6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
Galactic wars of the near-future are fought by soldiers trained as merciless, obedient warriors. But times change. New bioengineered combatants make veterans like Sgt. Todd obsolete. But don’t expect to toss Todd on the scrap heap without a fight.
Starring: Kurt Russell, Jason Scott Lee, Connie Nielsen, Michael Chiklis, Jason IsaacsAction | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 46% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Paul W.S. Anderson, not to be confused with There Will Be Blood auteur Paul Thomas Anderson, hasn't had an easy time with critics or moviegoers. Mortal Kombat was already a guilty pleasure in 1995; today it's little more than a nostalgic reminder of how low the bar for videogame adaptations was once set. Event Horizon, released in 1997, remains Anderson's best film to date (and a personal favorite), despite its own share of issues. Resident Evil is a fun little diversion, so long as you're willing to overlook its casting mistakes, missed opportunities and departures from the videogame series that spawned it. Aliens vs. Predator doesn't do justice to either beastie, and only serves to put a bullet in the heads of two already ailing franchises. Death Race is a blast of adrenaline and motor oil, but won't exactly convince naysayers that studios should continue tossing millions into Anderson's lap. And Resident Evil: Afterlife? Whew. Don't even get me started. And those are just the films Anderson directed. As a producer, he's also been responsible for Resident Evil: Apocalypse, The Dark, DOA: Dead or Alive, Resident Evil: Extinction, Pandorum and Death Race 2, none of which have united the masses.
But I'm not interested in dousing the Anderson effigy with more fuel. Each of his films have their fans and, to some extent, almost every one is a success on its own terms. Anderson has a particular penchant for pandering to an enthusiastic subset of eager genre junkies with every project he touches. Even Soldier -- an almost universally reviled and critically panned flop -- has assembled a small but stalwart legion of followers; a diligent, if not apologetic pack of Big Dumb Fun connoisseurs who, even now, are anxiously awaiting the moment they get to see Kurt Russell gouge out Jason Scott Lee's eye in high definition.
Out with the old...
If nothing else, Soldier looks the part. Warner's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer isn't without its flaws -- some digital manipulation and smearing is apparent from time to time -- but the film has never looked better. (Frankly, I doubt it will ever look much better either.) David Tattersall's colorful dystopian palette is rich and vibrant, not to mention the highpoint of the presentation, and skintones are warm, lifelike and naturally saturated throughout (barring a few overcooked closeups). Contrast is strong and stable as well, and black levels are deep and inky (a bit too inky in fact). Moreover, detail is noticeably, at-times startlingly improved from previous releases. Fine textures are more refined and rewarding, edge definition is sharper and more precisely rendered, delineation is more revealing, and ringing, though still apparent on occasion, isn't nearly as severe or distracting. Soft shots abound and clarity takes a hit whenever visual effects come into play, sure. But the film's source and photography are almost always the cause. As to the aforementioned noise reduction, several scenes exhibit an undeniable degree of waxiness, although how pervasive or serious the DNR may be is never quite clear. Thankfully, artifacting, banding, aliasing, compression anomalies and aberrant noise aren't an issue. Fans of the film won't have much to complain about.
It's Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that takes point, though. While certainly big, dumb and fun, it's also bold, aggressive and commanding; a deliberately unruly action mix that revels in bullets, rockets and, above all, 'splosions heaped on glorious 'splosions. Low-end output isn't exactly nuanced, but it is bombastic, sinking its teeth into every crumbling building, throaty war machine, weapon discharge, howling planetary storm, shuttle engine and snarling fireball. Not to be outdone, the rear speakers give the LFE channel a run for its money. Directionality isn't as convincing as it could be, but throwing knives, ricochets, bursts of flame and scattering debris litter the already immersive soundfield; pans aren't subtle, but they are smooth; dynamics aren't breathtaking, but they are impressive. Make no mistake, Soldier has two modes: loud and louder. Yes, dialogue suffers on occasion and Joel McNeely's score is sometimes buried in the chaos. However, voices are generally intelligible and reasonably well-prioritized, effects are clean and clear, and McNeely's music holds its own, even when the film's sound design pays it little mind. All things considered, Soldier makes the most of its first lossless mission.
The only significant special feature that accompanies Soldier is a dry but comprehensive audio commentary with director Paul W.S. Anderson, co-producer Jeremy Bolt and actor Jason Isaacs. For the most part, Anderson and Bolt dominate the conversation, doling out plenty of production details and stories from the shoot, although they rarely address the film's chilly reception. A theatrical trailer is included as well, and it shouldn't be missed. It's the funniest thing I've watched in weeks.
Soldier isn't Paul W.S. Anderson's finest hour. Derivative, shallow and overblown, it's a functional genre pic at best, a subpar sci-fi schlock-fest at worst. I'm sure it has its fans -- every film does, after all -- but it doesn't give them much to go on. Warner's Blu-ray edition is at least more respectable. The film's vivid video transfer rarely falters (even though some minor DNR sullies several shots), its DTS-HD Master Audio track hits the ground guns blazing (and never relents), and its slim supplemental package is the only real disappointment to be had. If you have any love for Soldier, adding this one to your cart is a no-brainer.
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