Blu-ray Movie Reviews

As World War II is nearing an end in Europe, a Sherman tank is dispatched to a crucial crossroads in order to cut off a battalion of German soldiers trying to regroup with their comrades for one last push against the Allies. In command of the American force is a battle-hardened army sergeant nicknamed Wardaddy (Brad Pitt), who has promised his crew he’ll get them home alive, but when the taskforce is attacked on the way to the rally point, he has a difficult decision to make—press on and defend the position or go back for reinforcements? He should have chosen the latter because when they finally reach the crossroads, they discover they are outnumbered, outgunned, and unless things go perfectly, Wardaddy’s men won’t see the conclusion of the war.

I sat down with high expectations for this movie due to the trailers and was initially very disappointed. The main characters are about as unlikable a group as you’ll ever meet, and while I realize that writer/director David Ayer was attempting to say the war made them this way, he went a bit too far; by the end of the first act, I was rooting for the majority of the tank crew to take a bullet. This was a real turnoff, although as more time went by, I started to get more into the movie. Thankfully, it improved immensely in the second act, and I found it worthy of my time.

Sony mastered the film in 4K, and the resulting 1080p presentation is breathtakingly good. While the color palette is heavily dominated in cold grays and isn’t necessarily as pretty to look at as a garden landscape demo loop, the detail in the image is mesmerizing. Facial pores are lifelike and revealing, along with the stitching in the war-torn fabrics. There are a few scenes where the primaries burst to life, especially in the second act when the crew receives a much-needed break from the hostilities.

Not to be outshined is the masterful audio track, which starts out quiet and reserved, followed up by frenetic battles with bullets and tank shells whizzing and booming through the soundfield. The final act will surely be used as a demo showpiece as the men do everything they can to stop the advancement of the German battalion.

Supplements include four behind-the-scenes featurettes that take a closer look at the production, especially the use of the Sherman tank as the focal point of the story, along with some deleted/extended scenes and a photo gallery.

Blu-Ray
Studio: Sony, 2014
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Audio Format: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Length: 135 mins.
MPAA Rating: R
Director: David Ayer
Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman