Amelia is a movie trying too hard. Everything about it screams, “Oscar grab,” tainting a story that is certainly worthy of being told. At times the effect is cringe inducing, those wide camera pans over the clouds, suddenly revealing land like it is a revelation, all set to the “supposed to be but it’s not” inspirational Gabirel Yared score.

Hilary Swank carries an uncanny resemblance to the famed female pilot in a film that pushes the audience into the story with hardly an introduction. There is no sense of Earheart’s motivations. There is one scene showing her as a little girl, watching a plane go over a cornfield, and then she is off on the infamous flight around the world.

She becomes a celebrity, flaunting products from waffle makers to luggage, mostly against her will. There is more sense of her celebrity during this depression era than her eagerness to prove what woman are capable of. You can see the sense of wonder on Swank’s face as she continues to accomplish one goal after another, but it is forced and canned, attempting to deliver some emotion when the script contains none. Certain sub-plots about an affair and her sexuality are dropped as quickly as they are introduced.

Canada sits in for most of the locales, beautifully photographed by director of photography Stuart Dryburgh. Shots from the sky are gorgeous, utilizing real planes, not visual effects, in all but the dangerous situations. It adds some sense of authenticity when the actors are not around, attempting to flaunt their abilities for the Academy.

Nothing is more painful than the MovieTone announcer (Kerin McCue), perfect for a movie trying for comedy or parody of the era, but here is completely out of place. Discussing Earhart’s accomplishments, he sounds in the right period, just the wrong genre. There is a level of enthusiasm at work that seems unnatural, much like the forced drama and generally uninteresting plot developments elsewhere.

Movie ★★☆☆☆ 

You’ll have to wait a while for this AVC encode to impress. The film looks soft, the grain barely even noticeable. You can pick countless scenes to focus on the lack of texture or fine detail. The majority of the film would suffice, after all. A dinner scene at 32:14 works as an example, Richard Gere and Swank terribly out of focus, lacking definition, and resolving little, if any, detail. All of the shots from the air showcasing those wonderful landscapes, are massive disappointments, and do little to treat the source material with the respect it deserves. It maintains its beauty, if not the eye candy. A montage of sights at 1:23:45 are not as powerful as they should be.

Environments on the ground suffer the same fate, Gere’s home at 1:05:38 lacking definition. A wedding in a garden at 37:53 showing some light definition, although still limited and slightly noisy. A grassy field Earhart lands near at 47:54 also moves into the realm of acceptable, if not much else. Clarity is fine. You will find no imperfections on the source for sure beyond the footage of the real Earhart, the first sequence occurring at 11:57. At times, the actual Amelia footage is digitally degraded to match as the movie moves into the modern footage. A shot at 1:28:45 looks like the grain has oddly been heightened, certainly the only time this happens, and Swank seems swallowed by the noisy nature of the scene.

Colors carry a generally warm hue, giving the film an inviting atmosphere, generating powerful primaries such as reds. Flesh tones are likewise a bit on the orange side, although still within the realm of being considered natural. The final moments before Earheart disappears finally renders facial detail remarkably well, beginning near 1:38:08. The Navy members on the ground trying to guide her also exhibit exceptional detail. Black levels, sightly inconsistent elsewhere, catch hold here and generate superlative depth. It’s a shame everything can’t match up.

Video ★★★☆☆ 

Fox delivers a clean DTS-HD track for Amelia, one that works wonders when called upon. Plane engines always generate a bit of a jolt in the sub, not too aggressive as to be overpowering, but just enough to make the subwoofer a presence. The highlight is a botched take-off at 1:16:40, loaded with notable surround presence and hefty bass as the plane skids on the ground due to faulty landing gear.

Dialogue is rendered a bit low, requiring some minor adjustments in spots, but is consistent otherwise. Surrounds remain active for much of the film, kicking off early during Earhart’s first major flight at 19:46. A door swings open and the air whipping about creates a strong level of immersion. A thunderstorm late at 1:24:54 is a slight downer, the heavy rain moving through all channels convincingly, while the thunder remains absent from the low-end.

