5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 3.1 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
A group of high school students document the events and aftermath of a devastating tornado.
Starring: Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Matt Walsh, Max Deacon, Nathan KressAction | 100% |
Thriller | 49% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Any other studio would have slapped the words Twister 2 across Into the Storm's title card and called it a day. But not Warner Bros. The powers that be either completely missed an obvious opportunity to cash in on a 14-year old guilty pleasure or, more likely, realized just how awful Into the Storm was and chose not to tarnish Twister any more than age already has. Director Steven Quale's quasi-found footage disaster dud isn't just cheesy, it's plain ol' bad, from top to bottom, funnel to storm cloud. The setup is thin, the found footage angle is shaky (pardon the pun), the characters are one dimensional and comically familiar, the script is the stuff of CinemaSins gold, any sense of realism is laughable, and the dialogue... *shudder*. If there's any redeeming value it's that Into the Storm could -- could -- be the film that finally inspires studios to do something different with their next disaster flicks. Not that I'm holding out much hope...
"Look out! That CG is coming right for us!"
Even though the residents of Silverton are properly prepped with HD cameras, Into the Storm's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is still beholden to a few found footage gimmicks; just not as many as you might expect going in. Yes, grays, dark grays and even darker grays dominate the at-times borderline monochromatic palette. And yes, the digital photography's black levels offer their own brand of not-quite-pitch gray. Hints of color part the clouds, though. Primaries are decently represented, skintones are relatively well-saturated, and contrast, while often murky, is fairly consistent. Detail is pretty good too, despite some lapses into shakiness, softness and general nausea. Edges are surprisingly crisp and fine textures are uncharacteristically abundant, without as many of the stylistic trade-offs found footage films typically embrace. What little macroblocking, banding and other anomalies appear are inherent to the source, and there isn't much in the way of distractions, other than those that trace back to intention. Into the Storm may not be much to look at, but its encode doesn't disappoint.
The highlight of the disc is, without a doubt, Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. While it's strange that Dolphin Tale 2 earns a 7.1 mix while Into the Storm is left wanting, the track remains wonderfully immersive, dropping listeners into the middle of some very convincing, very enveloping sonic chaos. LFE output grabs hold of every thunder crack, splintering oak, hurtling vehicle, toppling building, deluge of water, roaring wind and collapsing debris, adding some much-needed strength and power to all the destruction. Rear speaker activity is aggressive and intense, directional effects are fierce and precise, pans are perfectly transparent, and the soundfield is involving. Dialogue is a bit overwhelmed by it all, although most likely by intention since any key lines are prioritized without flaw. Regardless of how you feel about the film, you'll come away from its lossless mix with a smile.
Into the Storm offers nothing new, offers little in the way of found footage innovation, and doesn't do much of anything well. Armitage works to convey the realism of the super-storm, but too many elements of the film ring false, contrived or painfully conventional. This is a SyFy movie with a budget; the potential just makes the results that much more irritating. Warner's Blu-ray release is on solid ground, though, thanks to a strong video presentation and even stronger DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. The special features leave a lot to be desired, but then so does the film. If you can't get enough disaster flicks, have at. You might even enjoy yourself. If you have the patience to wait for one worth its weight in destruction, keep waiting.
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