Four Brothers (HD DVD)
APPROX. 108 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 2005 - MPA RATING: R
" John Singleton has crafted another good look at urban violence and the trials and tribulations of youth who lack the full advantages that were available to most of us.
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The visual splendor of "Four Brothers" is quite good on HD-DVD. The 2.35:1 widescreen image is highly detailed, full of color and among the better offerings so far on the young format. Singleton got to film the snow he craved to shoot and there is a lot of real snow in the picture. Each flake is clearly defined and the fresh-laden snow on the ground shows texture that can only be realized through a good high definition picture. There are a few scenes shot at night and these dark moments are nicely rendered. During the film´s big car chase sequence where Bobby and his brothers try to run down two killers in an El Camino, there is a little bit of film grain and some of the interior shots of the cars are a bit soft, but these few minutes were the only faults I could see in the entire film. The picture quality does not rank up their with the current visual kings "The Chronicles of Riddick" or "Sahara," but the film is visually stunning.
Audio:
The film´s soundtrack was another element where Singleton strived to get back to the classics and break away from what is currently trendy in modern films. His usage of a couple great old Motown songs was quite fitting considering the film´s location of Motor City, but it also brought about a stronger feeling of family and caring between the brothers. Of course, Lil Jon busted into the mix for a few minutes of one of the film´s better sounding moments, but aside from the Lil´ Jon song, Singleton´s usage of old Motown songs was a great decision. The film´s big gunfire scene is another audibly strong sequence. As the boys´ childhood home is being riddle with bullets, windows are being shot out and bricks are being busted apart, the multi-channel surround mix of "Four Brothers" rivals the best action films. Thoughts of Michael Mann´s "Heat" and the aforementioned "Magnificent Seven" come to mind. This really is a good gunfight and it sounds incredible.
"Four Brothers" is presented with four soundtracks. The native English language is offered with a great sounding 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus mix and an equally strong DTS 5.1 multi-channel surround track. I found the Dolby Digital Plus was marginally better and had more presence in the big gunfire sequence. Bass is strong and powerful when needed. It is most apparent during Lil Jon´s song. There is a lot of bullets discharged throughout the picture and when they come from different sources on-screen, they are delivered through various speakers. The rear surrounds are used very nicely during both the car chase sequence and the gunfight. Much of the film is dialogue driven and everybody is loud and clear and never drowned out by either gunfire or heavy snowfall. All-in-all, "Four Brothers" is a good sounding film that comes to life when it needs to.
Extras:
"Four Brothers" has a couple nice bits of extra materials that are nice inclusions on the DVD. The Commentary by Director John Singleton is a personable track by the director. He chats about his various decisions in the film and goes into detail about the various influences he had from Westerns, Seventies action films and Motown music. You can get a good appreciation for the direction Singleton was taking and why he wanted to shoot a movie in the snow. He speaks highly of his four young actors and you can tell he is very pleased with the finished topic. This track is a nice little education on the picture and offers a look at how the talented director thinks.
After the insightful commentary track, there are some nice featurettes that detail the making of the film. The Look of Four Brothers covers how Singleton did not want a film that was ´Hip-Hop´ or like a music video. He wanted a classic looking film that was reminiscent of American Westerns. He wanted an American looking film and this ten minute short covers this approach nicely. Did he succeed in making a modern and urban ´Western?´ I think so, since I was drawing parallels to Westerns before I heard a word from the commentary. He at least delivered the notion for me to easily realize. Crafting Four Brothers is an eleven minute look at creating the story behind the film. Behind the Brotherhood is ten more minutes and has Singleton discussing the strong bond between the characters. Mercer House Shootout is only four minutes long, but looks at storyboards and other elements that went into the great shootout scene. These featurettes are well done and features a lot of involvement by the director.
Nine deleted scenes are included on the DVD. They run for only eleven minutes and do offer more background on the characters and the story. However, there is nothing really valuable in here that would have changed to story. Some of the better ones involved a few extra minutes with Evelyn before she died, a few extra scenes with Lt. Green and a few more moments with the brothers. I´m a sucker for deleted scenes and I did enjoy them. After the deleted scenes, the Theatrical Trailer is presented in high definition. I can´t wait for studios to start formatting the rest of the supplements in HD.
Closing Comments:
John Singleton has crafted another good look at urban violence and the trials and tribulations of youth who lack the full advantages that were available to most of us. "Four Brothers" is a revenge film that is molded after the Great American Western. Singleton wanted a classic feeling film that was not an extended music video like many other films today. He also wanted snow. He succeeded on both accounts and by allowing his young actors to improvise much of their lines, he created a genuine chemistry between the characters. The HD-DVD release of "Four Brothers" is technically sound. It features a very good image that is backed up by a strong soundtrack. The supplements contained take a good look at the Singleton´s ´different approach´ to filmmaking. This is a violent picture that shows the strength of brotherhood. Paramount has made a few wise decisions in their original lot of HD-DVD releases and this is one shining example.
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