4.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.2 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.8 |
Seven years after her brother's death, Samantha Darko finds herself stranded in a small desert town after her car breaks down where she is plagued by bizarre visions telling of the universe's end. As a result, she must face her own demons, and in doing so, save the world and herself.
Starring: Daveigh Chase, Briana Evigan, Ed Westwick, Elizabeth Berkley, Matthew Davis (I)Supernatural | 100% |
Teen | 88% |
Mystery | 81% |
Surreal | 47% |
Psychological thriller | 46% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
When Donnie Darko was originally released on DVD, the film sparked a firestorm of interest that nobody (including the production studio) had seen coming. Released to theaters in 2001 and blending a fantastic tale of time travel, loss and rejection; the original film received widespread critical acclaim and had the instant makings of a cult classic. Personally, I’ve seen Donnie Darko on more than 5 occasions since it’s release (theatrical and director’s cut) and consider it to be one of my 25 all-time favorite films. I know there are plenty of folks out there that despise the film (my wife being one of them), but every time I watch Richard Kelly’s creation, I’ve come away feeling one step closer to understanding the core of the story. I’ve always felt a film’s lasting appeal through multiple viewings is one of the greatest achievements in filmmaking, and Donnie Darko still stands as a perfect example.
Unfortunately, I’m not here to talk about Donnie Darko and you’re clearly reading this review with an interest in the 2009 sequel, S. Darko. It’s a dangerous game to make a sequel to an iconic film with a cult following; since you run the risk of alienating the fan base with a sub par film--and turning away the uninitiated that may stumble onto this release with zero knowledge of the original film. As a big fan of the first film, I approached this release with equal parts hesitation and excitement at the thought of continuing the intricately woven tale that began with Donnie Darko. Sadly, the results were not what I was hoping for.
Pondering the complexities of life...
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bit rate of 28Mbps), the visual quality of S. Darko is a bit underwhelming. As the film opens, I was immediately impressed with the intricate facial textures on Samantha's face and the beautifully rich colors as she slowly walks along a stream. Unfortunately, occasional softness soon crept into several of the daytime shots (at around the 21:30 mark in the film, you can see a noticeable drop in detail when the camera skips between shots of Corey, Randy and Sam). It seemed to get worse as the film went on, with some scenes looking highly detailed, and others appearing slightly muddled. Moving on, color saturation tends to exhibit excessive brightness in daytime shots and the monochromatic nature of the nighttime shots doesn't reveal much differentiation in tone. Having said that, I think both aspects are related to the directors' intentions and do not reflect a deficiency in the transfer. Along those same lines, there's a noticeable level of grain in several of the nighttime shots toward the end of the film. It's not bad or overly distracting, but it does create some background noise that may be off-putting to some viewers. Lastly, black levels offer subpar depth and lack the inky quality of the best Blu-ray transfers. As a result, the nighttime sequences don't possess enough contrast to reveal much shadow detail, which leads to a flat appearance at times.
I know this review of the transfer probably comes across sounding a little harsh next to the score I've given for the video quality, so I'd like to note that there are still a number of beautiful shots in the film (mostly during the daytime); but those interested in purchasing this title should know that the presentation is somewhat inconsistent in high-definition.
The primary audio offering on the disc is a 5.1 DTS-HD MA track in the native language of English. Unlike the inconsistent video quality, the audio experience on this Blu-ray should give fans plenty to be excited about. Anyone who's seen Donnie Darko will remember the creepy voice of the rabbit figure and delight in the inclusion of that voice on this film as well. I was caught off guard the first couple times I heard it on S. Darko, and could see some viewers scrambling to turn down the volume when the synthesized voice envelopes your room. Equally impressive, is a scene where there's a meteor shower within the town. Explosions can be heard from every direction, and spatial separation is spot-on. Music selection was one of the strengths of the original film and although I wish the filmmakers had done a better job with their choices for the sequel, at least the volume level is decently balanced with the dialogue and environmental effects.
Despite the strengths in the audio track, S. Darko is still hampered by it's low-budget roots and an occasional lack of intelligent sound design (which we'd expect if this was a big budget film). As it stands, the audio track is more than serviceable for a film of this nature, but won't be something you'll put in to demonstrate reference audio equipment.
Commentary Track (feature length): featuring director Chris Fisher, writer Nathan Atkins and cinematographer Marvin V. Rush, the commentary is reasonably informative, but tends to focus more on the construction of scenes and technical elements. Everyone acknowledges the difficulties in continuing the Darko story, and I'm presuming they focus on technical aspects in the commentary to draw focus away from a discussion of the shortcomings in the plot.
The Making of S. Darko (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 15:01 min.): This feature includes interviews with the filmmakers and actors involved in the film's production. There's considerable justification and explanation for the themes in S. Darko, which I found amusing but not entirely accurate after seeing the final product. In an odd move, the director admits to not knowing much about the Donnie Darko mythos, which should be of huge importance when making a sequel to a beloved film.
Utah Too Much (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 6:45 min.): Several actors from the film came up with a song during their time in Utah (while working on the film). A brief background is provided initially, followed by an actual performance of the song. To each their own, but I wasn't a fan...
Deleted Scenes (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 6:03 min.): Consisting of five deleted scenes and one alternate opening, this collection doesn't add anything of substance to improve my feelings about the film.
S. Darko isn't a miserable way to spend a couple of hours, but it's certainly frustrating. If you consider yourself a fan of Donnie Darko, you'll likely feel cheated by the lack of a cohesive plot and come away from the experience with resentment toward the creators of this sequel. In many ways it's like being sold tickets to an AC/DC cover band, and then finding out the band doesn't even know the words to the songs. I had hoped S. Darko would be handled by a group of creative individuals that understood the charm and intricacy of the original film, but it's clear that's not the case. Those of you who've never seen Donnie Darko should go rent that film instead, or take a leap of faith and blind purchase it.
2006
Remastered
2001
55th Anniversary
1968
35th Anniversary Edition
1983
2017
1980
2018
Includes Director's Cut
2019
2001
Unrated Director's Cut
2011
1987
2008
Unrated Director's Cut
2012
2009
2005
1973
Collector's Edition
2013
2017
Social Nightmare
2013
2005