7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 2.8 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.3 |
On a long-distance train trip, a man finds romance but also finds himself in danger of being killed, or at least pushed off the train.
Starring: Gene Wilder, Jill Clayburgh, Richard Pryor, Patrick McGoohan, Ned BeattyRomance | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 2.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
It's something of a surprise that more films don't make use of trains as primary locations. Think of the symbolism, juxtaposition, and, while not endless possibilities, plenty of opportunity for action, suspense, and drama in confined conditions. The vehicle itself is something of a fascinating paradox. It's intimidating on the outside. It's huge, fast, heavy, and practically unstoppable once it gets moving. Contrast that to the inside. There, it's cramped, unwelcoming, and nearly inescapable. Its exterior symbolizes power and progress. Inside, it's a world of convenience, not luxury, of limitations, not freedom. Silver Streak does well in capitalizing on its primary delivery system, using the train not so much in interesting ways but certainly taking advantage of the various opportunities they afford a movie. It's speed, muscle, and close-quarters meets a classic whodunit style intermixed with a bit comic mayhem along the way. Brilliant cinema this is not, but Silver Streak at least rumbles forward as solid entertainment with only a few brief derailments along the way.
We really should be drinking the Silver Bullet while riding on the Silver Streak.
Silver Streak's high definition presentation isn't at all bad, but neither is it really all that impressive. The 1.85:1-framed transfer shows decent clarity and details. Facial textures are serviceably defined, and the train's metal exterior details and interior wooden panels look nice enough. The image appears a bit flat and certainly shows some age. Grain is rather heavy, and there's a bit of noise mixed in to go along with some general print wear, largely in the form of speckles and vertical lines. Colors are nether vibrant nor bland, showing basic hues nicely enough but not pushing a more realistic and varied palette. Black levels aren't awful; there's only a hint of murkiness to them. Flesh tones look slightly warm, generally. This budget Blu-ray won't dazzle fans or videophiles, but it delivers an adequate watching experience.
Silver Streak's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack never excels and never impresses. It has its moments of serviceability and subpar performance, and striving for mediocrity seems to be its ceiling. The track beings miserably, offering tinny sound effects and hollow dialogue. It does pick up a bit after the first few minutes, finding better balance across the stage and enhanced, but still disappointing, clarity and presence. Whether locomotive steam, the train whistle, or even the stock 1970s-style gunfire, there's simply an absence of precision, realism, and stage-filling authority. Fortunately, dialogue does find better focus, presence, and accuracy, leaving behind the muddled opening minutes in favor of what is at least a clear presentation. Despite the "5.1" encode, there's not any major surround use or even moody background ambience. For a dirt-cheap presentation, though, it's about as expected.
Silver Streak contains no extras, and no menu is included. The film begins playback immediately after disc insertion. The English SDH subtitles from previous Anchor Bay/Fox catalogue releases have been removed.
Silver Streak certainly doesn't reshape the cinema landscape, but it offers a decent little time-killing adventure with light comedy backing up a fairly standard whodunit murder mystery/conspiracy plot. The film enjoys quality direction and an excellent cast, notable as the first of several memorable pairings of Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. Anchor Bay's featureless Blu-ray release of a 20th Century Fox catalogue title delvers decent video and mediocre audio. Worth a rental or a purchase at a major discount.
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