5.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Jack Bishop is a picture-perfect husband and father in a peaceful Texas border town. But when his 11-year-old daughter is kidnapped, he’ll hunt her abductors no matter what the cost. Quickly he learns he must unleash his own tortured soul into a Mexican hell of barrios and bordellos controlled by the mysterious religion of La Santa Muerte. When a man has too much to hide and nothing to lose, should he dare to search for the truth?
Starring: Simon Baker, Paz Vega, Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael DeLorenzo, Claire ForlaniThriller | 100% |
Supernatural | 76% |
Horror | 39% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: LPCM 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Whatever happens, it's God's will.
It seems there are as many news stories focusing on kidnapped children as there are
stories on the weather or the fallout from the weekend's football games. What's truly shocking
is that there are far more kidnappings than those reported on television, but even still, it's
difficult to become emotionally involved in such a story through the window of the television
screen, particularly when the media decides that one case is more deserving of the nation's
attention
than another. Though it's easy to whisper a prayer for the family, the sheer volume of
the number of both reported and highly-publicized cases lessens the impact when news breaks
that another young boy or girl has gone missing. Though it's easy to feel for those involved, it
seems impossible to truly understand the pain that's only superficially visible through the
television screen. Not Forgotten just might change that. Chances are its viewers will
never look at a kidnapping case the same way again, seeing not just an image on a television but
perhaps more fully understanding the anguish that lives behind the tears. Still, Not
Forgotten is more
than that. The film's tone shifts drastically as the story develops, and while it becomes
something far more involved than a garden-variety missing persons movie like
Mel
Gibson's excellent Ransom, it still manages to capture -- at least early on -- the despair
of a missing person's family as well as any film before it.
Jack and Toby enjoy 'Taken' on Blu-ray.
Not Forgotten arrives on Blu-ray with a hit-or-miss 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The transfer features plenty of blocking throughout and some occasional banding, both of which make for some unattractive eyesores that plague an otherwise decent outing. The transfer is pale, resulting in slightly ghastly (but otherwise problem-free) flesh tones and blacks that appear too bright. Several dark, hazy interiors fare the worst, such scenes appearing as if there is a light film covering the screen. The image also lacks much tangible depth. However, detail is generally strong; the scene featuring the initial search for Toby on the U.S.-Mexico border showcases excellent detail along the riverbed where rocks and sand are beautifully rendered. Likewise, the usual suspects -- brick exteriors or stitches in clothing, for instance -- look almost as good here as they do in many of the upper-echelon transfers. Not Forgotten never looks bad at a glance, but several problem areas keep this one from being an above-average effort.
Not Forgotten features a robust PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. The track delivers a consistently healthy rear channel presentation, beginning with light applause at a soccer game early in the film and later coming to much more vivid life. A brief scene of a kidnapped Toby in the back of a vehicle delivers a violent rattling and rumbling sensation that seems to force the entire soundstage to bounce around. The track also features several good atmospherics, with buzzing insects in particular distinctly heard in the back channels. It's a solid, immersive track, and as a fine compliment, musical delivery is clear and robust, again with a strong but not overpowering rear channel accompaniment. The track carries a good low end that does well to punctuate some of the more intense moments in the film. Bass also thumps wonderfully in a club scene in chapter six. Along with solid dialogue reproduction, Not Forgotten's uncompressed soundtrack is the disc's technical standout, besting the video presentation and proving more impressive than the minimal supplemental package.
Not Forgotten features only three extras. First is a commentary track with Co-Writer/Producer/Director Dror Soref and Co-Writer/Asssociate Producer Tomás Romero. The participants aren't shy, speaking a mile a minute and recalling plenty of tidbits both major and minor, from shooting locations to fake grass in one scene. They also discuss the obsessive details that found their way into the script but not necessarily the film, the work of cinematographer Steven Bernstein, shot composition, and more. This is a basic commentary that fans might enjoy but it's otherwise a non-essential listen. 'Not Forgotten:' Behind the Scenes (480p, 6:20) is a short piece that features Soref and, later, Romero, recalling the story and themes found in the film, contrasted with clips from the film and behind-the-scenes footage. Also included is the Not Forgotten trailer (480p, 1:44).
Intense, well-acted, and thoroughly engaging, Not Forgotten delivers a satisfying movie-watching experience, but its many twists and turns -- twists and turns that veer pretty far from convention -- might not sit well with all audiences. However, the movie deserves credit for trying something different with the material, and whether the finale sits well with viewers or not, chances are the radically differing tones and developments that figure into the story will at least make for an engaging topic of conversation. This Starz Blu-ray release features decent picture quality that's marred by a few recurring issues, a solid uncompressed soundtrack, and a couple of extras. Not Forgotten comes recommended as a rental.
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