Blu-ray Movie Reviews

On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas - a woman like none he's ever known. But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of Fate itself - the men of "The Adjustment Bureau" - who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path... or risk everything to defy Fate and be with her.

Universal delivers a pleasing presentation for this sci-fi thriller. The HD video comes up a bit short compared to what I typically see from day and date releases and looks a tad soft. Fine object detail isn’t bad, it just seems slightly compromised. Color and depth are solid though and I didn’t notice anything in terms of compression issues. Shadow detail is strong, but this film takes place mostly in bright environments during the day, which is another reason I was surprised by the somewhat softer look of the transfer. The DTS-HD Master Audio mix is solid, though given the genre I was surprised by the rather straight forward sound design. Surrounds do a good job of delivering you into the soundstage, but this is a pretty tame mix. Dialogue takes center stage throughout and is balanced nicely within the mix with good tonal balance and timbre.

Universal includes both a DVD copy of the film plus a digital copy for your portable device. Some retailers are also selling a version that includes codes for two free VUDU HD rentals. As for film supplements you get some insight into the characters with interviews of the cast, a google map feature that goes in depth into the “doors” of the film plus some deleted scenes. A feature commentary with the director is also included.

The Adjustment Bureau almost creates a bit of a new genre, mixing romance with science fiction. Sure it’s been done before, but I was surprised just how much they focused on the love angle compared to the rather tame science fiction themes. But it works. The chemistry of the leads is outstanding and the pacing of the film makes for a great time. Definitely recommended.