Blu-ray Movie Reviews

A disturbing thriller in the vein of Saw, Untraceable stars Diane Lane as the head of an FBI internet watch team that stumbles onto a killer who uses the internet to broadcast the torture of his victims. The twist is, the more people that watch the faster the person dies. The FBI tries desperately to shut him down but to no avail. Things go really bad when the killer starts targeting members of the team. The movie doesn't bring anything real new to the table but it is effective at what it is. The torture methods are on the disturbing side so I wouldn't suggest this one to the casual thriller fan. I think a few more twists or a bit more character depth from the killer would have improved the film some.

Sony delivers a solid transfer for this day-and-date release. Detail is exceptional throughout and I was extremely impressed with depth. Like most thrillers these days contrast is boosted a bit and the image has a monochromatic look at times. The colors that do make it in are a bit more vivid than normal, which only increases contrast. Dimensionality is excellent all around and compression never seems to be an issue.

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack is everything that I would expect from this genre. There is great use of the surrounds to add to the tension and the score balances the mood and atmosphere perfectly. Dynamics are decent (especially in the storm sequences) but the low end is a bit more reserved than I'm used to from a film like this. Dialogue always sounds natural and the balance with the rest of the soundtrack is perfect.

Untraceable is a "Bonus View" capable disc which requires a profile 1.1 Blu-ray player. Sony delivers a picture-in-picture feature with interviews, production facts and behind the scenes footage. This all runs while the film is in progress. I'm surprised we haven't seen this feature more on Blu-ray now that there are several players on the market that can take advantage of it. Sony also includes a feature commentary with the director, producer and production designer. Some promo featurettes also look at making the film, the characters and some of the production. The trailer is also included.

Sony delivers a solid A/V presentation coupled with a nice set of extras for this release. While it wasn't much of a stir at the box office I did enjoy the film. Fans of the genre will probably enjoy it but a rental may be in order before a purchase.