8.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.7 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.6 |
An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soapmaker form an underground fight club that evolves into something much, much more.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, Jared LetoCrime | 100% |
Thriller | 87% |
Dark humor | 71% |
Drama | 51% |
Action | 43% |
Mystery | 41% |
Psychological thriller | 40% |
Surreal | 37% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
In the decade that’s elapsed since Fight Club first pummeled audiences and divided critics, many of the film’s themes have remained remarkably pertinent. Despite a massive recession, consumer culture is still the driving force of the economy. We’re still, as übermensch anti-hero Tyler Durden would put it, “the bi-products of a lifestyle obsession.” Cognitively preprogrammed for brand awareness and mass acceptance of corporate advertising, we are our iPods, our hybrid cars, our trendy neighborhoods and 500 channels of high definition television. The rise and dispersion of so- called metro-sexuality has challenged and redefined traditional notions of masculinity. And, of course, the almost unfathomable events of September 11, 2001 have eerily echoed the film’s explosive dénouement. As much as Fight Club is a cultural touchstone of late-1990s, pre- Y2K America, it’s still as relevant as the morning paper, as potent as bull shark testosterone.
This is Fight Club.
Fight Club has always had a distinct visual style, a dirty, bruised and beaten aesthetic, at once slick as wet blood and coarse as sandpaper. Those that like their high definition movies bright and clean—with artificial sharpening and all traces of grain digitally scrubbed to oblivion— won't know what to make of this release, with its dingy color scheme and obviously filmic look. But fans who like to see a director's intentions honored will be knocked silly by this fantastic 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer, which proves to be an appreciable upgrade from prior DVD releases, especially when it comes to overall clarity and color depth. There are still a few soft shots—see Marla's confrontation with Jack at the cancer support group—but taken as a whole, Fight Club is sharp and defined. Close-ups display fine facial textures—particularly brutal when you're looking at Jared Leto's pulverized face—and longer shots are nicely resolved, allowing heretofore unseen detail. While truly bright, vivid colors are in the minority here—there are exceptions like Marla's blue shirt—the desaturated palette is filled with the greenish pallor of fluorescent lights, bronzed skin tones, and grimy, industrial grays. The colors, even if they're not "eye-popping," seem more weighty and intense this time around. Likewise, black levels are dense and deep, prompting a bit of intentional crush here and there, but generally giving the image a satisfying sense of presence. Contrast, as always, is slightly heightened and, at times, purposefully lurid. And grain is apparent throughout, in varying levels, giving the film an appropriately gritty patina. Aside from some minor contrast wavering in two or three scenes, I didn't detect any overt issues—no banding, blocking, haloing, jaggies, or artifacts. Whether or not the visual upgrade here warrants repurchasing the film on Blu-ray will depend on your own tastes and budget, but this is certainly the best Fight Club has ever and perhaps will ever look on home video.
Rounding out the A/V package is an absolutely pulverizing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that will kick your home theater's ass and take its name. There are several demo-worthy showpieces here. Listen as Jack imagines a violent mid-air collision between two planes; steel rips through steel, sending shrapnel flying through the speakers with pin-point precision as wind whips terrifyingly through the rear channels. Or replay the scene when Tyler lets go of the steering wheel and allows the car to crash; metal twists and tears wrenchingly, screeching and grating from front to back as the car barrels towards the audience. And yet, these big audio moments are just the cherries on a sonic sundae. The sound design throughout the film is consistently engaging and immersive, delivering ear-shattering blows when called for and bringing quieter scenes to life with subtle, place-establishing ambience. Take, for instance, one of the cancer support group scenes. Pick out all the individual sounds. You'll hear the speaker drone through a microphone, her voice reverberating appropriately. You'll hear the members shift and shuffle quietly in their pews. Somewhere, in a distant room, children are running and playing. Outside, an ambulance passes by, the Doppler effect of its siren a grim portent. And this is just one example; nearly every scene is built upon a lively and convincing soundfield. While Edward Norton's voiceovers seem a bit quiet at times, dialogue is easily understood and reflects the acoustic qualities of the surroundings. Finally, if the big audio moments are the cherries on this sundae, the electronic score by The Dust Brothers is the chocolate sauce. The trip-hop spookiness and big beats sound a bit dated now, but the music is still bold and effective. I really can't drum up any complaints about this track; it's loud, aggressive, full-bodied, and thoroughly impressive.
