7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
An arrogant, high-powered attorney takes on the case of a poor altar boy found running away from the scene of the grisly murder of the bishop who has taken him in. The case gets a lot more complex when the accused reveals that there may or may not have been a third person in the room.
Starring: Richard Gere, Edward Norton, Laura Linney, John Mahoney, Alfre WoodardCrime | 100% |
Psychological thriller | 60% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Of the all the fresh Hollywood faces that emerged in the '90s and went on to earn box office attention and critical acclaim, Edward Norton is one of the only actors to establish himself as a true leading man. Since 1996, a variety of groundbreaking projects, diverse roles, and award-winning performances have allowed him to leave a lasting impression on moviegoers and industry professionals alike. His talents as a filmmaker have even given him the opportunity to rescue sinking productions like American History X, produce stories near and dear to him, and dabble behind the camera as well. Of course, none of it would have been possible without Norton's unsettling, career-defining turn as a mentally unstable young man in director Gregory Hoblit's Primal Fear.
No matter how much time the camera spends with Gere and Linney, Norton still steals the show...
Before I drop any adjectives that scare you away from the Blu-ray edition of Primal Fear, you should know that, overall, Paramount's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer manages to overcome the limitations of Hoblit's drab palette and his director of photography's uninspired lighting. In fact, aside from some lingering edge enhancement and an unnecessary (albeit minor) scene-specific application of noise reduction, the transfer looks quite good. While the film's colors are presented with strong and stable hues, skintones are pale, primaries are subdued, and blacks aren't as well-resolved as I would have preferred. Even so, delineation is more revealing than it is on the standard DVD, dimensionality is more remarkable, and detail, above all else, has received a noticeable boost in clarity. Sure, a few textures are undermined by the use of DNR and a few shots are softer than most, but object edges are usually sharp, fabric and stubble look fairly crisp, and several establishing shots and close-ups show off the disc's upgraded resolution. If anything, the transfer suffers from consistency issues -- some scenes look fantastic and others are underwhelming. Thankfully, artifacting is kept to a minimum, source noise only invades the image during a handful of shadowy scenes, and film grain is steady, faint, and unobtrusive.
Primal Fear won't reach out and slap anyone with its visuals; even longtime fans of the film. However, Paramount has handled the original print with respect, producing an above average presentation. As it stands, if it weren't for the presence of unnecessary post-production tampering, the studio's transfer would probably be worthy of serious praise.
Paramount improves matters with an unexpectedly immersive Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track. Sure, catalog courtroom dramas aren't usually the source of involving sonics, but Primal Fear delivers several standout sequences including visceral cross-cuts, bass-pounding revelations, and regularly convincing interior acoustics and ambience. LFE support is minimalistic but natural, granting vocal tones and violent outbursts the same attention. Rear speaker involvement is just as notable, creating a realistic soundfield that delivers precise directionality and transparent front-to-back pans. Even little details like the slight echo of the courthouse halls and the dampened dynamics of a holding cell have been carefully crafted in the soundscape. There are a few scenes in which an actor's voice sounds a bit muddled compared to other performers in the same space, but the discrepancy never becomes a persistent problem or a substantial distraction. For the most part, dialogue is crisp, intelligible, and nicely prioritized throughout the film.
While Primal Fear isn't the second-coming of catalog lossless tracks, I don't have any major complaints. Impressive, weighty, and realistic, Paramount's TrueHD offering should satisfy fans of the film and audiophiles alike.
The Blu-ray edition of Primal Fear includes all of the supplements set to appear on the concurrently-released Hard Evidence Edition DVD. While there aren't any extensive documentaries to get excited about, Paramount has encoded the disc's video content in high definition.
While some consider Primal Fear to be a one-trick pony -- the sort of flick that rests entirely on the impact of a single performance -- I find that it doesn't matter. Norton's work is so engrossing, so engaging, that the film's flaws are rendered inert. Regardless of how you feel about the film itself though, you'll likely be pleased with its Blu-ray release. While its video transfer has a few problems, its high definition visuals still offer a solid upgrade, its lossless audio track is impressive, and its supplemental package finally gives owners of the original barebones DVD some insight into the production. Anyone who hasn't seen Primal Fear should probably stick to renting it first, but fans shouldn't hesitate to drop some more cash on Norton's debut performance.
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