Blu-ray Review: The Karate Kid (2010)

As far as remakes go, Karate Kid is a more appealing proposition than many. The original is a childhood favourite of many, sure, but few would claim that it is truly classic. The story is pure archetype: the sports movie where the underdog comes good. It’s Rocky with a kid (and a different ending). It may be formula, but it works, managing to be, at its best, quite rousing. That’s thanks in no small part to the lead actors, Jaden ‘son of Will’ Smith (who made quite a name for himself co-starring with his dad in The Pursuit of Happyness) and Jackie Chan, who make an appealing pair. The story is transplanted from America to China, adding an extra level of alienation and isolation to Jaden’s Dre Parker, upping the emotional stakes when he starts getting picked on by bullies whose language he can’t even understand.

Director Harald Zwart certainly takes his time in laying the groundwork. The film itself is a lengthy 140 minutes. Dre’s mentoring by Chan’s Mr Han only begins properly about an hour into the film, with a new variation on “wax on, wax off”. Even once that begins, though, there’s little emphasis on the martial arts stuff, barring a couple of picture-postcard montages. Zwart instead focuses on the relationship between the two, Mr Han coming to take the place of Dre’s absent father, alongside Dre’s school and language barrier troubles. It’s involving with a nicely judged tone – just serious enough, without neglecting some moments of humour (especially where Chan is involved). However, it does feel like it takes rather too long to get to where it’s going; this is the sort of film that really should have a 2-hour maximum length. There’s some depth and character development, but not enough plot complexity to justify anything longer, especially a story as predictable as this.

At times it just feels padded, often with touristy shots of China that look like they’re paid for by the national tourist board. China is mostly shown in a ridiculously idyllic light, which slightly robs the film of a certain realism and grittiness that it may have benefited from. And yes, it’s yet another one of those Hollywood films set in China that absolutely must feature the Great Wall, despite its inclusion being inexplicable. As an advert for the country, though, it’s certainly a pretty effective one: it looks stunning, and the setting really works for the story. Unfortunately, it renders the title nonsensical: karate is a Japanese martial art; Dre is actually taught kung fu in the film (and he even admonishes his mother in the film for calling it karate). Would The Kung Fu Kid have been such a bad title?



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: Free / Version: N/A / Discs: 1 / Distributor: Sony

Presentation
Karate Kid has the ultra-saturated, high-contrast look of some modern movies, which doesn't make for a particularly natural looking image but it is certainly striking, giving your TV a workout. Sharpness and detail are both at the very high end. Sony, as you would expect, know how to give an effective HD presentation. Not a whole lot to say on the sound side of the equation - as good as you would expect from Blu-ray audio.

Extras
A functional if unexceptional array of extras includes a few featurettes, a production diary, an alternate ending (Jackie Chan gets a bit of an action scene, which is fun, but it is superfluous so was rightly cut), and an interactive map of China, from which you can watch behind the scenes footage at each principal location. The Wu Dang Mountains are particularly stunning.



Summary
An enjoyable, well-made but wholly predictable and overlong underdog tale, The Karate Kid - dodgy title and all – is worth a watch, mainly for Jackie Chan in a fairly low-key role and Jaden Smith moving further along the road to stardom.

Cinema Review: Anonymous (2011)

Shakespeare directed by Roland Emmerich: it sounds like a punchline to a joke, or one of those fake comedy trailers in films like Tropic Thunder. But this one is actually real. Yes, Roland Emmerich, the demigod of destruction, the lord of loud, the man who strikes fear into national monuments the world over, has made a film about William Shakespeare, set in Elizabethan London. Ironically it’s the (undeserved) success of his previous thudding movie apocalypse, 2012, that granted the German director the freedom to make a smaller passion project. Anonymous is the unexpected result, but, typically, it’s no shy, retiring period drama. It has made some waves – though not in the usual Emmerichian tsunami sense of the word – due to its subject matter (amongst the critical community at least; its box office performance has so far been meagre). Anonymous feeds off the faintly ludicrous conspiracy theory that Shakespeare did not write his famous work. According to the film, Shakespeare was in fact a jobbing, mediocre actor who had never even put pen to paper; the real writer of the plays was Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, who could not claim authorship of the works due to the fact that plays were deemed beneath the station of a nobleman and also potentially seditious.