The bulk of the bonus features here are identical to those on the 2-disc special edition DVD, but
there are few additions to sweeten the deal, including an interactive audio featurette, an
acceptance speech at Spike TV's 2009 Guys Choice Awards, and a searchable index of
commentary topics and in-movie references.
Commentary Tracks
How many films arrive with four commentaries on a single disc? As owners of the 2-disc special
edition DVD know, these tracks are a veritable treasure trove of arcane Fight Club
knowledge, from making-of production details and on-set anecdotes to character analysis, script
dissection, and directorial decision-making. David Fincher provides an excellent stand-alone track,
and he's joined in the second commentary by Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham
Carter for even more lively discussion. Author Chuck Palahniuk and screenwriter Jim Uhls provide
the perspectives of the film's progenitors for the third track, and the fourth is a collaborative
effort from DP Jeff Cronenweth, Costume Designer Michael Kaplan, Production Designer Alex
McDowell, Visual Effects Supervisor Kevin Haug, and Visual Effects Editor Doc Bailey. All of the
tracks are worth listening to, but the sheer amount of content can be overwhelming. Which leads
us to:
Insomniac Mode: I am Jack's Search Index
Essentially, this mode has two functions. First up is a "topic search," which allows you to scroll
through an index of people, places, and things referenced in both the movie and in the special
features, from "Abraham Lincoln" to "Zach Grenier." Selecting one of these topics will take you to
either the point in the film where it's referenced, or to the appropriate featurette in the special
features. It's a neat inclusion, but I can't see myself using it, as I'm more likely to simply plow
through the bonus features one after another. More useful, though, is the "commentary guide,"
which, when activated during the film, engages a pop-up menu that allows you to see, in "real
time," what topics are being discussed in each of the four commentary tracks. This lets you
switch at will between the commentaries and listen only to topics that interest you.
A Hit in the Ear: Ren Klyce and the Sound Design of Fight Club (1080p)
Sound designer Ren Klyce explains, in a brief intro to this interactive feature, how sound can
"define a film's dramatic and psychological landscape." After viewing the introduction, you can
select one of four scenes and remix the audio yourself, manipulating both the realistic and
expressionistic audio elements that make up each scene. Basically, you can change the overall
volume coming from each speaker of a 5.1 setup, as well as adjust the balance between the
"real" sound effects and the more impressionist flourishes of sound design. It's not incredibly
intuitive, but audiophiles may have fun tooling around here for a few minutes. It's self-
explanatory, but you do need a 5.1 speaker arrangement to make full use of this
feature.
Flogging Fight Club (1080i, 9:58)
Here, Mel Gibson rides in on a horse—wearing a Viking helmet—to bestow the Guy Movie Hall of
Fame honor to Fight Club at Spike TV's 2009 Guys Choice Awards. We also get to see
David Fincher, Brad Pitt, and Edward Norton prepping for their acceptance speech, which largely
consists of bashing the critics who initially bashed the film.
Behind the Scenes Vignettes (SD)
The 16 or so behind-the-scenes clips here are divided into three sections: Production, Visual
Effects, and On Location. With the exception of On Location, which is a stand-alone look at some
of the film's props and choreography, the rest of the clips are somewhat cumbersomely arranged.
First, you have to select a segment to view, and then select an angle and an audio track. You can
also change the angles and audio tracks—there are one to three, tops, per clip—by pressing the
respective buttons on your remote. To be honest, I would prefer one big, long production
documentary.
Deleted and Alternate Scenes (SD, approx. 16 min.)
There are seven severed or altered scenes, most of which were cut for pacing or trimmed of
objectionable material.
Publicity Material (SD, approx. 30 min.)
Includes three trailers, 17 TV spots, 5 internet spots, 2 hilarious public service announcements, a
music video, and the transcript of an interview with Edward Norton. There are also three self-
playing galleries here, one each for lobby cards, press kit materials, and stills.
Art Gallery (1080p, approx. 30 min.)
Here you'll find high definition, self-playing galleries of visual effects stills, photos of the Paper
Street house, costumes and makeup, pre-production paintings, the "brain ride" map, and all of
the storyboards for the film.
The question always arises, in cases like this, of whether it's worth it to upgrade from the DVD release of a catalog title. In the case of Fight Club, I'd say yes, with few reservations. There's not much in the way of new supplementary material, but with a visual boost in clarity and a sonic pummeling—courtesy of a lossless audio track—this Blu-ray release of Fight Club is a heavy hitter, and a must-have for fans. Highly recommended.
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