First Panic Room SB Review!!
09-09-02, 02:35 PM
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First Panic Room SB Review!!
from dvdfile.com
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
Ick! I know David "I'm really, really dark" Fincher is into getting his films as close to black as possible while still being able to actually see something, but for me Panic Room is where he falls over the edge. An ugly, depressing-looking movie, there is no of the color, flash or visual panache to offset the bleakness; hence, this is a very dark, ugly-looking transfer, presented in its original 2.40:1 theatrical aspect ratio and anamorphically encoded.
Even with all the gloom inherent in the material, I still had a few problems with the transfer. Blacks are appropriately black and the print as pristine as can be, yet the image still looks a little too dark. Contrast is fine but appears to "fall off" too quickly at the high end of the scale. Given the low light levels, it's not surprising that detail would suffer, but the soft appearance makes it look even more ever-so-slightly out of focus. There is also some edge processing applied, giving the already soft edges hard outlines, which mucks up shadow delineation, so essential for a film like this. Colors are appropriately desaturated with no bleeding, and fleshtones are simply impossible to assess given the intended stylistic effects. (Is it just me, or does the color scheme of this film resemble nothing so much as various shades of dried vomit?) Certainly, this is not a bad transfer at all, just not particularly eye-popping.
Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
Presented in both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround, recorded at 384 kbps and 764 kbps, respectively, both are quite active, enveloping sonic assaults. Panic Room is as polished a presentation as you're going to get these days in terms of sheer technical expertise, with excellent sound design that spares no expense in trying to excite the ear. Of course, it's just as dank and doomy as the visuals, with the opening, quiet passages all a setup to lull you into the big action/thriller set pieces, filled with enough clanking doors and high-pitched screams to wake the neighbors. But the lack of subtlety in favor of bombast, however, quickly becomes a real deficit.
Dynamic range is generally excellent, although perhaps not quite in the same league as some of the reference-quality sound mixes I've heard lately. The highs sound a bit contained, perhaps intentionally so, and the .1 LFE never quite reaches the lowest registers. Dialogue is also recorded a bit too low in the mix for my taste, which was frustrating, leading me to constantly turn up the volume to hear what anyone was saying, then being knocked out of my seat with the action scenes kicked in. The relatively minimalist score by Howard Shore and the whiz-bang effects are directed throughout the 360-degree soundfield, with some excellent discrete effects that are quite effective. Alas, the lack of any subtle use of the rear channels ultimately makes for a tiring, one-note experience - loud, quiet, loud, quiet - which really wore me out in the wrong way.
Comparing the DTS and the Dolby Digital tracks on three scenes - the opening house tour, the first panic room "attack," and the climax - revealed a few differences, but nothing severe. As typical with most DTS tracks, imaging is a bit more transparent and natural, especially any effects from front to back or vice versa. Unfortunately, I still felt dynamic range was cramped on both mixes, and the .1 LFE never quite strong to hit the lowest of the lows. Either track still has a slightly compressed feel that while still effective, is not the best I've heard.
Also included is a French 2.0 Dolby surround dub, English and French subtitles, and English Closed Captions.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
What!? In a startling break from Superbit tradition, this is the first non-Deluxe Superbit release that actually has some extras, albeit only a few cast and crew filmographies and the film's teaser trailer. Guess a couple of extra minutes won't compromise Superbit's "Pure Performance" after all?
DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?
No ROM extras have been included.
Parting Thoughts
Just a warm-up for the real special edition due next year, if you just want to check out the flick, then by all means give this one a rent. The audio and video are just fine, although I wasn't very impressed by the dark look of the film. As a purchase, in my estimation $27.95 is a bit too expensive for what is just a movie-only disc with a fancy label, especially since most other studios routinely price their feature-starved releases considerably lower. Even if you're a big fan of the film, I'd say stick with a rental and wait for the real deal.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
Ick! I know David "I'm really, really dark" Fincher is into getting his films as close to black as possible while still being able to actually see something, but for me Panic Room is where he falls over the edge. An ugly, depressing-looking movie, there is no of the color, flash or visual panache to offset the bleakness; hence, this is a very dark, ugly-looking transfer, presented in its original 2.40:1 theatrical aspect ratio and anamorphically encoded.
