in the Sky is just as spartan and bland as the movie. Video is passable, audio is technically sound and enjoys a few very good moments, and the supplements are hugely disappointing. Rent it.
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