6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.6 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.6 |
A group of allied commandos, infiltrate Yugoslavia on a secret mission against the Third Reich.
Starring: Robert Shaw (I), Harrison Ford, Barbara Bach, Edward Fox, Franco NeroWar | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
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)
English: Dolby Digital Mono
English SDH, French, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 2.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Force 10 from Navarone is the 1978 sequel to the highly regarded World War II film Guns of Navarone. Considering it was released 17 years after the original film, the studio substituted actors in the main roles of the film, opting for Robert Shaw to take Gregory Peck’s role and Edward Fox to fill David Niven’s shoes. Both films are based on novels by Alistair MacLean, but Force 10 from Navarone never achieved the success of it’s superior predecessor, which is sad considering it was Robert Shaw’s final film before his untimely death at the age of 51. Now, more than twenty years after the original release, a new generation of film-buffs have the opportunity to draw their own conclusions on a film that’s divided critics over the years.
Where'd Han Solo find a German pistol?
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 21Mbps), Force 10 from Navarone is not your typical high-definition experience. For a film that's just over thirty years old, I expected somewhat better proficiency in fine object detail. From the moment the film opens, the transfer exhibits a level of softness that barely surpasses an upconverted DVD. This is likely present in the source material and not a deficiency of the transfer, but it's still worth mentioning in case you were hoping to see video quality on par with some of the recently remastered Blu-ray's of classic films. To make matters worse, some scenes exhibit a heavy dose of grain that gives the background a noisy characteristic, and there are numerous specks or scratches that pop up from time to time. On the bright side, I was impressed with the natural skintones and appropriate color saturation throughout the film (which is likely the area of greatest improvement over the standard definition release). Black levels and contrast are excellent during daytime sequences, but most of the nighttime sequences contain subpar contrast with a significant drop in shadow detail.
Overall, the transfer should reflect a marginal improvement over the DVD edition, but stands as a below-average example of Blu-ray's high-definition capability.
Similar to the visual quality, the 5.1 DTS-HD MA English track is clearly limited by deficiencies in the original recording. I didn't expect much surround use since you can't turn applejuice into an apple, but I hoped the audio experience would at least exhibit occasional spatial dynamics. Grounded securely in the front soundstage, the track is notably proficient in the clarity of voices and effects, but still managed to sound a tad bright and tinny (mostly in the highs). A good example would be the reproduction of gunshots, which lack a realistic tone. Lastly, you should expect zero use of your subwoofer, since the LFE channel seems almost nonexistant.
The only extra on the disc is a theatrical trailer for the film, presented in 1080p with 2-channel audio. If the trailer is any indication of the video quality at the time of the original release, this Blu-ray might be the best this film will ever look.
If you've never seen Force 10 from Navarone, it's worth giving it a shot as a rental. It may not represent the finest Hollywood production on World War II, but it's still a lot of fun with great acting and an engaging plot. Technically, this Blu-ray edition offers little change over a standard definition release, but the accuracy in color reproduction should offer enough of an improvement to sway fans in favor of the high-definition offering. Besides, those blue cases simply look better on the shelf.
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