6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
A young inductee into the military is given the task of looking after some chimpanzees used in the mysterious "Project X". Getting to know the chimps fairly well, he begins to suspect there is more to the secret project than he is being told.
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Helen Hunt, William Sadler, Johnny Ray McGhee, Jonathan Stark (I)Thriller | Insignificant |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
How many do we have to kill?
They say war is hell, but what do they say about simulating war? Tactics and trends, testing new gear, devising new strategies, pushing equipment to
the limit, physically and emotionally preparing men for battle in the relative safety of the military compound, and training them for any situation or
terrain are all necessary steps in the creation and retention of a strong military structure, but where must the line be drawn? Certainly nobody would
stand for human beings being used as living targets or test subjects for radiation tolerance, lethal or otherwise. But where man may not be used, can
animals be placed in his stead? 1987's Project X is one such story of chimps -- creatures accepted as the closest thing to humans in the
animal kingdom -- used as military test subjects, trained in flight simulation and, when prepared for the task, irradiated to study the equivalent
endurance of a human pilot to carry out his or her mission in the wake of exposure to a nuclear blast. The movie plays as more cute and cuddly that it
does dramatically serious, with the obligatory "awwww..." moments overwhelming the themes and thought-provoking tale of animals unwittingly led
to their demise, though certainly not for zero purpose. It should come as no surprise as to which side the film champions, so is Director Jonathan
Kaplan's (Unlawful Entry) picture worth the effort for a known outcome?
Awwwww...
Project X makes its Blu-ray debut with a steady and unassuming 1080p, 1.85:1-framed image. Anchor Bay's transfer is, generally, technically proficient; pops, a few scratches, and a handful of stray vertical lines appear, but are the extent of print damage. A fine-to-moderate layer of grain remains, though the film looks a bit pasty and flat. Fine detail never excels, but largely never disappoints, either. Facial textures appear rather flat, as do building façades, grasses, and the equipment in the flight simulation and chimp housing areas, but clothing textures, chimp fur, and other assorted elements look fine. Colors are steady, a touch dull and washed out, maybe, certainly never striking, but never totally flat. Flesh tones appear neutral, and black levels are stable, if not home to a bit of noise. This is a fairly routine, low-effort catalogue transfer, but the end result isn't too shabby.
This Blu-ray release of Project X features a steady Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music presentation is fair, delivering adequately clear notes, a rather strong and balanced low end, and a sufficient sense of space, including a noticeable but not overwhelming surround support element. The exception is the pop song that plays over the opening titles; it emphasizes the surround channels to the point that the fronts are lost and both vocals and music emanating from the back end of the stage dominate the presentation. Nevertheless, such is only an issue in that isolated incident. The rest of the track enjoys natural balance that keeps primary elements up front and support and ambience in the back. A few directional effects are implemented to good, seamless effect. The chimp housing area comes alive with screeching chimps in several scenes, playing with suitable clarity and immersion. Minor ambience is nicely handled, and dialogue remains clear and focused in the center channel. All told, this is a good track, particularly considering it supports a rather generic low-to-mid-profile catalogue release.
Project X contains four supplemental features.
Project X is largely representative of a feel-good 1980s movie. It's very superficial and accommodating to all audiences. The material is simple and made to appeal to its audiences' core tenderness and good nature. That's all well and good, but the movie's failure to more deeply explore animal rights, animal intelligence, and man's dominance over the animal kingdom outside of a vacuum designed to pull at the heartstrings rather than ask tough questions all make for good, light filmmaking, but the end product is hardly useful in the service of any other purpose. Still, the movie is well made and certainly not a chore to watch; it just could have been so much more without too much additional effort. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Project X features decent video and audio to go along with a few extras. This disc is definitely worth a rental, and diehard fans should feel comfortable with a purchase.
2022
2013
1995
2002
1995
1973
2006
1994
2015
1977
2008
2001
2015
2014
1994
2018
2015
2000
2015
1986