A small musical number at 57:21 is loaded with excellent fidelity, as is the score itself. Highs are clear and the bass satisfactory. Certain dialogue is notably higher pitched, undoubtedly ADR’ed, but these moments are rare.

Audio ★★★★☆ 

Making Amelia is the first extra, a well-made making-of that chronicles Earhart herself and Swank getting into the character. The Power of Amelia Earhart is nearly 11-minutes, focusing on the legacy she left behind, but oddly shifts into more making-of material by the end. The Plane Behind the Legend looks at the aircraft, and how the film used a later model. Reconstructing the Plane looks at the process of making the aircrafts (in full mind you) for the shoot, followed by a collection of the real MovieTone news clips and and some deleted scenes (14-minutes worth).

Extras ★★★☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Amelia Review

Don Cheadle plays an undercover cop in Brooklyn’s Finest, but is seeking a way out. He is becoming one of the drug dealers, having thoughts of turning on his fellow officers, and is sick of not being able to have a family. Tango (Cheadle) meets with his superior in a restaurant, and director Antoine Fuqua sits on Tango’s face.

The camera doesn’t move as Tango tells his story about the thoughts running through his head as he considered shooting the cops who pulled him over for speeding. It is like he is not speaking, but thinking. Tango is monotone, serious, and in many ways terrifying, the grind of being undercover taking an immeasurable toll.

Brooklyn’s Finest focuses on three officers, Tango only the first with trouble. Sal (Ethan Hawke) needs to move, the growing mold problem in his home affecting his wife and two unborn twins. On his salary he can afford nothing better, so he willingly goes on drug raids no matter the risk and steals the money to make a down payment on a new place.

Eddie (Richard Gere) is the traditional burned out cop, now alone after his wife either passed away or left him (that remains unclear). He is oblivious to the world around him, uncaring about citizens, and teaching rookies the same characteristics.

Fuqua hardly paints the NYPD in a positive light. Everyone involved here seems corrupt or only caring for themselves. Tango, obviously a loose cannon, is consistently pushed back into the field despite his deteriorating mental status, all so his superiors can work towards a promotion. It is disheartening, creating immense drama, particularly as all three story arcs logically come together, each man on their own to deal with their own guilt or extract their own revenge.

The constant blare of sirens always indicates a police presence. Every scene seems to indicate some level of authority is near, whether in view or off screen. Given what the audience sees, the tragedy that must be occurring elsewhere is always noted. It is a film that takes it toll, both on the audience and the characters, creating an ending that leaves little hope.

Movie ★★★★☆ 

This is a simply outstanding effort from Anchor Bay, a resoundingly rich AVC effort. The film opens on a car sitting curbside at night, the deep, inky black levels a fantastic sight. Once inside the vehicle, about three-minutes, the detail on display is fantastic. Definition remains firm, moving into a jaw-droppingly refined shot from the air at 5:58, where trees and buildings all showcase texture.

Everything is rife with high fidelity detail, from the lockers at 12:46, to the cooler at 1:02:30, where all of the individual bottles are visible. Colors are highly saturated yet natural, bold flesh tones and clothing wonderfully bright.

Brooklyn’s Finest is just loaded with texture. The city’s brick structures are amazingly well-rendered, while the aerial photography and establishing shots just awesome. The Brooklyn Bridge provides outstanding eye candy at 1:14:51, the crisp waves of the water below razor sharp. It doesn’t matter what the lighting situation is. Inside the bar at 15:35, not only is facial detail near reference (and shadow detail exquisite), the wooden seats contain a fully resolved texture as well. It is stunning how well dimly lit scenes hold up against those in the day, all of those producing flawless images, Wesley Snipes and Cheadle on the roof at 31-minutes a highlight.