Emmerich realises that the notion does not in itself constitute a story for a film, so he embeds his thesis within a framework of political skulduggery involving Queen Elizabeth I and her many courtiers and officials. There are accordingly many scenes in darkly lit rooms featuring (mostly bearded) men plotting or arguing, but all the intrigue gets confusing as names and titles fly about with reckless abandon. Further complicating matters is the non-linear structure, jumping about rather haphazardly between four time periods (if you include the pretentious modern day bookends with a preachy Derek Jacobi). Such convolution never seems strictly necessary, just managing to further muddy a narrative that lacks a clear dramatic through-line. Nevertheless, the time jumps do keep things interesting and the brain engaged, even if the questions that arise are sometimes of the ‘who’s this guy again?’ variety, rather than due to any seductive mysteries thrown up by the screenplay.

Fortunately there are numerous redeeming qualities that elevate this well above the director’s last two misfires (10,000 BC and 2012). There are some standouts in the cast. Top of the list is Rhys Ifans, who is nigh-unrecognisable (give his previous roles) as the ‘real’ Shakespeare, Edward. Whether it’s striding through the dark hallways of London or fencing in his hedge maze, he looks perfectly at home and really captures the gravitas and authority of a powerful man in Tudor times. Rafe Spall is entertainingly buffoonish as the semi-illiterate Will Shakespeare, while Sebastian Armesto as playwright Ben Johnson – arguably the film’s protagonist – is likeable, but sports a rather broad accent that sounds odd. A bit of novelty casting in having mother and daughter Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson play Elizabeth I at different ages pays off superbly – in fact the Queen is one of the few characters whose facial features plausibly age according to the time period, given the actors’ obvious resemblance. Another is David Thewlis, who plays middle and old age with equal command, succumbing to not a bit of overacting or implausible make-up to add the years onto him. This only scratches the surface of the film’s lengthy dramatis personae, indicating some of the difficulties in remembering names and motivations.

The visual recreation of Elizabethan London is outstanding in its detail and apparent authenticity, handily surpassing the likes of Shakespeare in Love in realism and Elizabeth in terms of scope – Emmerich has clearly been rewarded with a healthy budget for his efforts and the expenditure is plain to see in the intricate sets and impressive CG vistas. The recreation of Shakespeare’s plays is also exemplary – indeed, the glimpses of performances are undoubtedly the highlights of the whole film, so much so you sometimes wish Emmerich had just made Henry V (seriously). The experience of being in the Globe Theatre with all its noise and liveliness, and people crammed in so close they can smell the actors’ feet, is captured brilliantly, as is the power these plays must have had over the populace. It brings Shakespeare to life in a way that no soporific English Literature lesson ever could.



Summary
Roland Emmerich never quite wrestles control of his unruly narrative structure, but Anonymous offers enough intrigue and spice to keep you engaged. Just take it all with a pinch of salt.

Cinema Review: The Adventures of Tintin - The Secret of the Unicorn (2011)

It’s easy to forget the simple joys of a well-made opening credits sequence. Steven Spielberg’s first film for three years begins by resurrecting this quickly evaporating cinema staple. Refusing to copy the current trend of jumping straight into the action without even so much as a title card, Tintin opens with a carefully crafted sequence, where stylised 2D figures act out a sort of Greatest Hits of Tintin’s adventures. There are hints of the legendary Saul Bass, as well as Spielberg’s own Catch Me If You Can. This is Spielberg indicating he has more faith in modern attention spans than some of the newer breed of directors, content to let the credits gently ease you into the world and atmosphere of the film. Maestro John Williams – also working for the first time since the director’s last effort, the fourth Indiana Jones - may not provide the sort of rousing, instantly memorable march the likes of which made him famous, but he does leave his indelible musical stamp, unmistakable amidst the sea of Hans Zimmer clones who score everything else these days.

