5.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.2 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
For U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko, things are about to get even more dangerous. The only law enforcement in this unforgiving territory, she has just been sent to investigate a body on the ice. Antarctica's first homicide. A shocking discovery in itself, it will plunge her into an even more bizarre mystery and the revelation of secrets long-buried under the endless ice--secrets that someone believes are still worth killing for. As Stetko races to find the killer before he finds her, winter is already closing in. In the deadly Antarctic whiteout, she won't see him till he's a breath away.
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Columbus Short, Alex O'Loughlin, Shawn DoyleThriller | 100% |
Action | 74% |
Crime | 25% |
Mystery | 15% |
Comic book | 1% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
What would The Thing be without John Carpenter's shape-shifting monstrosity? 30 Days of Night without Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith's ravenous blood-suckers? Alien vs. Predator without its interstellar beasties? For that matter, what would any Antarctic thriller be without its chills and thrills? Unfortunately, a lot like Whiteout, director Dominic Sena's tedious, derivative adaptation of writer Greg Rucka and artist Steve Lieber's Eisner-nominated comicbook limited series. Trapped in development hell for seven years -- surviving multiple cast changes and countless rewrites from 1999 to 2006 -- the project finally began filming in early 2007... only to have its theatrical release delayed to September of 2009. Honestly, the studio should have buried it deeper. As watery as it is nonsensical, as monotonous as it is convoluted, the oft-delayed film lacks the punch, prowess, and inventiveness it so desperately needs.
Apparently every U.S. Marshal stationed in Antarctica is issued a makeup artist and hairstylist...
Whiteout arrives on Blu-ray with a surprisingly inconsistent 1080p/VC-1 transfer. While I was prepared to deal with low-visibility shots and wavering detail -- after all, Sena's thriller was shot in exceedingly harsh conditions -- many of the film's interior scenes, none of which have to contend with swirling blizzards or inadequate lighting, suffer from soft faces, mediocre texture clarity and poor delineation. It's downright strange. Watch closely whenever two characters have a conversation. One actor's closeup will be crisp and lifelike, the stuff of high definition goodness, the other actor's closeup will be murky and indistinct, as if his pores have been scrubbed from his cheeks. Worse still, while colors remain strong (reds boast a particularly satisfying primary punch) and blacks are quite deep, contrast tends to surge and lull, transforming white snow storms into gray whirlwinds and bright labs into dim spaces. Grain comes and goes as well. The film's opening and Carrie's flashbacks are sharp and refined, but other scenes resemble DNR disasters. On a more positive note, artifacting, aliasing, banding and other anomalies are kept to a minimum, and edge enhancement, though apparent at times, never becomes a serious distraction. Still, its transfer is merely a passable one; hardly the polished presentation genre fans will expect.
Thankfully, Warner's bustling Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track is much better. Dialogue has a few issues -- lines in the center channel are occasionally muffled -- but overall prioritization is spot on and the vast majority of conversations sound as weighty and commanding as they should. LFE output is noteworthy as well, lending roaring blizzards, rumbling arctic plows, and John Frizzell's overcooked score genuine power and presence. Moreover, howling winds whip from channel to channel and scattering snow realistically skitters across the soundfield. The rear speakers are as aggressive and involving as they come, handily enveloping the listener and creating a memorable sonic experience. Not to be outdone, interior acoustics are convincing, pans are smooth, and directionality, though a tad artificial at times, is notably precise for a genre pic of Whiteout's ilk. I'd take the time to complain about the film's what oh what is going to happen next? sound design, but it's frankly beside the point. Warner's technical efforts are commendable and the track should be judged accordingly.
Sigh. The Blu-ray edition of Whiteout doesn't have a lot of supplemental staying power either. "The Coldest Thriller Ever" (HD, 12 minutes) finds the cast and crew struggling to deal with some very challenging elements, "From Page to Screen" (HD, 12 minutes) examines writer Greg Rucka and artist Steve Lieber's original graphic novel, and the disc's two "Deleted Scenes" (SD, 4 minutes) contribute very little to the story or the experience. A filmmakers' commentary or a scene by scene dissection with Rucka and Lieber would have gone a long way.
Without reading Rucka and Lieber's original comic miniseries, I can't comment on Whiteout's faithfulness as an adaptation. I can only hope the graphic novel is more intense, less derivative, and more engrossing than Sena's underwhelming, uneventful, poorly paced thriller. The Blu-ray edition doesn't help matters, serving up an excellent TrueHD audio track alongside a scattershot video transfer and a nearly non-existent supplemental package. If you absolutely must see Whiteout, stick with a rental. Anything more would be a waste of your hard-earned cash.
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