The video quality is just shy of absolute perfection. One of the aerial views of the city at 40-minutes is noticeably softer, with a vastly different grain structure and compression. Richard Gere and his companion at 1:32:56 appear soft, lacking that previously sharp look. These are two scenes that disappoint in a movie that runs over two hours, a real achievement with the thin veil of grain flawlessly resolved, and the intended look intact.

Video ★★★★★ 

Brooklyn’s Finest is filled with chatter, and limited action. This PCM effort delivers minimal ambiance, mostly inside clubs such as the 1:20:00 mark. Street level produces some speaker-specific sirens and trains passing through the soundfield, along with general city noise. Surrounds are not aggressive, just complacent.

The highlight for audio buffs will be a raid at 41:55, a loud, heavy sequence loaded with gunfire. It carries a natural effect, low on the bass but heavy on the high-end and echo. There is a distinct pop when a bullet is fired, wonderfully rendered by this track. They are loud but not offensively so, balanced well with the dialogue, also handled well. The surrounds again sort of sit there with minimal work, this one front-loading the action appropriately.

This is a mix that makes its claim on clarity, not a resounding assertiveness.

Audio ★★★★☆ 

Five featurettes, totaling 32-minutes, comprise the base of the extras. Most of these are disappointingly promotional and congratulatory. A series of deleted scenes, surprisingly in 5.1, run near 32-minutes as well total. Trailers remain.

Extras ★★☆☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Brooklyn’s Finest Review

Richard Gere plays a doctor. He has to you see, because a dentist, physical therapist, or any other healthcare profession would not fit with where Nights in Rodanthe is going to go. “Doctor” is a simple way of saying “perfect man” in these hilariously manipulative weepy dramas.

Diane Lane is the victim of a husband who didn’t love her. Her emotions are running high when he tries to re-enter her life. It has to be this way, because “possible divorcee” leaves her wide open to swept off her feet by the “perfect man” on a beach in the middle of nowhere.

It gets worse though. A hurricane is approaching, foreshadowed unbearably and repeatedly. Will Diane Lane need comforting from the only man available to her? Will they find each other inseparable? Will sparks fly even though they only met over a short weekend and go through more drama than the average married couple would over 20-years?

If you answered yes to all three, then you are probably in the demographic that does not need to bother with this farce, which will be completely spoiled in the following paragraphs. You have been warned.

Adapted from the Nicholas Sparks novel, you have to give the writers credit for an imaginative ending, even if its sole purpose is to elicit a stream of tears. Gere’s “perfect man” heads to a poor foreign country to save sick children and reconnect with his own son. While trying to save precious medical supplies during a storm, he is swept away in a mudslide, leaving “possible divorcee” to cry endlessly.

All is taken care of though, as Lane witnesses a rare species of wild horses running down the beach, significant only because “perfect man” mentioned it before he left. See, it’s supposed to a happy ending, but carries just enough emotional weight to call forth a few more tears. You have to be sure everyone gets their money’s worth.

There is one funny scene in Nights in Rodanthe, that of Richard Gere battling a broken faucet to get some hot water. It is the closest this film comes to depicting actual human behavior. In fact, that faucet and Gere have more chemistry on-screen than the intended couple.

Movie ★★☆☆☆ 

George C. Wolfe’s film adaptation is incredibly flat, and this weak encode does not seem to help either. Initial shots are wholly digital, lacking any film-like qualities. In fact, that is a distinct problem for the entirety: the grain structure is nearly absent. While there does not seem to be any significant manipulation at work, faces and environments appear soft. There is a distinct smooth nature to the proceedings, as if the texture is being hidden and not allowed to breathe.

Black levels are also flat. The image struggles to establish depth, leaving colors natural, if not a bit faded. Flesh tones appear a bit pasty. The beachside environment is of course gorgeous, although making something like this ugly would take quite a bit of work. Still, there is little question it lacks refinement. Gere’s initial drive into Rodanthe produces some fine visuals, including numerous long shots of a variety of locales.