Indeed, the term ‘old-fashioned’ comes to mind a lot while watching Tintin, which is slightly paradoxical in that Spielberg is using the most modern and cutting edge of filming techniques to tell his story – namely, 3D performance capture. But it’s old-fashioned in an entirely complimentary sense – as in, it takes you back to when action adventure films were fun and driven by relentless optimism and pure joie de vivre rather than world-weary cynicism. In short, Spielberg’s 1980s output. The Beard himself is on the sort of crowd-pleasing, family friendly form the likes of which haven’t been seen since 1993 when a bunch of digital dinosaurs revolutionised the Hollywood blockbuster. It’s also old-fashioned in its approach to storytelling, concentrating on a slow build to a memorable payoff rather than the constant assault of, say, Michael Bay.

Many of Tintin’s most euphoric highs are anything but old-fashioned, though. Building on, and exceeding, his contemporary Robert Zemeckis’ dalliances with the technology, Spielberg makes at times utterly inspired use of the immense freedom afforded by the new toys. Two sequences in particular are absolute gems. One, a massive Man o’ War battle on the high seas, provides more piratical thrills in ten minutes than the whole of Jack Sparrow’s most recent adventure. The director keeps the camera fluid, transitioning seamlessly from the past to the (film’s) present via numerous creative means that could not have been achieved in live action. The second highlight is the film’s main action showpiece, a jaw-dropping helter-skelter chase through a North African town, which is filmed in one single, continuous take. It’s a genuine stand-up-and-applaud moment.

Aside from the action scenes, though, what any film needs is compelling characters, and it’s only in this department where Tintin struggles slightly. Despite Jamie Bell’s earnest efforts, Tintin himself is bland – perhaps intentionally so, in order for him to function as an audience proxy – which makes the quieter moments, and the times when he’s alone, more of a lull than they should be. Fortunately he’s not alone all that often, as he usually has the colourful Captain Haddock with him, entertainingly performed by motion capture stalwart Andy Serkis. (That’s not to mention Snowy, his faithful dog, who has as much character as any of the humans.) Even the larger performances, though, tend to feel a little too restrained, which may be a side effect of utilising motion capture as opposed to more exaggerated and expressive, but less strictly realistic, animation. As a result some of the comic relief falls a bit flat, particularly the physical, slapstick stuff. On the plus side, the CGI itself is top-drawer - dead eyes are not a problem here.

The fact that a Peter Jackson-directed sequel has already been given a preliminary start date points to the film’s other flaw, its climax, or rather lack thereof. It goes for a more open ended approach which teeters on unsatisfying. In hindsight, the film does have a good final showdown, but it doesn’t feel like the finale because it follows straight on the heels of the end of the second act, with a more low-key final few minutes afterwards that seem to be setting up for another action beat that never arrives. The film thrives on atmosphere, though, be it the unspecified European (Brussels? Paris?) city where Tintin lives, a grimy cargo ship, or the Sahara Desert, and this distinctive character is maintained right to the end. You can’t help but be swept along.



Summary
This is Spielberg having more fun than he has in years, which translates into a supremely enjoyable, precisely crafted boy’s own adventure yarn. It’s refreshing and invigorating, if not vintage.

Blu-ray Review: The Blues Brothers (1980)

The Blues Brothers is the definition of a cult classic: perhaps not particularly widely seen (especially in recent times, relegated to late night showings on ITV4), but worshipped by many loyal fans. The story of two brothers, one just released from jail, who find themselves on ‘a mission from God’ to raise $5000 for an orphanage, it has character to burn and a unique sense of humour. It's also quite evidently the work of a relatively inexperienced crew, particularly in terms of handling the large-scale scenes of carnage, making for a film that is rather ragged editorially. Most of the film, even many of its great highlights, could be improved with a little more fine-tuning, but that's probably a big part of its appeal: it's a loveable mongrel, not a flawless but bland pedigree.

A large part of the enjoyment of the film stems from the interplay between the brothers themselves, played by John Belushi (two years before drugs cut short a legendary career) and Dan Aykroyd, who also co-wrote the script. Permanently wearing their black suits and sunglasses, and never ruffled - not even by a mysteriously homicidal Carrie Fisher who stalks them throughout - they're just a pleasure to be around. On their episodic mission they encounter numerous musical legends making memorable cameos, such as Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin, and inadvertently manage to make a whole battalion of enemies from country singers to neo-Nazis. They all converge to hilarious effect in the concert climax.

