6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A French journalist in Afghanistan is kidnapped by the Taliban.
Starring: Diane Kruger, Djimon Hounsou, Benoît Magimel, Denis Ménochet, Raphaël PersonnazAction | 100% |
War | 96% |
Foreign | 27% |
Drama | 16% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, French SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Stephane Rybojad's "Forces spéciales" a.k.a "Special Forces" (2011) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal. The supplemental features on the disc include a lengthy documentary feature; gallery of deleted scenes; and a short video interview with a French Marine. In French, English, and Persian, with optional English and French SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
A French sniper
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.38:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Stephane Rybojad's Special Forces arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal.
The high-definition transfer is very strong. Most close-ups convey tremendous depth, clarity is consistently pleasing even though a lot of the film was shot under vastly different conditions, and contrast levels consistent. The color-scheme favors rich yellows, light browns, blues, grays and blacks, none of which appear boosted. There was one specific sequence where I noticed light banding. However, I did not see any aliasing patterns to report in this review. Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern either. Finally, I did not spot any transfer anomalies affecting stability. All in all, fans of Special Forces will not be disappointed with the film's transition to Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (with portions of English and Persian). A separate French Descriptive Service track is also included. For the record, Studio Canal have provided optional English and French SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame. Also, there are no English subtitles for the English dialog.
The French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very aggressive. During a few of the shootouts it really feels like one is placed right in the middle of the action - the fronts and the surround channels are very effective. Xavier Berthelot's music also adds plenty of color to the film. The dialog is crisp, clean, and stable, and there are absolutely no balance or sync issues to report in this review. The English translation is very good.
I enjoyed the long documentary found in the supplemental features section of the Blu-ray disc a lot. It offers a fascinating glimpse into a world that remains an enigma for many of us. On the other hand, Stephane Rybojad's Special Forces is a flashy and predictable action film that looks a lot like something Hollywood would produce. RENT IT.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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