4.2 | / 10 |
Users | 3.3 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A computer hacker breaks into the computer system of the Seabourn Legend cruise liner and sets it speeding on a collision course into a gigantic oil tanker.
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Jason Patric, Willem Dafoe, Temuera Morrison, Brian McCardieThriller | 100% |
Action | 73% |
Crime | 37% |
Romance | 31% |
Adventure | 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)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 2.0
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
German: DTS 5.1
Italian: DTS 5.1
Russian: DTS 5.1
Hungarian: Dolby Digital 2.0
Thai: Dolby Digital 2.0
Turkish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Spanish 2.0=Latin / 5.1=Castellano
English SDH, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Hungarian, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Russian, Swedish, Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Speed was a defining Action picture of the 1990s, a slicker, more kinetic and forward-moving (literally) film compared to its musclebound sheer-force predecessor genre pictures of the 1980s. The film's massive success all but guaranteed a follow-up, but in this case, the same **** doesn't happen to the same guy twice. Speed star Keanu Reeves is conveniently, and mind-numbingly, written out of the sequel, replaced by Jason Patric who delivers a stiff and stilted performance as both action hero and fresh love interest for the returning Sandra Bullock, who is herself easily replaceable and the only real connective tissue after the title card to the original film. Drop Speed from the title and even keep Bullock in the movie with a name change and Cruise Control might have earned better reviews. Slightly better, anyway.
Speed 2: Cruise Control generally looks respectable enough, peaking at "fine" and bottoming out at "OK." The picture is a bit flat on the whole and grain distribution varies form scene to scene, appearing pleasantly natural here and more or less gone there. The picture passes for filmic, generally, and details don't appear to be wiped away; they're simply rather dull. Close-ups do show commendably complex facial features, but there's nothing particularly striking about how the Blu-ray showcases the various corners of the ship, whether resplendent dining rooms, small cabins, the bridge, the engine room, the deck, or cramped corridors. It's a surprisingly bland looking movie on the whole, a shame given the setting and the final act destination. Colors push a little warm, most obvious in flesh tones. But contrast, dialed up slightly, is fine and there's good health and vitality to various tones. Black levels in low light interiors or nighttime exteriors hold up well enough. A few speckles pop up here and there but the picture suffers from no serious encode faults. Verdict: could be a bit better, could be a lot worse.
There's no timidity, no hesitation, no reservation when it comes to Speed 2's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. From the opening title card and the motorcycle chase to follow, listeners know they are in for a high octane, adrenaline fueled sonic experience. The track is prodigiously large at reference volume. It's intense and holds detail even in its most insane moments where sound is thrown around in every speaker and the subwoofer accompanies with weighty output. Additional action scenes on the boat deliver, too, including during the takeover where various pops and explosions and chaotic results and responses pull the listener into the panicked din. More generalized action movie fare, such as gunfire and basic crashes and thuds, likewise hold serve and then some. Every speaker is engaged regularly and fully. This is not to say the track is perfect. It emphasizes size over absolute finesse, but it's nearly capable of fully finding that perfect finesse balance between the two. Music soars, too, blasting through the stage with aggressive push through the fronts and delivering healthy surround engagement. Dialogue is generally well prioritized, but there are a few moments -- the initial ship's evacuation in the rain in chapter 13 -- where it tends to compete with, rather than play atop, sound effects and music. This is probably the weakest sonic sequence in the movie; there's too much going on and the track can't quite find balance to any one section. But it's a blip on the radar of an otherwise fun and engaging track.
20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release of Speed 2: Cruise Control includes a making-of and trailers. No DVD or digital copies are included. This
release does not ship with a slipcover.
Terms like "worst sequel of all time" have been bandied about in regards to Speed 2: Cruise Control. It's not that bad. It's awful as a sequel to one of the 90's best Action movies, yes, but rebranding and removing it from contention with its superior sibling might have worked in the movie's favor. It's a passable Action film that does come up lacking in everything from energy to narrative creativity, not to mention stale action scenes and flat characters, but there are far worse ways to spend two hours in front of a screen. 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray delivers solid enough video and high energy audio. Supplements are limited to a vintage HBO special and a couple of trailers. For the current asking price of around $5, there's no reason not to click and order. Recommended at that price point.
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