Not content with just entertaining us musically, director John Landis also crafts several action scenes, the final one an enormous car chase through Chicago - setting a record for vehicular destruction - before the army descend. The sheer scale just piles on the absurdity to breaking point, but the enterprise never crashes down under its own weight. Indeed it's in this final third where Blues Brothers' classic status becomes truly deserved. Up to this point, it's an endearing offbeat affair with a few good laughs, but the finale elevates it to an iconic piece of movie folklore.

Release Information
Country: UK / Region: Free / Version: Blu-ray + Digital Copy / Discs: 1 BD, 1 DVD / Distributor: Universal

Presentation
The film looks pretty damn good, all things considered, once the murky opening titles have passed (once again, blame optical compositing). The level of detail is surprisingly high, as is the clarity, and Universal have thankfully stayed away from the DNR knob, leaving the natural grain intact. The soundtrack is only in standard DTS - 768kpbs, same as a DVD - which is hard to believe for a film where sound is so key, but fear not: this is a cracker of a track, with brilliant depth, thumping bass, and great directionality, doing the music proud.

Extras
You get the option of watching an extended cut, seamlessly branched (or not so seamlessly, as the picture quality differs noticeably). An option just to watch the added scenes alone would have been welcome as the film is already too long in its theatrical cut, but it's interesting to note that the film was originally envisaged as an old-fashioned 3-hour roadshow event. Not all of the missing footage has been recovered - the extended cut is about 20 minutes longer. Otherwise, there's a healthy 56-minute Making Of, and two shorter featurettes: one a 25th anniversary retrospective, and one a tribute to John Belushi.



Summary
A highly flawed but, at its best, raucously funny musical comedy, Blues Brothers builds to an exhilarating finale, glancing a couple of speed bumps along the way.

Blu-ray Review: Green Lantern (2011)

Green Lantern certainly has one of the more elaborate mythologies in superhero comic books, with a truly cosmic scale and all sorts of factions, alien races, rules and characters. Another word for 'elaborate' in this instance could also be, to the uncharitable, 'weird'. That makes it a bit of a hard sell for a blockbuster, but Warner Bros. are understandably keen to try to milk their B-level DC heroes (i.e. not Batman or Superman) like Marvel have been so successful at doing. They were optimistically hoping to capitalise on Avatar's success with another story about a human sucked into a fantastical alien world, but, for whatever reason, the film was stillborn at the box office: little over $100 million domestic, and $200m worldwide, does not nowadays a blockbuster make, when outlay on production and marketing far exceeds that.

Green Lantern opens promisingly. Rejecting the dull domesticity of many a recent superhero’s origin stories, the film goes straight to the realm of science fiction, with an intriguing beginning showing the release of the film’s ultimate big bad. The ambitions are on display immediately, the scale appropriately grand. From there we cut to Earth, where we meet Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). The character turns out to be a mix between Tony Stark (cocky, womanising) and Top Gun’s Maverick (hot shot jet fighter pilot). Reynolds is surprisingly likeable in the role – not a quality he has often portrayed – and delivers his lines with enjoyable wit and conviction. His special powers arise from a ring that's given to him by a dying alien, a member of the Green Lantern Corps, a group of intergalactic peace keepers, and are not your run-of-the-mill super strength or speed. Rather, he's able to materialise anything he can imagine out of green energy, as well as fly. The powers are potentially a bit cheesy, and the line is crossed from time to time as he turns into something like Inspector Gadget (go-go-gadget-minigun!) meets a Looney Tunes character, but for the most part it's an interesting and unfamiliar twist that opens up some unique opportunities for action sequences, even if the potential is not fully exploited.

A large part of Green Lantern's appeal to comic book fans is its major science-fiction trappings, and they have been quite vocal in their disappointment with the film's mostly Earthbound events. The narrative's trips to Oa (the Lantern Corps' home world) are sporadic and mostly brief, including Jordan's induction and training, which seems overly abridged. However it's plain to see that the filmmakers were trying to walk a fine line between appeasement of the fans and wider appeal, so you can understand their reluctance to fully indulge in the more outlandish elements of the mythos. As it is they remain at least visually faithful to the source material, which itself may be offputting for mass audiences as it is pretty, well, weird (that word again) - Oa is truly alien, unlike, say, Avatar's Pandora, which is strange-yet-reassurringly-familiar in its flora and fauna. The style hews closer to Superman than anything in Marvel's arguably more grounded canon, Thor being the exception.

