Blu-Ray Review - Blade Runner: 30th Anniversary Edition

The Movie:

Released in late June of 1982 (December 16th in Australian cinemas, just in time for Christmas and during a Summer which was characterized by bad droughts) Ridley Scott's Blade Runner has certainly run the gauntlet of emotions in the 30 years since its release.

1982 was certainly an incredible year for genre cinema and only this year has seen it be matched in terms of the variety of genre product in cinemas and the quality of it for not only did we get Blade Runner we also got the Man from Snowy River, First Blood, Star Trek 2 the Wrath of Khan, Summer Lovers, Tron, Rocky 3, Conan the Barbarian, E.T. and John Carpenter's remake of the Thing to name as some examples, not to mention Mad Max 2 getting its theatrical release in America.

But what did Blade Runner do for me some of you might ask, what made it stand tall in my mind, well surprisingly it was not the film's extraordinary visual design or special effects work, no it was the performance of Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty, the replicant who wants more life that made the movie for me which harks back to an old rule of mine that if a film has a good villain that I have fun watching, then that film no matter what the genre is will get a tick from me and Hauer's Batty certainly ticked that box and when his famous "Tears in Rain" moment comes (the line written by Hauer himself) it's hard not to feel your heartstrings get tugged when it comes, truly a terrific performance.

The Discs:

The 30th Anniversary set comes in a 3 disc box set that might look large in the pictures but is actually somewhat small when you hold it in your hand, the contents are the 3 discs in a case, a flip sided booklet containing some beautiful drawings and photos (each has its own side) and another replica of a Spinner but this one is based from a concept design scrapped for the one used in the film and which got its own replica in the 07 box set.

Speaking of which, some of you might be asking "Is there much difference between the 07 set and this new set?" well to be honest no not really, it's mainly a reorganizing of the contents of that set so that the extras are on an actual Blu-Ray disc instead of being split across two DVD discs as they were in the 07 set.

The Video:

The Video quality on both of the feature discs (one disc is for the Final Cut while the other is for the three archival versions) is pretty much the same as they were on the 07 box set which is sad to say really as those discs could've done with a new authorizing process using a new encode and DTS-HD sound mix that could be spread across a dual layered Blu-Ray disc (the 07 set came out in the early days of Blu-Ray when we still had the format war so only a 25GB Blu-Ray disc was used.)

Nevertheless, the Final Cut looks really good and benefits from both the restoration the film underwent when this cut was being put together and the Blu-Ray format allowing for more space on a disc, the film's many night scenes look terrific and the shades of light really shine which helps to draw you into the world of the film and also makes it hard to look away while watching.

The archival versions haven't had as much restoration work done to them as the Final Cut has but are sourced from the very good remastering work done in 2006 to help wet the appetite of fans for the Special Edition release the following year, that disc looked very good and had a nice natural feel to it and that shows here as well.

The Audio:

One nice change on this new disc of the Final Cut is that this time the default sound mix is the Dolby TrueHD track whereas on the 07 set it was the standard Dolby Digital 5.1 mix that was the default track and viewers had to pause so they could change to the TrueHD track manually which can be a pain in the bottom.

As for the TrueHD mix, it's simply terrific and really highlights Vangelis's beautiful score, you can really hear the textures of detail he layered into each track and wonderfully fills in the speakers, the dialogue is nice and clear and the sounds are nicely represented though the mix does sound a bit quiet at times so you may have to have your sound up slightly higher to listen to it but still its a great sound mix.

The archival versions have only a Dolby Digital 5.1 track on them and sound pretty good though are limited somewhat by their source but still these are pretty good mixes overall and they get the job done.

The Workprint:

Yes folks, the infamous work print of the film that was first shown at sneak previews prior to its release in 1982 and was shown around the US in 1990 to big crowds, it's also the only part of this disc that differs from the 07 set.

Those differences are that it has had a new encode and has a DTS-HD sound mix (neither of which the Final Cut got which sounds silly) and they really make this version shine brightly, the new video encode is terrific and really highlights the details in the sets and effects and the DTS-HD mix actually sounds better than the Dolby TrueHD mix the Final Cut got as its clear it's been mixed at a higher volume, I really wish the Final Cut had gotten this treatment but it's clear why this happened for just the work print.

The Extras:

Yes, the reason the work print got a new video encode and DTS-HD sound mix is that it shares its disc with a whole pyramid full of extras, all but the following come from the 07 release but we also get a long overdue extra that was shamefully left off the earlier release.

Stills Gallery: Yes folks, Blade Runner finally gets some Still Galleries, these were originally intended to go on the 07 release but disc space concerns saw them dropped and here now they're finally here and there's plenty to go through so let's get browsing.

