7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.6 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
A single phone call can change a man's life...or possibly end it. Colin Farrell delivers a captivating, off-the-hook performance as Stu Shepard, a self-centered New York City publicist who suddenly finds himself on the deadly end of a high-powered rifle scope. Now it's a real-time race against the clock as Stu must outwit a psychotic sniper in a frantic scramble from phone booth to freedom. Directed by Joel Schumacher, this groundbreaking "tightly-made thriller" (Sidekick Magazine) co-stars Forest Whitaker, Katie Holmes, and Kiefer Sutherland as the crazed gunman calling the shots, literally.
Starring: Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell, Katie HolmesCrime | 100% |
Thriller | 48% |
Psychological thriller | 18% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English, English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
If you hang up, I will kill you.
Joel Schumacher was a giant amongst boys in the 1980s and early 1990s. The director helmed
credible hits like The Lost Boys, Flatliners, and Falling Down, all personal favorites of mine. Then
came his turn behind the camera for two disastrous Batman movies, but the roller
coaster
ride
that is Schumacher's career seems to once again be on the upswing. His Tigerland is a
vastly underrated little film, and his 2002 hit Phone Booth proved to be quite the
clever little movie. Shot in less than two weeks on a small budget, the film eventually tripled its
budget
in
theaters and has become somewhat of a sleeper hit on home video. I vividly recall watching this
movie for the first time upon its initial release on DVD several years back and the disappointment
I
felt with the movie after the credits rolled. I'm happy to report that after screening the film once
again on
Blu-ray,
I've discovered an appeal I somehow missed before.
Who knew a phone booth could be so deadly?
Phone Booth, presented in 1080p and in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, looks marvelous on Blu-ray. The image has super clarity and detail despite a somewhat muted color palette. The image manages to retain a superior and oftentimes stunning three dimensional quality to it that ranks very high amongst every other Blu-ray I have reviewed and screened to date. Despite the less vibrant use of color, there is still a certain "pop" that gives the image a nice, pleasing, and lifelike look to it. Flesh tones appear to be reproduced accurately, and black levels are on the right side of very good. The only fault I found was with the print itself. Signs of wear and a few scratches and pops were visible throughout, but nothing to overly distract from the enjoyment of the image.
When it comes to lossless audio, 20th Century Fox delivers. While they use DTS-HD MA, the encode most Blu-ray fans don't have access to, they nevertheless provide the option unlike some other studios that have only recently begun pressing discs with high definition sound. The lossless track on Phone Booth is very good but ultimately a bit underwhelming. This dialogue driven film doesn't have much use for dynamic and powerful sound, but we do get some instances of nice, heavy bass and powerful musical cues. Since dialogue is the primary plot device that drives the movie, it's fitting that the track makes it the centerpiece of the listening experience, and listeners will not be disappointed. As far as dialogue reproduction goes, this track is second to none. I must admit that I found the placement of all telephone dialogue on the other end of Stu's lines gimmicky, but as that was a conscious decision by the filmmakers, I won't knock the audio score for it. For what the track needs to do, it does very well. Like the movie itself, most viewers could come up with a list of more engaging soundtracks, but the fact of the matter is that this one is just fine as is.
Sadly, the only extra pertaining to this movie is a commentary by director Joel Schumacher. This commentary track ranks among the dullest tracks I've listened to. Schumacher discusses the action on screen with regularity, the basics behind the making of the movie, and various issues of little interest. He speaks in a monotone, but sounds much younger than he really is. If you are a fan of Schumacher or just need to know more about Phone Booth, you might like this track. Otherwise, I'd find a better way to kill 81 minutes. One thing that this disc offers is a plethora of trailers. On this disc, you'll find 1080p trailers for Phone Booth, Planet of the Apes, The Transporter, Transporter 2, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Behind Enemy Lines, Kiss of the Dragon, and Speed.
Phone Booth is good, quick, fun that certainly doesn't outwear its welcome. In fact, I wish it could have hung around a bit longer than it did. Fortunately, fans of the movie now have the opportunity to view this one at their leisure on a fine Blu-ray disc. Although the disc lacks in the extras department, those wanting to see Phone Booth in the best presentation possible should be excited about adding this disc to their collection. I'm hesitant to completely recommend this one as the movie may not be to everyone's liking, so I would suggesting renting it before buying if you haven't seen it before. For the fans out there, however, adding this disc to your Blu-ray collection is a no brainer.
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