Even with all the gloom inherent in the material, I still had a few problems with the transfer. Blacks are appropriately black and the print as pristine as can be, yet the image still looks a little too dark. Contrast is fine but appears to "fall off" too quickly at the high end of the scale. Given the low light levels, it's not surprising that detail would suffer, but the soft appearance makes it look even more ever-so-slightly out of focus. There is also some edge processing applied, giving the already soft edges hard outlines, which mucks up shadow delineation, so essential for a film like this. Colors are appropriately desaturated with no bleeding, and fleshtones are simply impossible to assess given the intended stylistic effects. (Is it just me, or does the color scheme of this film resemble nothing so much as various shades of dried vomit?) Certainly, this is not a bad transfer at all, just not particularly eye-popping.
Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
Presented in both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround, recorded at 384 kbps and 764 kbps, respectively, both are quite active, enveloping sonic assaults. Panic Room is as polished a presentation as you're going to get these days in terms of sheer technical expertise, with excellent sound design that spares no expense in trying to excite the ear. Of course, it's just as dank and doomy as the visuals, with the opening, quiet passages all a setup to lull you into the big action/thriller set pieces, filled with enough clanking doors and high-pitched screams to wake the neighbors. But the lack of subtlety in favor of bombast, however, quickly becomes a real deficit.
Dynamic range is generally excellent, although perhaps not quite in the same league as some of the reference-quality sound mixes I've heard lately. The highs sound a bit contained, perhaps intentionally so, and the .1 LFE never quite reaches the lowest registers. Dialogue is also recorded a bit too low in the mix for my taste, which was frustrating, leading me to constantly turn up the volume to hear what anyone was saying, then being knocked out of my seat with the action scenes kicked in. The relatively minimalist score by Howard Shore and the whiz-bang effects are directed throughout the 360-degree soundfield, with some excellent discrete effects that are quite effective. Alas, the lack of any subtle use of the rear channels ultimately makes for a tiring, one-note experience - loud, quiet, loud, quiet - which really wore me out in the wrong way.
Comparing the DTS and the Dolby Digital tracks on three scenes - the opening house tour, the first panic room "attack," and the climax - revealed a few differences, but nothing severe. As typical with most DTS tracks, imaging is a bit more transparent and natural, especially any effects from front to back or vice versa. Unfortunately, I still felt dynamic range was cramped on both mixes, and the .1 LFE never quite strong to hit the lowest of the lows. Either track still has a slightly compressed feel that while still effective, is not the best I've heard.
Also included is a French 2.0 Dolby surround dub, English and French subtitles, and English Closed Captions.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
What!? In a startling break from Superbit tradition, this is the first non-Deluxe Superbit release that actually has some extras, albeit only a few cast and crew filmographies and the film's teaser trailer. Guess a couple of extra minutes won't compromise Superbit's "Pure Performance" after all?
DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?
No ROM extras have been included.
Parting Thoughts
Just a warm-up for the real special edition due next year, if you just want to check out the flick, then by all means give this one a rent. The audio and video are just fine, although I wasn't very impressed by the dark look of the film. As a purchase, in my estimation $27.95 is a bit too expensive for what is just a movie-only disc with a fancy label, especially since most other studios routinely price their feature-starved releases considerably lower. Even if you're a big fan of the film, I'd say stick with a rental and wait for the real deal.
09-12-02, 01:02 PM
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09-26-02, 10:42 PM
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I liked the movie(neverseen it before, got it part of the buy 2 get 1 free from odd)
I would agree it is dark, and the audio didn't seem any better than anything else but if your'e not wanting to wait i say this is a good pickup.
I would agree it is dark, and the audio didn't seem any better than anything else but if your'e not wanting to wait i say this is a good pickup.