The Galleries section is split into 8 sections; "Storyboards", "Abandoned Sequences", "Ridleygrams", "Syd Mead Galleries", "Mentor Huebner Gallery", "Costume Designs", "Graphic Designs" and "Visual FX and Animation."

One forewarning though is that after going through a gallery the disc may lock up on you but a press of the menu button on your remote will see you safely back to the main menu.

So now first up we have the Storyboards section and there are 9 sequences to be found here, needless to say the work done here is quite beautiful and remarkably detailed, these boards were clearly done by professionals and fans of this process will find a lot to like here.

But my favorite gallery has to be the "Abandoned Sequences" one and we find 5 scenes that were drawn but never shot, some of these were talked about in the "Dangerous Days" documentary and it was nice to finally see the abandoned opening of Batty and the other replicants escaping from off world to Earth in search of Tyrell, it looks like a great sequence but I'm also glad it didn't open the film as it wouldn't have felt right and promised a more action like tone that the final film doesn't have but still it's really cool to see it here in full.

Next we have the "Ridleygrams" and these are Ridley Scott's own doodles for some scenes in the film and again these are quite cool to see as it gives you a look inside Ridley's process in terms of creating scenes and its very cool to see them here.

The next gallery is for Syd Mead's amazing drawings he did for the film, these split into three sections "Vehicles", "Environments" and "Technology" and the drawing here is just extraordinary in terms of the detail, the colors and the sharpness of the lines, it's just beautiful stuff, we also find some more abandoned scenes such as the location of the real Dr. Tyrell and the Snake Dance, neither of which were filmed.

Next we have a small gallery of Mentor Huebner's work and the sketch work here is remarkable, many many many pencils were clearly used to create these drawings and if you look closely you can see the initial Deckard based off Dustin Hoffman who was considered for the role at the time, again great stuff.

Next we have both Costume and Graphic Design galleries and these look at the costume ideas for the characters and the graphic designs for logos and magazines seen in the film, a real highlight was seeing some of the magazine covers that aren't seen very much in the film, my favorite being "Kill Weekly", Gordon Bennett that was a weird one.

And now we come to the last Gallery in this set which regards the Visual FX and Animation and this is a very nice gallery that shows how some of the iconic FX shots were created and how some of the models were built.

As great as all this material is there are in fact some galleries still missing that were dropped from the 07 release and those were the Unit Photography, Book Cover and Marketing and Merchandise Galleries, these are a somewhat sad loss but I didn't really miss them that much as the galleries we got were that good.

As for the rest of the extras well they come from the 07 release though what doesn't is the commentary track recorded for the Workprint by Paul Sammon a noted film historian but I didn't really miss this track as the extras here helped to fill in the gap its absence left.

As for the other extras well they are the following:

- The terrific "Dangerous Days" documentary which covers the making of the film and the legacy its gotten over the years and has almost everyone involved in the film interviewed including Harrison Ford (which is contrary to a comment UK Film Critic Mark Kermode made recently that Harrison hasn't talked about making this film which is not true as he does so here.)

- The making of feature regarding the Final Cut including the re creation of two key sequences one of which involves Harrison's son Ben

- The Enhancement Archive (hidden under the Access menu heading which some mistook for BD-Live features) which contain many features including tributes to Dick and Jordan Cronenweth, a slew of Deleted and Alternate Scenes (which contains most of the stuff from the theatrical versions), some vintage featurettes and trailers plus much more and all of it is really well done unlike most extras which can leave you bored rather quickly.

The Objections:

Yes folks, I do have some objections to this release though they are minor and its mainly that I wish the Final Cut and the disc with the 3 archive versions had gotten new video encodes, a DTS-HD sound mix and were presented on their own dual layered Blu-Ray disc with the extras put on their own dual layered disc and presented in HD as its clear watching the Dangerous Days doco that it was originally intended to be shown in HD but instead its only shown in SD and it's a shame that's the case as the SD presentation is not the best for it or the other extras and a HD presentation for them would've made them shine so very very brightly.

The Verdict:

All in all, the question is as such, is this new 30th Anniversary Blade Runner Blu-Ray box set worth buying for fans and the answer is yes, it's not an emphatic yes but it's a yes all the same, mainly for the beautiful art galleries and the reorganizing of the extras onto an actual Blu-Ray disc instead of having them on two DVD discs and is well worth picking up at the right price.

Film Review - Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

Snow White and the Huntsman is the 2nd Snow White film to be released this year but this one has a different cast and feel to this year's Mirror Mirror, the story here concerns Snow White (Kristen Stewart) the fairest of them all who is held prisoner inside the castle of the wicked queen (Charlize Theron) but she escapes and flees into the woods, so a local Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) is sent to track her down and bring the queen her heart.

I went into the Huntsman with mixed expectations, the trailers looked promising and I like Hemsworth and Theron though Stewart was the drawback as I can't say I've found her appealing, so with that was the film good?

