Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Somehow immune to an unstoppable, incurable virus, military virologist Robert Neville is now the last human survivor in New York City and maybe the world. But he is not alone. Mutant plague victims lurk in the shadows... watching Neville's every move...waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Perhaps mankind's last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find an antidote using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered... and quickly running out of time.

Will Smith’s post apocalyptic epic makes its way to Blu-ray yet again in this collector’s box set. The film is still engaging now as it was during its theatrical run last year and it was fun watching it again after sometime away. I am a big fan of the book so my opinion of the movie is a bit hit or miss. They did cover the theme of the book a bit better than previous adaptations, but I still like the 3rd act of the book better than the film. Like the last release there is an alternate cut with a completely different ending but I kind of liked the theatrical cut more. In a way the new ending pays a bit of homage to the original material, but it is still a departure. There are rumors floating around that another film is in the works so keep an eye out if you’re a fan.

This Blu-ray release is pretty much identical to the previous HD release in terms of A/V presentation. The big difference is the separation of the cuts. Instead of having both versions on one disc, Warner has included the theatrical cut on disc one and the alternate cut on disc two. This continues to be one of Warner’s best HD presentations and still look spectacular. There is a startling sense of depth and dimension to the image and fine detail is as good as I’ve seen anywhere. Contrast is exceptional and even low light sequences have great shadow detail and dimensionality. Some of the darker sequences have elevated black levels but shadow detail is preserved. The CG effects show a bit of softness here and there but that was also readily apparent when I saw it in theaters. If anything, they look a bit sharper this time around. Compression never seems to be an issue at all; a solid reference transfer.

The same Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix is included for this release and is on both cuts of the film. This is a quiet mix for a lot of the film but when the dynamics are needed, they are delivered in spades. It is startling at times how effective the mood is conveyed only to have your heart jump when the soundtrack picks up. The sense of space is almost eerie at times, especially some of the outdoor sequences. Deep bass is delivered with aplomb and there are some nice infrasonics to boost the tension of the film. A first class soundtrack and a spectacular presentation all around.

The biggest difference this time around is definitely the supplements and packaging. The film comes in a large case that houses not only the films but a concept sketch book and some art cards showcasing cities from around the world that look to be infected. There is also a small lenticular block that shows a small sequence from the film if you move it up and down or side to side. The box is quite nice and the quality of the included art work is excellent.

The disc presentation is also a bit different. New to this release is a feature commentary with the director and screenwriter and the behind the scenes clips from the original release have now been incorporated into a “focus points” implementation that allows you to break away from the movie and get the inside scoop on the production while you watch the film. I honestly preferred to just watch them on their own but now you can have it either way. The documentaries on the production are also included along with the internet launched short animated clips that were a prelude to the film’s theatrical release. Warner has also include a digital copy of the film and the trailer in HD.

I was a big fan of this film and it is nice to see Warner deliver a richer collector’s edition for the diehard fans. If you’re not a supplements collector there really is no need to replace your previous edition since this is the same A/V presentation but if you have to have all the goodies, you may want to give this one a look.