It remains hard to fathom quite how Lantern cost $200m, but then the budgets of many a blockbuster boggle the mind these days. It surely has something to do with the decision to render the super suit entirely in CG, the rationale being that it’s meant to be made of pure energy, rather than spandex. It works for the most part, the suit given a visual flair that could not have been achieved without effects, although the quality of those effects does vary. Unfortunately, too, the film suffers from the now-expected third act meltdown from an origin story. Whether your hero is Iron Man, Hulk, Green Hornet, even Batman, it seems no origin story can sustain a memorable protagonist as well as a villain, leaving the climactic showdown as something of a rushed affair, more of a tease for a sequel than a satisfying payoff. In an extraordinary bout of optimism, WB have already greenlit (no pun intended!) the next adventure, so we may yet see the payoff that is promised.

Release Information
Country: UK / Region: Free / Version: Triple Play Steelbook / Discs: 1 BD, 1 DVD / Distributor: Warner Bros.

Presentation
Image: Colours come through strongly, particularly (you guessed it) green, with some slightly over-pink skin tones, but the prevalent deep shadows mean that the image is none too bright. This 2D Blu-ray transfer handles it with few undue artefacts or similar problems, but we all know a dark image is not great for 3D, so I would expect that release to be one to avoid. Detail and sharpness are pretty good despite an overall digitised look to the film which probably occurred at the intermediate stage; some grain survives intact, but many shots look slightly smoothed over. Still, it remains an overall slick, pleasing transfer.

Sound: This is one of those 'wake the neighbours' tracks, which might be good or bad. It certainly doesn't lack for power or impact but may require some volume riding for more sensitive ears. Surround effects are employed well.

Extras
The typical WB assortment for a new, high profile release, which means: Maximum Movie Mode, a bunch of "Focus Point" featurettes, and a few other goodies. There's also an extended cut, about nine minutes longer, which adds a really quite important sequence of Hal's childhood. The MMM is a bit disappointing, lacking any director walk-ons or moments where the film pauses to dissect a scene. Still, the picture-in-picture segments are continuous and frequent, so it's certainly worthwhile. The Focus Points add up to a pretty thorough 47 minutes, which are supplemented further by an interesting - and illuminating for the uninitiated - 20-minute piece on Green Lantern's comic book history. There are nine minutes apiece on Ryan Reynolds' preparation for the role and a 'digital comic' of the first issue of the recent Justice League series. The deleted scenes are memorable only for the glimpse into what the film looked like before CGI worked its magic.



Summary
Its design and mythology may be an acquired taste, but Green Lantern is an efficient, if structurally conventional, superhero origin movie, with a science fiction backdrop that adds interest and scale. In the superhero movie pantheon, it ranks somewhere near Ang Lee's similarly hued Hulk: an interesting, alternative take, destined to be underrated by many.

Blu-ray Review: Paul (2011)

With its frequent, flagrant references to mainly 1980s science fiction classics, and its irreverently comedic tone, Paul has all the hallmarks of a parody, yet it manages to feel anything but. Rather, it feels like a really enjoyable alien-flavoured road trip written by and starring two guys with evident love of the genre. Parodies rely on the viewer’s knowledge of a film’s antecedents to get the jokes, but whereas Paul has its fair share of in-jokes (some of which prove to be hilarious given the context in which they are used), it doesn’t rely on them. It’s successful on its own terms: as a comedy, as an action film, and also as a slightly twisted variation on the buddy movie.

Paul is the first film to feature the starring British combo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on which they haven’t collaborated with Edgar Wright. While he went off to make Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, the two actors who bonded through their Star Wars obsession went on a road trip through the UFO hotspots of America. The film they wrote as a result recreates many of the experiences they had on the trip, with one major addition: foul-mouthed, pot-bellied, bulbous-headed E.T. Paul. As the title character and also, no doubt, the recipient of much of the budget (as a fully CGI creation), he’s a crucial component, one that is fortunately successful. Seth Rogen may seem an odd choice to voice such a critter, but his vocal stylings are perfectly suited to the character. The joke that he’s less of an alien in the US than the two wide-eyed tourists he tags along with proves to have plenty of comic mileage.