Stand out moments are few. A scene of Lane preparing dinner in the kitchen, around 15-minutes in, showcases a detailed environment along with a bit of color depth missing elsewhere. Some close-ups can offer marginally delineated facial pores, but nothing near the level of reference.

Video ★★★★☆ 

Warner skimps on hi-def audio, sticking a paltry Dolby Digital track onto the disc. Immediately apparent is the flatness of the music. Vocals seem muted and notes sound compressed. A limited amount of bleed is apparent.

The hurricane is a highlight, even without a next-gen codec. The bass here is surprisingly strong, providing a fine rumble with minimal distortion. Rain whips around, and snaps against windows. Even prior to the storm, thunder off in the distance provides a nice level of ambiance.

A party post-storm offers up some additional ambiance, but not much directionality. Gere and Lane walk out of the party onto a pier, where clapping and music can be heard in the right rear speaker. An edit briefly cuts back to the band, then to Gere and Lane again. In that edit, the band is suddenly heard in the right front, which makes no sense.

Audio ★★★☆☆ 

Nature of Love kick starts the special features, a 21-minute making-of with interviews from the actors, author, and crew. In Rodanthe is an interview with songwriter Emmylou Harris who wrote the main theme. Five deleted scenes have an explanation from director George C. Wolfe while they play.

A Time for Love is a piece on the book’s author Nicholas Sparks. A music video is followed by Warner’s usual BD-Live support.

Extras ★★☆☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Nights in Rodanthe Review

It’s nice to see Hollywood choosing to remake something other than Asian horror movies. In the case of Shall We Dance?, this remake of the Japanese romantic comedy carries mixed performances and eye-roll-worthy melodrama. While good enough for a few laughs, Shall We Dance? is instantly forgettable.

Susan Sarandon is the scene stealer here with a somewhat limited role, landing some hilarious facial expressions as she beings to wonder if her husband, played by Richard Gere, is having an affair. Is he? No, of course not. He’s doing what all guys do these days. Taking secret ballroom dancing lessons.

In doing so, we’re introduced to a clichéd roster of characters inserted for mild comedic value. Jennifer Lopez is terrible here, acting on the level of a soap opera in multiple overacted scenes. Her character is overly emotional and annoying, and the supposed relationship between her and Gere never actually goes anywhere. Screen time between them works for its awkwardness to the story and little else.

Extravagant dance numbers go on for extended period of time without any story development. The training sequences offer some fun clumsiness, and for anyone interested in ballroom dancing, maybe the competition will offer some enjoyment. From a film standpoint, they offer little relevant information.

The ending is predictable and loaded with forced drama that’s sure to send sensitive people into a crying frenzy. Everyone else will sit back and laugh as the lead couple reunite in the middle of a department store while onlookers are taken away by the supposed emotion in the scene. It may be inoffensive, but it’s not particularly entertaining.

Movie ★★☆☆☆ 

Carrying an over-processed look, the Blu-ray premiere of the film is sub-standard. The print varies in its sharpness, and at best can carry a clean, fine look. Edge enhancement is visible on occasion, and flesh tones appear far too red. Detail remains relatively flat throughout. This is only a step above the standard DVD.

Video ★★☆☆☆ 

When needed, the audio performs admirably. The echo of the music inside the dance studio is nicely captured in all speakers. The crowd at the final competition fills out the sound field. Bass is equally strong when called for.

Audio ★★★★☆ 

Extras provide a decent glimpse behind the scenes. A commentary from director Peter Chelsom is fine, as are his thoughts on the 17 minutes of deleted scenes. Behind the Scenes of Shall We Dance? has a slight promo feel to it, though it does discuss the original Japanese version with clips.

Beginner’s Ballroom is a six and a half minute featurette on the choreography. Music of Shall We Dance? explains itself and runs for slightly over three minutes. A music video is the final extra on the disc.

Extras ★★★☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Shall We Dance? Review