Blu-ray movie review roundup

Resident Evil: Extinction – Blu-ray

Alice returns in the third movie based on Capcom’s successful survival horror franchise, and while once again the film makers have failed to replicate any of the genuine frights that the games have managed for over a decade, Extinction does deliver an enjoyable blood-filled action romp.

What sets Extinction apart from its predecessors is director Russell Mulcahy’s (of Highlander fame) decision to set the majority of the picture in daylight, immediately giving the movie an uphill struggle to create scares. So much so that this zombie flick feels more like a straight up action movie. The numerous set pieces are impressive, particularly one involving Resident Evil’s famous zombiefied crows, and it all builds to a suitably Resident Evil style boss battle ending – albeit one that is heavily signposted.

Fans of the Resident Evil games will also be pleased to see a supporting role for Claire Redfield – the leader of a band of survivors – and a cameo from Albert Wesker.

The movie’s 1080p video presentation is good, but not spectacular, often feeling a little too soft and lacking in fine detail. The audio is much more impressive though, with very aggressive use of the surrounds helping to elevate proceedings to something more than your average action movie.

Extra content isn’t great, with a making of feature (in high definition) the best of the bunch. You’ll also find a selection of deleted scenes, a commentary track, a trailer for Resident Evil: Degeneration and some largely pointless interactive Blu-ray functionality.

If you’re looking for 90 minutes of entertainment during which there’s no need to engage your brain then there’s certainly value in picking up Resident Evil: Extinction. It’s just a shame the overall package is a little lacking in both extras and its visual presentation.

Verdict: 3/5

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Check out page two for reviews of Eastern Promises and Saw IV.

Eastern Promises – Blu-ray

Viggo Mortensen and director David Cronenberg team up for a second time (the first being A History of Violence) in this thriller in which a midwife finds her life and that of her family under threat after she crosses paths with a notorious Russian organised crime family. It’s a slow burner that is helped along by excellent performances from Mortensen, Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel.

The presentation is also excellent, the 1080p transfer offering natural flesh tones and commendable detail even throughout the movie’s many dark scenes. Much like the video, the audio mix is far from flashy, but holds up impressively with clear dialogue and an ever present ambience. When the action calls for more aggression the audio is certainly able to deliver, although this certainly isn’t a movie you’ll be keeping the neighbours awake with. The only real disappointment is the lack of extra content, coming in the form of two brief features.

Verdict: 4/5

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Saw IV – Blu-ray

I’m a big fan of horror movies, be it a low budget gore fest or a slow-burning chiller, but I’m beginning to feel that the Saw franchise needs to pack its things and call it a day. It’s a by the book affair with the movie’s short runtime focusing on the abduction of SWAT Commander Rigg who is forced into a game by someone working with Jigsaw. Rigg has only 90 minutes to complete a series of deadly puzzles in order to save the life of his friend Eric Mathews. There’s plenty of blood and dismembered body parts on show, but I was left glad it was over rather than looking forward to the fifth instalment this Halloween.

Criticisms of the movie aside, the audio and video presentation is top notch, with detailed and sharp imagery and impressive surround use, especially during the movie’s trademark torture games. The most notable of the extra features is MoLog, an interactive tool which requires Blu-ray Profile 2.0 – something PS3 owners can now enjoy thanks to the recent firmware update. Sadly the much hyped Blu-ray Live feature, which allows users to re-edit parts of the movie and share them with other MoLog users, was somewhat baffling to use – it’s a novelty that quickly wore off.

Verdict: 2/5

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