It’s clear from the Making Of material on the disc that Pegg and Frost see the film as their baby, but the choice of director also pays off. Greg Mottola, the man behind the wonderful Adventureland, brings real pathos, an eye for character, and also a great contact list of acting talent. The supporting roles are stuffed to the brim with scene stealers, including Jason Bateman, Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, not to mention numerous cameos. Hader and Wiig in particular are just hilarious, though unlike in Adventureland they do not constitute a double act here: Hader is a hapless fed and Wiig an unwilling passenger on Paul’s interstate journey.

Fortunately, too, Pegg and Frost are as likeable as ever; you never question that they've been friends for years, and in many respects seem to just be playing themselves. Paul comes across as a very personal passion project for the pair, and they prove that they can work as a double act without Edgar Wright's frenetic direction. In Mottola's hands Paul is a more laid-back affair than the whizz-bangery of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, which works brilliantly for the story. Pegg and Frost were aiming for the vibe of a classic road movie that just happened to have an alien in it, and despite all the explosions, juvenile gags, geeky references and Spielberg riffs, they pulled it off.



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: Free / Version: Single disc / Discs: 1 / Distributor: Universal

Presentation
Right from the Universal logo, Paul's warm, earthy colour timing is in evidence. Overall it looks great, no seams evident with the visual effects despite the relatively low budget, and with entirely satisfying detail. The soundtrack, too, is everything you'd expect of a modern movie, the music particularly making great use of the 5.1 configuration.

Extras
An ample and engaging array of supplements includes a commentary, 40 minute Making Of, gag reel, numerous featurettes (many Blu-ray exclusive), and an extended 'unrated' cut.



Summary
A surprisingly heartfelt yet also hilarious road trip, mixing an iconic American backdrop with a British fish-out-of-water sensibility and more than a little love of Hollywood science fiction.

Blu-ray Review: 13 Assassins (2011)

The title that 13 Assassins unavoidably brings to mind is the monumental Seven Samurai - both are about the titular group of warriors facing a siege of a small village - but the numerical advantage of Assassins proves to be indicative of a significant shortcoming. Whereas legendary director Akira Kurosawa luxuriated in three-plus hours to introduce his band of seven, Takashi Miike (a Japanese director famous for rather more sordid work) allows us only two hours in the company of thirteen. The end result is that it remains rather hard to remember each character, and virtually impossible to discern any particular traits in all but a couple of the cast. Few, if any, of them receive any individual screen time or opportunities to differentiate themselves from the rest.

Even the (at times tortuously) slow first act of the film ignores much in the way of character development, Miike more intent on detailing political alliances and establishing the late Shogun-era backdrop of the mid-19th Century. This section is largely confined to rather similar looking, murkily lit interiors, and conversations throw around many unknown names. The director's almost complete avoidance of establishing shots in this section gives it a hemmed-in, set-bound feel, which is not initially promising. Flashes of the trademark Miike brutality are the only memorable moments, albeit perhaps not for the most desirable reasons.

Then, however, after about an hour, proceedings open up considerably. Done with establishing the various clan rivalries and political manoeuvring, 13 Assassins settles down into a rather straightforward small group of heroes versus overwhelming odds scenario. The film finally explodes into an extraordinary orgy of swordplay that Miike manages to sustain for 45 thrilling minutes. Some suspension of disbelief is required - there's a bovine stampede rendered with iffy CGI, and the enemies do tend to line up one-by-one rather than make use of their huge numbers - but the incredible kineticism of the action, not to mention its supreme choreography, is a sight to see. Despite this the violence remains surprisingly restrained, extreme bloodletting kept to a relative minimum.

It's only in this final showdown where characters do come to the fore, their actions defining them better than any earlier dialogue scenes. Particularly Koji Yakusho as the heroes' leader Shinzaemon emerges as a monolithic figure, oozing gravitas, and the chilling detachment of Goro Inakagi's bloodlust-fuelled villain Lord Naritsugu proves an able foil. A shame, then, that just before we finally get to know some of the protagonists, most of them die, preventing any real investment in their plight.