Well to be frank, no it wasn't, this for me was a failure on almost every level, the film's pace plods along at a rate I haven't seen since Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier as like that film it takes that smegging long to get its story going that you just lose interest when the stuff you want to see happens actually gets to happen, this is just pure and simple incompetence.

And as for the rest, well let me start with Stewart who is simply boring in the title role, for most of the movie she just scowls and mumbles and she occasionally breaks out a small grin but she exudes no warmth or charisma in the role and even if she did manage to smile properly, it would most likely mean the unravelling of the time space continuum or the end of the world as we know it (and we won't feel fine.)

And also, Theron is completely wasted in her role as all she does for most of the movie is SHOUT SOME OF HER LINES LIKE THIS and play the whole thing like the pantomime villain that just misses her "I'll get you next time, Snow White, NEXT TIME" line, I really loved Theron in Young Adult and it pains me to say she dropped the ball here big time.

But the two main saving graces here are Hemsworth and Bob Hoskins, Hemsworth is clearly having fun in his role and enjoying being the Han Solo-esque supporting player while Hoskins brightens the film up in his limited scenes, how sad it will be to see him gone from our cinema screens.

So all in all, the Huntsman misses his target by a fair margin and the film fails on almost every level to inspire its audience, hopefully Peter Jackson's return to Middle Earth with part 1 of his Hobbit trilogy can deliver the goods for fantasy film fans later this year, .5 out of 5.

Film Review - Skyfall (2012)

Skyfall is the 23rd James Bond film and the 3rd film to star Daniel Craig in the role of Agent 007, the story here concerns a cyber attack on MI6 by a ghost from M's past, so it's up to Bond to put a stop to it.

I went into Skyfall with a sense of cautious optimism, I've really loved Craig in the role and even enjoyed Quantum of Solace despite that film having some of the worst action scenes I've ever seen from any film, so did this new Bond film return Craig's tenure to the form promised after Casino Royale in 2006?

Happily, yes it does though I also think it surpasses Royale and becomes my favourite of the three films Craig has made so far in the role, he seems much more assured, more confident and more physical than he did in Quantum where at times he seemed to be lost and confused as to where to go with the part.

But he's not alone here, Judi Dench, Albert Finney, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Wishaw all chip in good performances and the film is beautifully shot by Roger Deakins, his use of light and shade and locations is outstanding, I really hope he is considered to be the DP on the new Blade Runner film being planned as the look he created for this film is what that film needs.

Sam Mendes's direction is also quite good, keeping a steady eye on the action scenes and making sure the balance between them and the more dramatic moments is maintained so that one element doesn't overshadow the other, the film also has some very good editing by Stuart Baird, a very nice title song by Adele and a very good musical score by Thomas Newman who wisely avoids trying to sound like the late John Barry as David Arnold tended to do at times.

But sadly there is a fault here and that is the villain played here by Javier Bardem, don't get me wrong it's a good villain one of the better ones the series has had (and there have been some real duds in this series to be sure) and on the page I'm sure everyone thought this would be a real winner and it sure sounds that way when you think about it but on the page is one thing the execution is another and Bardem's performance does not deliver.

The main reason is that for much of the time he's on screen he comes across as a blend of the late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker in the Dark Knight and his own performance as Anton Chigur in No Country for Old Men, I found there to be a little too much of the villainous cackling of the type Dr. Claw might do and not enough of the menace that the character needed to make him a standout villain in a series where those sort are few and far between.

And lastly I had this thought come to my mind as I watched the film and that was "I wish Timothy Dalton got to do a film like this one or a third film in general" as it took three films for both Roger Moore and Sean Connery to define their tenure's in the role and both Goldfinger in terms of Connery and The Spy who Loved Me in terms of Moore are seen as the best films those actors made during their time in the part.

Dalton sadly only made two films as 007 and his second Licence to Kill in 1989 proved divisive for audiences much like Craig's second film was and he needed a third film to set things right just as Moore did after the Man with the Golden Gun left the series in dire straits, sadly a bitter legal fight with MGM in the early 90's saw Dalton's planned third film be scrapped and in time it would end his tenure in the role so as a result he left audiences divided whereas a film like this or his third film planned for late 1991 (though my feeling is that it would've come out in 92 for the 30th anniversary of the series) just might have set things right but these things happen and happily Craig has continued along the path he began 25 years ago with the Living Daylights.

So all in all Skyfall delivers a worthwhile if minorly flawed film for the 50th anniversary of Bond and for me it was certainly worth the wait and worth seeing, 3 out of 5.

Film Review - Diamonds are Forever (1971)

Diamonds are Forever sees Sean Connery returning for one last time as 007, the story here concerns diamond smuggling which Bond is sent to investigate but instead will send him face to face with an old enemy and unfinished business.

