On technical merit alone, Swordfish is worth a spot on your shelf, otherwise, there are better selections out there.
Video:
Warner Bros. continues to dominate the Blu-Ray format with their release of "Swordfish." Their utilization of the VC-1 compression technology keeps them on the pole position and this is another fine release from the WB. Presented with a 2.4:1 aspect ration and 1080p resolution, the image quality of "Swordfish" is brightly colored and highly detailed and helps cement this title as one of the best looking Blu-Ray titles yet released. Detail and color are the two elements that instantly strike the viewer as being truly high definition. The silly little excuse for a beard that adorns John Travolta´s chin comes across nicely detailed, as does the contours and angles of the actors face. His suits are quite dapper in this film and the image quality helps keep them so. As John pointed out in the summary section, Halle Berry looks exquisite in high definition and every pixel is worth a look when she is on screen.
Colors are incredibly bright and beautifully saturated. In the past few years, digital processing and technology has allowed for greater color reproduction and you can easily tell when a newer picture is playing simply by the wondrous colors. I do have to admit that some of the older films that were mastered in formats such as Vista Vision have amazing colors for their age, but I have just finished reviewing "The Fugitive" and I can tell you that comparing this film to that other Warner Bros. release shows how downright striking the colors are in "Swordfish." Black levels are just as strong as the colors. Film grain is absent, as are any other faults in either the source materials or digital compression. Warner Bros. is going to hold the pole position for the Blu-Ray format until another studio steps up with VC-1 compression or the dual layer discs are readied for mass production.
Sound:
As I am writing up this review, I am listening to the first Weird Al Yankovic album on compact disc. It sounds downright ancient. A lot of this greatly due to the fact I just sat through a powerful and aggressive Dolby Digital soundtrack via "Swordfish" on Blu-Ray. The English Dolby Digital 5.1 multi-channel surround mix is one of the more entertaining audio experiences I have had so far on the new format and though it is not mastered in Uncompressed PCM 5.1 audio, the soundtrack alone elevates the value of this film. Nearly every scene in this film is a sonic assault on the senses. If an action sequence is not unfolding on the screen, there is bound to be some bass-happy dance music thumping through the speakers. If anything made me giddy while watching this John Travolta spectacle, it was the opening explosion sequence. Incredible.
All good aggressive and lively soundtracks fully use all six channels. "Swordfish" is no exception. The .1 LFE channel pounds hard during action sequences and puts in overtime during the opening explosive sequence. The rear channels feature wonderful environmental and directional effects, especially during this initial carnage. The front three channels pull double duty wonderfully by recreating both the sound effects required by the film and the dialogue. "Swordfish" does not allow many moments for the actors to enjoy a moment of silence to speak and fortunately, the Dolby Digital mix holds up perfectly and dialogue is fully intelligible. The only drawback is the dialogue is mastered slightly lower than the loud effects, so your ears are attacked with a higher decibel level during the action scenes.
Extras:
"Swordfish" gains all of the supplemental materials that appeared previously on both the HD-DVD release and the even older standard definition DVD. This is another area where Warner Bros. has continued to excel – they provide the best value in additional content and have yet to slight viewers who are looking to upgrade their old DVD discs. The Commentary by Director Dominic Sena is the longest and meatiest of the extras. Dominic Sena talks continually through the commentary and provides lots of information about the production of the film. I´d be fairly certain that most consumers have never previously heard of the film´s director, but this should not dissuade you from a good commentary track.
The 2 Alternate Endings find their way to you once again. The endings are best left on the cutting room floor and the director details why he also feels that way. They are well worth checking out, but the director ultimately made the best decision with the theatrical release. The EPK HBO First Look: Swordfish runs for about fifteen minutes and if you´ve seen one HBO First Look short, you´ve seen this one. The eight minute The Effects in Focus: The Flying Bus featurette breaks down the nice special effects from the ´Flying Bus´ scene in the film. This was a nice little short to watch. Planet Rock Club Reel Music Video is a short bit with a long and confusing name and not much substance. Swordfish: In Conversation: Cast/Crew Interviews is a twelve minute talking-heads featurette that finds discussion with Hugh Jackman, John Travolta, Producer Joel Silver, Halle Berry and others. Finally, the Theatrical Trailer squeezes in to finish the decent selection of value added materials.
Closing Comments:
With all of the short windowed releases on the High Definition formats, there have been discussions on the best way to bring these reviews to you, without inundating you with too much to read. This works out well, because you are able to focus on the technical differences between the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray reviews and I get to re-read all of John J. Puccio´s wonderful reviews and borrow from them. Fortunately, John and I have similar views on "Swordfish" and I´m going to quote him here – "Swordfish is a technically competent thriller containing a maximum degree of violence and a minimum degree of humor, wit, or common sense." I´m going to add to that the fact it has a topless Halle Berry, because that is really the only claim to fame this film has. The picture is entertaining enough, but not the sort of film you want to witness again and again. As far as a Blu-Ray release goes, the picture is striking and the audio is lively and equals that of the competing HD-DVD release. The value added materials are exactly what the older versions of this film have contained. On technical merit alone, "Swordfish" is worth a spot on your shelf, otherwise, there are better selections out there.
Warner Bros. continues to dominate the Blu-Ray format with their release of "Swordfish." Their utilization of the VC-1 compression technology keeps them on the pole position and this is another fine release from the WB. Presented with a 2.4:1 aspect ration and 1080p resolution, the image quality of "Swordfish" is brightly colored and highly detailed and helps cement this title as one of the best looking Blu-Ray titles yet released. Detail and color are the two elements that instantly strike the viewer as being truly high definition. The silly little excuse for a beard that adorns John Travolta´s chin comes across nicely detailed, as does the contours and angles of the actors face. His suits are quite dapper in this film and the image quality helps keep them so. As John pointed out in the summary section, Halle Berry looks exquisite in high definition and every pixel is worth a look when she is on screen.
Colors are incredibly bright and beautifully saturated. In the past few years, digital processing and technology has allowed for greater color reproduction and you can easily tell when a newer picture is playing simply by the wondrous colors. I do have to admit that some of the older films that were mastered in formats such as Vista Vision have amazing colors for their age, but I have just finished reviewing "The Fugitive" and I can tell you that comparing this film to that other Warner Bros. release shows how downright striking the colors are in "Swordfish." Black levels are just as strong as the colors. Film grain is absent, as are any other faults in either the source materials or digital compression. Warner Bros. is going to hold the pole position for the Blu-Ray format until another studio steps up with VC-1 compression or the dual layer discs are readied for mass production.
Sound:
As I am writing up this review, I am listening to the first Weird Al Yankovic album on compact disc. It sounds downright ancient. A lot of this greatly due to the fact I just sat through a powerful and aggressive Dolby Digital soundtrack via "Swordfish" on Blu-Ray. The English Dolby Digital 5.1 multi-channel surround mix is one of the more entertaining audio experiences I have had so far on the new format and though it is not mastered in Uncompressed PCM 5.1 audio, the soundtrack alone elevates the value of this film. Nearly every scene in this film is a sonic assault on the senses. If an action sequence is not unfolding on the screen, there is bound to be some bass-happy dance music thumping through the speakers. If anything made me giddy while watching this John Travolta spectacle, it was the opening explosion sequence. Incredible.
All good aggressive and lively soundtracks fully use all six channels. "Swordfish" is no exception. The .1 LFE channel pounds hard during action sequences and puts in overtime during the opening explosive sequence. The rear channels feature wonderful environmental and directional effects, especially during this initial carnage. The front three channels pull double duty wonderfully by recreating both the sound effects required by the film and the dialogue. "Swordfish" does not allow many moments for the actors to enjoy a moment of silence to speak and fortunately, the Dolby Digital mix holds up perfectly and dialogue is fully intelligible. The only drawback is the dialogue is mastered slightly lower than the loud effects, so your ears are attacked with a higher decibel level during the action scenes.
Extras:
"Swordfish" gains all of the supplemental materials that appeared previously on both the HD-DVD release and the even older standard definition DVD. This is another area where Warner Bros. has continued to excel – they provide the best value in additional content and have yet to slight viewers who are looking to upgrade their old DVD discs. The Commentary by Director Dominic Sena is the longest and meatiest of the extras. Dominic Sena talks continually through the commentary and provides lots of information about the production of the film. I´d be fairly certain that most consumers have never previously heard of the film´s director, but this should not dissuade you from a good commentary track.
The 2 Alternate Endings find their way to you once again. The endings are best left on the cutting room floor and the director details why he also feels that way. They are well worth checking out, but the director ultimately made the best decision with the theatrical release. The EPK HBO First Look: Swordfish runs for about fifteen minutes and if you´ve seen one HBO First Look short, you´ve seen this one. The eight minute The Effects in Focus: The Flying Bus featurette breaks down the nice special effects from the ´Flying Bus´ scene in the film. This was a nice little short to watch. Planet Rock Club Reel Music Video is a short bit with a long and confusing name and not much substance. Swordfish: In Conversation: Cast/Crew Interviews is a twelve minute talking-heads featurette that finds discussion with Hugh Jackman, John Travolta, Producer Joel Silver, Halle Berry and others. Finally, the Theatrical Trailer squeezes in to finish the decent selection of value added materials.
Closing Comments:
With all of the short windowed releases on the High Definition formats, there have been discussions on the best way to bring these reviews to you, without inundating you with too much to read. This works out well, because you are able to focus on the technical differences between the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray reviews and I get to re-read all of John J. Puccio´s wonderful reviews and borrow from them. Fortunately, John and I have similar views on "Swordfish" and I´m going to quote him here – "Swordfish is a technically competent thriller containing a maximum degree of violence and a minimum degree of humor, wit, or common sense." I´m going to add to that the fact it has a topless Halle Berry, because that is really the only claim to fame this film has. The picture is entertaining enough, but not the sort of film you want to witness again and again. As far as a Blu-Ray release goes, the picture is striking and the audio is lively and equals that of the competing HD-DVD release. The value added materials are exactly what the older versions of this film have contained. On technical merit alone, "Swordfish" is worth a spot on your shelf, otherwise, there are better selections out there.
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[release]19886[/release]