Scanner Darkly, A

But despite the intriguing setup, this is a Richard Linklater film, so be prepared for long periods of pure dialogue, some of it quirky, some of it funny, and more than a little of it aimless and tiresome. When the film is on track, it works; when it devolves into meaningless chatter, it simply drifts.

Two other distractions: First, the shape-shifting business is absorbing for a while, but for reasons I never understood Arctor keeps changing appearances every second, and the changes very quickly become annoying to the eye. Second, the movie's tone changes rather abruptly, too, from scene to scene, sometimes light and amusing, other times heavy and serious. It's hard to know how Linklater meant for audiences to take the film--as an earnest satire, as a warning about drugs, as a caution against government spying? I dunno. It certainly isn't an action thriller.

Still, the acting and the animation almost make up for the script's deficiencies. Also, since it's based on a Philip K. Dick novel, expect the film to be pretty tricky, so watch it carefully. If you get lost along the way, don't worry; the characters are mostly lost themselves. Oh, and this is not your Disney cartoon; it's rated R for profanity, sex, and nudity.

Video:
Animation usually shows up well on disc even in standard definition when it's transferred well, as this one is. Using a high bit rate and enhancing the picture for 1.78:1 widescreen TVs, the WB engineers produce an almost flawless image. There is excellent color depth, excellent definition, excellent black levels, and excellent clarity, thanks to zero grain. I can't imagine high definition doing much to improve upon it.

Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack goes for long stretches doing very little, and then it suddenly bursts forth with strong dynamics and an abundance of rear-channel activity. I can't knock it; it does exactly what's expected of it. Linklater loves dialogue, so bear with it. When he needs extraordinary sonic effects, he gives them to you.

Extras:
The disc includes three primary bonus items. The first is an uncommonly perceptive audio commentary with star Keanu Reeves, writer-director Richard Linklater, producer Tom Pallotta, author and Philip K. Dick historian Jonathan Lethem, and Philip K. Dick's daughter, Isa Dick Hackett. Together, they provide a illuminating summary of the man and his work. The other two items are documentaries: "One Summer in Austin: The Story of Filming A Scanner Darkly," twenty-six minutes, and "The Weight of the Line: Animation Tales," twenty minutes. Their titles are self-explanatory, and they contain further remarks from the group who do the audio commentary. Needless to say, all three bonus items say as much or more about Dick as they do about the movie.

The extras wrap up with twenty-six scene selections, but no chapter insert; a widescreen theatrical trailer; English as the only spoken language; and English, French, and Spanish subtitles.

Parting Shots:
"A Scanner Darkly" is an appropriately unusual film, one that intentionally distorts reality, leads the viewer up a few blind alleys, offers plenty of pseudo-philosophical conversation, concludes with a couple of surprises, and moves at a snail's pace--the very thing we have come to expect from auteur Richard Linklater and, to a degree, from author Philip K. Dick. I can't say I'd want to watch the movie again any time soon, but I can't deny I found it fascinating the first time through.

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