Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Beck is a bounty hunter sent into the treacherous jungles of the Amazon to bring the rebellious Travis back to the States. When Beck and Travis reluctantly join forces to hunt down a priceless treasure this unlikely team embarks on a pulse-pounding, non-stop thrill-ride.

This is probably the most entertaining film “The Rock” has been in. I honestly didn’t think I’d like it the first time around but it is definitely a guilty pleasure. Scott and Johnson have great comedic chemistry throughout this one and the action is great. If you haven’t seen this one yet, do yourself a favor.

This is the third HD release I’ve had of this film. The picture looks about the same as the HD DVD release and is just a tad sharper than the D-Theater release. Color rendition in this film is quite good with vibrant hues and nice stylization. The jungle sequences provide a lush backdrop and there is plenty of depth to the image. Fine detail falls just a bit short of the top tier HD releases out there but stands up well on its own. Contrast is strong with nice inky blacks and good shadow detail but the print does show some wear at times with obvious noise in some of the backdrops. Still, it’s a strong presentation.

The DTS-HD Master Audio mix didn’t show any real improvements compared to the already great Dolby Digital Plus mix of the previous HD DVD release. Surrounds are used aggressively for action and ambiance, and the low end is powerful. Punches, slams, and gun shots are pronounced with authority on the low end, driving the point home. Dialogue is very clean and detailed, despite all the action sound design. Overall this is a very fun mix that makes the most of the action sequences and the surround paradigm.

All the features from the HD DVD made it over including the audio commentaries and collection of production featurettes. You also get some deleted scenes. This disc is BD-Live enabled allowing you to share your favorite clips from the film with friends.

As I mentioned before this is my favorite film with The Rock in it and is always a fun ride. The Blu-ray doesn’t serve up much better in comparison to the already great HD DVD release but if you don’t have that this is an easy recommendation.