A great outing for both Connery and Cage. And it looks really impressive on Blu-ray.
The supporting cast isn't as strong-or at least not strong enough to fight whatever clichés have worked their way into the script. There's the gung-ho take-no-prisoners guy, the wild-eyed loose cannon, and the generic troopers on the commando side, with a few I-don't-want-to-die guys on the rescue side. But none of them are nearly as important as the three stars, who really bring their characters to life. Plus, when the film starts to edge too close to familiar territory, we're rescued by a funny moment or another action turn. And while "The Rock" has always looked a bit dark on DVD, it seems brighter on Blu-ray, and a pure joy to watch.
Video:
The 1080p picture looks really sharp. "The Rock" was shot using Super 35 in 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and that ratio is preserved here. I don't have a previous version to compare it to, but the framing appears to be accurate. There are no artifacts or signs of compression that jump out at me, and no edge distortion. The colors seem natural, and there's plenty of detail, especially in close-ups of the faces.
Audio:
The soundtrack is an English PCM 5.1 (uncompressed, 48kHz/16-bit) audio that's really rich and resonant. Every bullet pops and zings in believable ways as it zips sonically across your TV room. An ambush scene is especially strong in this respect. Additional audio options are English, French, and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, with subtitles in English SDH, French, and Spanish.
Extras:
Interestingly, for a Buena Vista release, the bonus features are all from the Criterion two-disc DVD. There's an okay commentary track featuring Cage, Harris, Bay, Bruckheimer, and technical advisor Harry Humphries, along with the documentary "Secrets of Alcatraz" (with its fascinating vintage footage), an excessively serious interview with Bruckheimer, nine minutes of outtakes, a short feature on Navy SEALS with Humphries walking you through it, another one on weapons, and another on special effects for "Dive." They're mostly decent bonus features, topped with the usual trailers, TV spots, and, in this case, a short clip on "The Rock" premier.
Bottom Line:
Strong characters and an intelligent script make this slam-bang action film better than most. It's a great outing for both Connery and Cage. And it looks really impressive on Blu-ray.
Video:
The 1080p picture looks really sharp. "The Rock" was shot using Super 35 in 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and that ratio is preserved here. I don't have a previous version to compare it to, but the framing appears to be accurate. There are no artifacts or signs of compression that jump out at me, and no edge distortion. The colors seem natural, and there's plenty of detail, especially in close-ups of the faces.
Audio:
The soundtrack is an English PCM 5.1 (uncompressed, 48kHz/16-bit) audio that's really rich and resonant. Every bullet pops and zings in believable ways as it zips sonically across your TV room. An ambush scene is especially strong in this respect. Additional audio options are English, French, and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, with subtitles in English SDH, French, and Spanish.
Extras:
Interestingly, for a Buena Vista release, the bonus features are all from the Criterion two-disc DVD. There's an okay commentary track featuring Cage, Harris, Bay, Bruckheimer, and technical advisor Harry Humphries, along with the documentary "Secrets of Alcatraz" (with its fascinating vintage footage), an excessively serious interview with Bruckheimer, nine minutes of outtakes, a short feature on Navy SEALS with Humphries walking you through it, another one on weapons, and another on special effects for "Dive." They're mostly decent bonus features, topped with the usual trailers, TV spots, and, in this case, a short clip on "The Rock" premier.
Bottom Line:
Strong characters and an intelligent script make this slam-bang action film better than most. It's a great outing for both Connery and Cage. And it looks really impressive on Blu-ray.
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Average user rating (1-5):
[release]22981[/release]