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: B / Version: N/A / Discs: 1 / Distributor: Artificial Eye

Presentation
The film proves to be a bit disappointing in the looks department, with drab colours throughout (even in sunlight) and fairly soft detail. I was tempted to reach for the TV's dreaded Vivid colour settings to inject a bit of life - never a good sign. A high bitrate keeps any artifacting in check, however, meaning the quite strong grain never becomes intrusive. Sound-wise it's more successful, the DTS-HD track delivering thundering horse charges and the exaggerated thwunk of sword on flesh with ease.

Extras
Twenty minutes' worth of deleted scenes - all in 1080p/24 and with 5.1 DTS-HD audio to boot - are offcuts from the film's longer Japanese version. Most consist simply of extended ins and outs of scenes and add little, but there are a couple of more major trims, one in particular I'm grateful was cut, its outlandish tone jarring with the rest of the film. Typically, it's this contentious scene that the director cites as his favourite in the accompanying 20-minute interview (subtitled).



Summary
A thrilling hour of samurai heroics preceeded by an at times slightly dull set-up, 13 Assassins rewards patience with but never manages to overcome its more indelible flaws.

Blu-ray Review: Sucker Punch (2011)

To his detractors, Zack Snyder's output typifies style over substance: he sure knows how to shoot a pretty movie, but depth seems to be beyond his remit. 300 and Watchmen are, first and foremost, overwhelmingly exact visual recreations of their graphic novel sources. Sucker Punch is Snyder's first original screenplay (he receives story and co-writing credit), so this time he does not have an earlier work to imitate, but it has done nothing to silence his critics; even, for some, representing the nadir of his filmography to date.

You can see why it's a divisive film. Originality isn't an area of concern - it's quite unlike anything else you could think of - but the story and direction are certainly an acquired taste. Opening with what is effectively a music video montage, the first of many in the film, setting up our protagonist's plight: she's a 20-year-old orphan girl incarcerated in a mental asylum, and is only ever known to us as Baby Doll. She mentally escapes her predicament by fleeing into her imagination, where the asylum becomes a burlesque club, Baby Doll and her fellow female inmates the dancers. There are even further flights of fancy when she dances for the customers, as she dreams/hallucinates missions in which they have to recover key items that will help in their ultimate escape.

As is to be expected from Snyder, it's all highly stylised, and his penchant for slow motion and speed 'ramping' is indulged time and again. What makes it seem a somewhat hollow exercise is that there is never any particular contextual justification for the attention-grabbing flourishes. In particular, the outlandish fantasy worlds that Baby Doll dreams up when she dances have no connection whatsoever to anything in her experience; they feel manifestly more like a check list of what Snyder thinks would be cool. (Giant minigun-wielding robot samurais? Check! Steam powered Nazi zombies? Check!) Add to that a cast of young actresses who are rarely anything more than scantily clad and you have what errs dangerously close to a misogynist geek-out.

And yet, it avoids falling into the precipice thanks to appreciable conviction from the cast - rarely is there such a female-centric action movie - and a sincere attempt to tell a unique story. It's engrossing to an extent simply to try to predict where the film is heading, and the final act intensifies the drama substantially, albeit robbed of a certain emotional heft. Compare this to Christopher Nolan's Inception and you find two vastly different results from similar starting point, that being the delving into the subconscious world of dreams. Interestingly, those two creative forces are teaming up to bring us Superman next. Can such opposing sensibilities mesh into something coherent? You can be sure of one thing: it will look nice.



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: Free / Version: Rental / Discs: 1 / Distributor: Warner Bros.

Presentation
Given Snyder's emphasis on visuals, the Blu-ray is slightly disappointing. It's technically sound - there's no apparent smoothening of grain, and the encode handles the ever-present darkness with ease - but there's little 'pop', with subdued colours (an aesthetic choice, granted) and surprisingly soft detail. Nevertheless, it seems faithful to the source. The soundtrack is ferocious, with a dynamic range that might be a little too much - the dreams are sonic barrages, while the quieter bits in between sometimes have dialogue that's just too quiet.

Extras
This review disc is the rental version, which lacks the main special features offered in the retail release, those being Maximum Movie Mode and an extended cut of the film. Here you only get four motion comics and a very brief (sub-3-minute) look at the soundtrack.



Summary
Sucker Punch is not a film to watch unprepared, but those who know what to expect (and like the sound of it) may be reasonably entertained. Anyone else probably need not apply.