6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
When the DEA shut down its dummy corporation operation codenamed Swordfish in 1986, they had generated $400 million which they let sit around; fifteen years of compound interest has swelled it to $9.5 billion. A covert counter-terrorist unit called Black Cell, headed by the duplicitious and suave Gabriel Shear, wants the money to help finance their raise-the-stakes vengeance war against international terrorism, but it's all locked away behind super-encryption. He brings in convicted hacker Stanley Jobson, who only wants to see his daughter Holly again but can't afford the legal fees, to slice into the government mainframes and get the money.
Starring: John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Sam ShepardAction | 100% |
Thriller | 77% |
Crime | 48% |
Heist | 17% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Korean
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Audiences love happy endings.
If you told me that I had the option of watching a generic action movie I've seen a dozen times
before with one or two mystery "name" actors
versus a film that I knew next-to-nothing about going in except that it starred the likes of John
Travolta (Hairspray), Hugh
Jackman (The
Presitige), Halle Berry (X-Men: The Last Stand), Don Cheadle (Reign Over Me), Sam Shepard (Black Hawk Down), and Vinnie Jones (The Condemned), I'd
choose the latter every single time in search of something new and fresh, not to mention seeing
what this conglomerate can do together. One film actually does star this sextet of some of
Hollywood's
finest, and that film is 2001's Swordfish, directed by Dominic Sena (Gone In 60
Seconds).
Like First Knight,
this is a film I'd screened before but my recollection was virtually nil; that the film starred
Travolta and involved some kind of bank robbery were the only memories I could recall as I sat
down to again watch the film, this time in glorious Blu-ray high definition (well, the video
anyway).
I like totally ripped this device off from Dennis Hopper's character in 'Speed.'
Presented in 1080p high definition and framed at 2.40:1, Swordfish is certainly a nice film to look at from a visual perspective. Despite the somewhat artistic look and feel (just about every scene is bathed in unnatural light, giving off either a golden or greenish tint), the image retains a very high level of depth and detail sure to satisfy fans of the film looking for a mostly sharp and clear image, one that is definitely a boost in quality over previous home video versions of the film. The distinct sepia-tone look of the film boasts strong color reproduction of a mostly grain-free image. The look of the film gives us not necessarily a theatrical appearance but rather a "lived-in" look that, save for the awkward use of artistic license with the tint, appears natural and deep. Several shots do appear to be overly soft, but these occurrences don't appear very often, and they provide the most glaring flaw in the transfer. Black levels are spot-on, deep and pure, and detail in darker scenes stands out wonderfully. Detail is impressively high throughout, no matter the lighting scheme. Check out a scene in chapter 13 where Stanley is wearing a corduroy sports coat; every line, seam, and stitch is plainly visible, especially in close-up, static shots. I was impressed by the detail evident in backgrounds as well. A few early shots in the film where we see some pavement with wet patches here and there looked marvelously real, and you almost feel as if you could get off the couch, walk into the television, and jump in the puddles. Even the sheen and polish of several of the automobiles in the movie is evident and clear. This is a very good image, and although the quality has been far surpassed over the last year and a half since this film's initial release on Blu-ray, it looks excellent for a catalogue title.
If any of the early Warner Brothers' titles that lacks a high-definition lossless audio option screams to have one, this is it. The sound design for the film is robust, active, and engaging, but the limits of the Dolby Digital mix become apparent in several scenes. The first thing I noted, beginning with the dialogue and then about the track as a whole, was a slightly lower volume level than I am used to. I had to crank my receiver up a notch or two to feel like I was getting the entire impact of the proceedings right from the get-go. Even some up-tempo music heard throughout the film, at times, sounded reserved, a bit shy, seemingly afraid to come out of hiding and shine. Later on, at the same location, the music seems to have undergone some metamorphosis because all of a sudden, it's as loud, clear, and boisterous as if you were in the middle of that club. The ubiquitous car chase sequence, found in chapter 18, about an hour into the movie, proves to be first real action piece since the beginning, and the best sonic experience of the film, surpassing even the ending. This sequence features more hip, up-tempo music that works the subwoofer hard. Ear-shattering effects, loads of gunfire, and the incessant squealing of tires creates a cornucopia of action bliss, the impact of the bullets slicing through the sheet metal of several vehicles probably my favorite effect of the sequence. The rat-a-tat reverberations of the M249 SAW fired by Gabriel is also a highlight; while not as defined and frightening as some machine gun fire I've heard, held back a bit by the lossy nature of the mix, it proved to be a fun experience nevertheless. For a Dolby Digital mix, this is a very good one. As usual, I must reduce the score by a full point for failing to provide a high-definition sound option on a high- definition medium.
Swordfish hits Blu-ray with a very average set of supplements. Think of the most basic
"special edition" you've ever seen hit home video, and Swordfish probably contains that
same serving of supplements. Leading things off is a commentary track with director Dominic
Sena.
He's definitely chatty, and I found it rather funny that his first noticeable pause for other than a
breath occurs just when Gabriel says something about "short-sighted directing." Sena is nothing
if not detailed,
recounting
numerous stories from the set and providing a plethora of anecdotes detailing almost every
process
of the creation of the film. It's hard sitting through a commentary track for a dull movie, but
Sena
makes the task tolerable, listening to him proving to be a bit more engaging than the movie
itself.
HBO First Look: 'Swordfish' (480p, 15:01) screams "generic," a prototypical
behind-the-scenes piece designed to make audiences want to see this film, an extended preview
of sorts that
intercuts interviews with the cast and crew with clips from the movie. Effects In Focus: 'The
Flying Bus' (480p, 8:13) takes audiences behind-the-scenes for the making of this crucial
sequence. Swordfish: In Conversation (480p, 12:46) features clips of actors Hugh
Jackman, John Travolta, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Sam Shepard, director Dominic Sena, and
producer Joel Silver discussing various aspects of the film. Two alternate endings with optional
commentary by director Dominic Sena (480p, 3:47 and 2:07), a music video by Paul Oakenfold
entitled Planet Rock Club Reel (480p, 4:10), and the theatrical trailer for
Swordfish (480p, 2:11) conclude the extra materials.
Swordfish may very well appeal to a wide array of movie fans, and probably rightfully so. The film features several A-list stars, a rocking soundtrack, action, and an intriguing, if somewhat badly executed, story line. Unfortunately, the end product doesn't quite manage to come together to create a unique, fascinating action thriller, but rather a forgettable, dull, and lifeless film, one that has all the elements thrown into the grinder and whatever is churned out seems to be what appears in the final cut of the film. This Blu-ray edition of Swordfish is mostly tasty -- it sports fine video quality, a "good enough" last-generation Dolby Digital soundtrack, and an average set of extras. However, even fans of the film may be hard-pressed to add this to their collection if they already own the DVD version, as the only real improvement is in the 1080p video, and with all of the great Blu-ray titles out there, putting Swordfish on the top of your "to buy" list only makes sense if the movie is offered at a heavy discount. Definitely a Blu-ray to take a pass on for everyone but the most dedicated fans of the movie or the Blu-ray format.
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