State of Play Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

State of Play Blu-ray Movie Review

Mill Creek has released the 2009 film 'State of Play,' featuring an all-star cast of Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, and Jeff Daniels, to Blu-ray. At time of writing, this Mill Creek edition shares a disc with 'Black Sea,' and together they form the two-film bundle celebrating the directorial work of Kevin MacDonald. This release includes some of the extras found on the original 2009 Universal release. The picture quality suffers next to the Universal disc, but the audio presentation appears to compare favorably to the Universal disc. Do note that I did not review, nor do I have access to, the 2009 disc, so that observation stems from perusing Kenneth Brown's original review and examining screenshots.

State of Play Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Unlike Black Sea, this Mill Creek Blu-ray release of State of Play does not appear to favorably compare to the original Universal issue. Indeed, it is clearly a little more problematic in terms of compression issues than was Black Sea, which I reviewed first simply because it is the first title listed on the menu screen. But even when some backgrounds look a bit unwieldy with various macroblocking issues, viewers will certainly note that the core digital stability holds up nicely enough here, offering solid, if not a bit underwhelming, textural accuracy. Look at a phone conversation at the 24:50 mark. Neither end of the conversation appears all that sharp, and details seem to just settle for reaching near, rather than full, 1080p potential. Those back and forth shots also stand as a couple of good examples of the compression and noise issues that are prevalent throughout the film. The picture always reaches an acceptable level of fine detail but never achieves the high state of absolute crispness that Kenneth Brown reported for the Universal disc. The compression issues are just too much: not too severe to stand at the eyesore level, but just enough to drag the picture down a good bit. Colors are favorable for the film's mood. Colors often seem pushed hard one way or another, with temperature fluctuations apparent depending on mood or location. The warmer shots appear slightly oversaturated, and black levels teeter on crush at times. Skin tones appear consistent with location and lighting parameters. This is an MPEG-4 image as opposed to the Universal disc's VC-1 presentation, but even so it would appear that the old Universal disc is the clear winner.

State of Play Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is very good. Imaging and fidelity appear strong as the track spreads through the stage with fine positional management and natural depth. Ambient effects nicely envelop the listener in various locales and in numerous situational circumstances, bringing a variety of room filling flavor to the proceedings. Whither inside or out, whether natural ambience or more densely populated environmental elements, the track always offers superior positioning characteristics. Musical stretch and depth are very nicely balanced, and clarity is strong. The film is primarily dialogue driven, and the spoken word is clear and refined with good prioritization and natural front-center positioning.

State of Play Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of State of Play contains two of the core extras found on the Universal disc, but it is missing the bulk of the meatiest content that was presented in the studio's then-popular "U-Control" functionality. The extras are found under a generic "bonus" tab on the double feature main menu screen where extras for both films appear on the same screen, but under their respective titles. As it ships in this double feature set, no DVD or digital copies are included. No slipcover is included, either.

• Deleted Scenes
• The Making of State of Play

State of Play Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kenneth Brown concluded that State of Play "is a stirring, at-times thrilling exploration of the shift of modern media power, the precarious relationship between politicians and journalists, and attempts from both camps to manipulate and color the truth." He notes a few flaws but walked away impressed. Mill Creek's Blu-ray does not compare favorably with the superior Universal issue. Video is left wanting and this release subtracts the extras from the U-Control functionality. However, the audio track remains a solid presentation. It's good enough as a bonus alongside Black Sea, but fans who want State of Play in the best possible configuration will need to opt for the standalone Universal issue.