7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.6 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
A former CIA operative swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell, Christopher Walken, Marc AnthonyThriller | 100% |
Action | 96% |
Crime | 84% |
Drama | 3% |
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)
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, Cantonese, Filipino (Tagalog), Indonesian, Korean, Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Raw and flashy, Tony Scott’s “Man on Fire” (2004) is yet another entry in the long list of violent revenge flicks. The cast is very impressive – Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning, Marc Anthony, Rada Mitchell, Rachel Ticotin, Giancarlo Giannini, and Mickey Rourke – yet, the script isn’t. Courtesy of 20th Century Fox-UK.
Serving justice
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Tony Scott's Man on Fire arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox-UK.
Fox have delivered a stunning transfer for Tony Scott's film! Detail and contrast here are outstanding, sharpness very convincing, and clarity as good as I expected it to be. The color-scheme is also very impressive. Man on Fire has a very unique look where all sorts of different colors are intentionally manipulated in order to enhance the gritty atmosphere surrounding the events taking place on the screen. Yellow, orange, brown, green, red, and black are all remarkably vibrant and at times even overpowering. As a result, the film does look quite extraordinary (the panoramic vistas from the slums of Mexico City for example look stunning).
This being said, the MPEG-4 AVC transfer used by Fox-UK appears to be identical to the one used by Fox in the United States. They are both extremely healthy and lacking any disturbing scratches, debris, or stains. To sum it all up, Man on Fire may very well be one of the best Fox films that I have seen released on Blu-ray thus far. (Note: This is a Region-free Blu-ray disc which you will be able to play on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
In the audio department, there are some notable differences between the UK and US Blu-ray releases of Man on Fire. First of all, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is available on the UK disc as well. This is a powerful, exceptionally well mixed and extremely potent track that delivers big time; the action scenes are loud and very crisp while the catchy ambient soundtrack - with a full and very chic Massive Attack-esque bass - very effective. Furthermore, there is a great deal of activity in the rear channels (the police sirens, the occasional guns shots, and the notable explosions from the first half of the film) that adds plenty of color to the overall viewing experience. On the other hand, the dialog is crisp, crystal clear and very easy to follow.
Second, the UK disc does not have the French Dolby Digital 5.1 and Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks found on the US disc. Instead, the UK disc gets a single Thai Dolby Digital 5.1 track and a few extra sub-options (Tagalog, Indonesian Bahasa, Thai, Chinese, and Korean). This being said, the Thai Dolby Digital 5.1 track, similar to the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, does not suffer from any disturbing pops, cracks, or dropouts. For the record, the subtitles appear inside the film frame.
The US release of Man on Fire disappointed many fans of this film with its lack of extras. Fortunately enough, Fox-UK must have taken a note and all of the special features from the DVD version of this film now appear on the UK-produced Blu-ray disc. Vengeance is Mine: Reinventing "Man on Fire" is a five-part documentary ("Twenty Year Odyssey – project development", "The Business of Kidnapping – technical advisers", "Caught in the Crossfire – Casting and Characterization", "City of God – On Location in Mexico City", and "Fire and Passion – Visual and Emotional Style") that focuses on a number of different aspects from the film's production history. Here you would hear plenty of comments from the cast and crew addressing the film, its agenda, and technical execution. Next is a gallery of fifteen deleted scenes that could be seen with an optional commentary by director Tony Scott. "Pita's Abduction" offers a multi-angle sequence of the key scene as well as a script excerpt and a gallery of storyboards. Next is a photo gallery with stills from Man on Fire and the music video "Oye com ova" by Kinky. Finally, there are also three theatrical trailers for the film as well as a direct portal to its official UK, Australian, and US websites. This being said, the Blu-ray disc also has the two commentaries found on the DVD set – one by director Tony Scott and one by production designer Lucas Foster, Brian Hegeland, and Dakota Fanning. (Note: All of the extras discussed here are perfectly playable on Region-A PS3 and SA).
The UK Blu-ray release of Man on Fire should make plenty of people very,very happy. It boasts exactly the same outstanding transfer and thunderous DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track found on the US Blu-ray release, it is Region-free, and packed with all of the supplemental features fans of the film wanted to see on the US release. I personally have quite a few reservations about Man on Fire, but those of you who enjoyed it should certainly consider looking into the UK release. This is the complete package you wanted folks!
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