Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Traitor Blu-ray Movie Review

Can this thriller rise above its predictability?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 30, 2008

A man who is not afraid to die can never be defeated.

Traitor is one of those movies that features a great idea but only decent execution. That doesn't mean it's not an entertaining enough ride. This globe trekking political thriller plays out with a somewhat predictable flair with a couple of good ideas to keep it just fresh enough to make for an entertaining, but hardly thought-provoking, experience. Nevertheless, Traitor rewards audiences with a plot that plays as grittier, more dangerous, and easily more timely than fluffier, more audience-friendly race-against-time spy thrillers with clear-cut heroes and villains. Traitor tries to be more complex, and though it doesn't always achieve that end, the means by which it attempts to get there makes it at least moderately compelling. If for no other reason, Traitor is worth watching for its partial role reversal, placing a name actor in a lead role that is unconventional and surprising to say the least. Traitor favors the uninitiated viewer, and while it may hold some replay value as viewers search for clues as to its none-to-surprising twist, those with the least amount of knowledge as to the film's plot will be the most richly rewarded going in, so with that, anyone who will be seeing it for the first time may be best served by skipping to the technical section of this review.

Traitor: Incognito.

Don Cheadle (Reign Over Me) is Samir Horn, a former U.S. military operative and devout Muslim. Sent to the Middle East in the 1980s to train the Mujahideen rebels in their fight against the invading Soviet Union, Horn has since been linked to numerous terrorist activities and has caught the attention of FBI agents Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce, Memento) and Max Archer (Neal McDonough, Walking Tall). Horn is captured and questioned by the agents following a raid in Yemen, and the uncooperative suspect is subsequently imprisoned with another terrorist named Omar (Saïd Taghmaoui, Hidalgo). Omar soon escapes and brings Horn along. The pair begin devising various terror schemes the world over, culminating with a deadly attack on America's heartland. With Clayton and Archer in pursuit, Horn continues his deadly work, though this traitor may be more than even the FBI realizes.

Traitor is a movie that is hard to embrace but easy to enjoy. It is certainly unsettling, and quite different from its contemporaries, particularly during its first half before the revelation of an expected, but still a bit surprising, plot twist. What sells the movie is Don Cheadle's stalwart performance. Certainly, the script doesn't help the story along all that much. It's far too predictable with only a few elements of genuine suspense and danger, but Cheadle plays his challenging role close to the vest, almost leaving audiences convinced that the plot twist really isn't coming. In a way, it's almost a shame that it does, because the movie would have been much more daring and unique, but as it stands, such a bold maneuver would likely be met with harsh criticism for both Cheadle and the filmmakers. One certainly cannot blame them for taking the audience-friendly route, but the problem with Traitor, not to mention practically every movie ever made, is that never dares to defy convention. Even as just a slightly above-average political thriller, Traitor works well enough. It just could have been much better than it is.

Traitor Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Traitor infiltrates Blu-ray with a high quality 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The film features that bright, overblown, washed out look that so many newer films, particularly those dealing with the Middle East (like The Kingdom) seem to employ. Also like these other films, the look transfers well to Blu-ray. Some detail is washed out, but many shots exhibit an almost breathtaking level. Many of the unkempt, dirty exteriors of Yemen seen early in the film absolutely sparkle with lifelike translation on 1080p Blu-ray; worn doors, broken tile, cracked mortar, and chipped paint, all make for a pleasing, high quality watch that adds to the tension and gritty nature of the film. A sometimes non-too-subtle layer of grain also aids in creating the intended look. Close-up shots of actors also reveal an excellent level of detail and texture. Several overhead cityscape shots, for example one of Chicago in chapter nine, offers breathtaking clarity; the shot could not have looked any better if the viewer were flying overhead in real life. The darkest corners of various frames feature excellent blacks, though some of the film's darker scenes buzz with plenty of noise. All in all, Traitor is another fabulous looking disc from Starz.

Traitor Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Starz sends Traitor to Blu-ray with a quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is never over-the-top explosive nor finely tuned with the most subtle nuances pouring into the listening area, but it is more than sufficient where it needs to be. An explosion in the opening moments of the film just might scare listeners out of their seats; it packs a volatile punch that rattles the chest cavity and scatters the pets for good measure. Most of the film's bass is limited to a few select action sequences, but it delivers when called upon. An assault on the Yemeni prison camp in chapter seven offers excellent directional effects, real-sounding (and feeling) explosions, and an accompanying score that plays to excellent effect over the front with a bit of support from the back. Much of the movie is front- and dialogue-heavy, which is delivered naturally and cleanly from the center. There is not much in the way of rear-channel environmental support, though the front speakers carry a nice bit of outdoor atmospherics; blowing wind, chirping birds, and passing cars in the distance help to bring several scenes to life, though there is never a sense of total immersion. All told, the track is above average, but lacks the last bit of detail to take it over the top.

Traitor Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Traitor features several average extras. First up is a commentary track with writer/director Jeffrey Nachmanoff and actor Don Cheadle. The pair is affable and interesting, describing the origins of particular scenes, the look the film employs, filming locations, technical details behind the filmmaking process, and more. Both are well-versed and proud of their craft, and they make this commentary track one of the better available. Two featurettes are next. Action! (1080p, 4:39) looks at how action fits into the film with interview snippets and behind-the-scenes footage. International Espionage (1080p, 5:13) briefly examines the numerous filming locations. Also included is the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:11) and additional trailers for Henry Poole is Here, The Visitor, and Sleepwalking. The disc also features BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) functionality. At time of writing, only trailers for Traitor, The Visitor, and Mad Money were available. Disc two of this set contains a digital copy of the film. Unfortunately, it is not Mac compatible, a trend with recent Starz digital copies that will hopefully be remedied with future digital copies.

Traitor Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Traitor plays out a bit better than it should, thanks in large part Don Cheadle's first-class performance. The film suffers from predictability, though several scenarios play out well enough to veil the limited script. Once the film's big revelation is made known halfway through the film, Traitor loses steam and becomes a far-too-average thriller that is just good enough to keep audiences watching through to the end, but doesn't engage them in any way. As such, Traitor is a film worth watching, but at days end it's just another thriller, perhaps standing slightly taller than the competition. Starz presents Traitor on Blu-ray with an exceptional video transfer, a fine lossless soundtrack, and a couple of generic supplements. While Traitor might make a nice addition to a burgeoning Blu-ray library, it's limited replay value makes it better suited as a rental until the price comes down.