Diamonds are Forever is pretty much the biggest misfire of the entire Bond franchise, after the emotional ending of On her Majesty's Secret Service the stage was set for a great sequel that would've given that ending the rightful closure it deserved but sadly that never happened and instead we get a VERY average diamond thief plot with Connery simply going through the motions one more time before being able to move on to greener pastures though given what happened on the last film I can't blame United Artists for wanting him back as much as they did.

But apart from that, the film is also really dull in its direction and a near complete bore to watch as the storyline regarding the diamonds isn't very interesting and the film overall just makes you bored while watching it from the tiredness displayed on screen, what a shame that Connery's tenure as 007 ended so flatly.

As I said this is probably the series' greatest misfire outside of another film in the series and this was not the exit Connery deserved as 007, 1 out of 5.

Film Review - On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Following the temporary departure of Sean Connery from the role, Australian George Lazenby takes up the mantle of 007 for this film and the story here has him pursuing Blofeld (Terry Savalas) to the Swiss Alps to stop his new plan to conquer the world, at the same time he comes across the spirited and somewhat reckless woman Tracy (Diana Rigg) for whom he has all the time in the world.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service was easily my favourite of Fleming's Bond stories, the character felt human, there was a great plot and a well written leading lady in Tracy which gives the story a real human heart, with that how was the film version?

Surprisingly the film version is pretty good, one of the best films in the series for sure, director Peter Hunt (a long serving editor of the series before this film) seems very confident in the director's chair, no doubt helped by his editing experience, his action direction is very good indeed and very fast paced especially the skiing scenes which are terrific to watch.

But my praise doesn't end there, John Barry produces what is arguably his best score of the series as well as the beautiful song "We have all the Time in the World" Louis Armstrong's last recorded song before his death and Rigg is just wonderful as Tracy as is Savalas as Blofeld.

If there is one fault with the film it is Lazenby himself, don't get me wrong he handles himself very well, his action work is great, he handles the humour with a nice tone of cheekiness and gets right the most important scene in the movie but what undercuts all of this good work (and it is good work indeed) is his lack of acting experience, something that was not noticeable in a later film of his, 1975's The Man from Hong Kong where he was great in that film and came across as someone who had had more acting experience.

But despite that minor negative, OHMSS stands tall as a very well made and exciting Bond film, 3 and a half out of 5.

Film Review - From Russia with Love (1963)

From Russia with Love is the 2nd James Bond film and again stars Sean Connery as Agent 007 with a Licence to Kill, the story here sees Bond going after the Lektor decoder, a prize highly valued by British Intelligence in their fight against the Russians, but Bond will soon find himself a piece in a very deadly chess game with an old enemy.

From Russia with Love is easily one of the best Bond films and for me, the highlight of Connery's tenure in the role, he seems more assured of himself in the role and his confidence shows in every scene he's in, he smiles a bit more than he did in Dr. No, he comes across as tougher and he handles the action and the humour quite well and as a result, we want to follow him and cheer him on during his mission.

But he's not the only one with more confidence in their roles, director Terence Young seems more assured in the director's chair, always finding the right note in each scene and how it all comes together to fill the overall whole of the film itself, John Barry produces one of his best scores for the series with a nice undertone of dark tension throughout the whole score, Peter Hunt's editing seems more assured with his action editing being more tight and his editing of quieter scenes and the overall film having a tense feel to them as well.

But what makes this movie really shine is the villain played by Robert Shaw, don't get me wrong Lotte Lenya is perfectly fine in her role as Rosa Klebb but Shaw steals the show and stands as one of the very best villains of the entire series, Shaw's Red Grant is every bit the equal of Bond in terms of both brains and brawn and the confrontation between the two is simply spectacular and one of the very best fight scenes in the entire series.

So all in all, From Russia with Love stands tall as a real highlight of the James Bond film series and is certainly one that should not be missed, 4 out of 5.

Film Review - Dr. No (1962)

He carries a 00 number and he's licensed to kill, where he chooses, whom he chooses and when he chooses, he's also known as Bond, James Bond of Her Majesty's Secret Service and in this the first of the Bond film adventures he's played by Sean Connery and the story sees him sent off to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of another agent named Strangways but what he'll find is just one small piece of a big puzzle.

Dr. No is a fantastic start to the series, director Terence Young wastes no time in hitting the ground running and establishing the style, tone and energy that will run through the whole film, he also has a lot of patience with the film and a lot of it is quiet with little to no underscore in several scenes and long uncut camera takes that are a real joy to watch and sadly something that you don't see a lot of nowadays for so many films throw in a near constant underscore and a constant cutting of shots lasting less than 2 seconds.

But Young is only one half of why this film is as good as it is, the other half is Connery, an inspired choice for the role, he moves like a panther, has a fantastic presence on screen and carries the film effortlessly, only Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig have done as well in the part and it's easy to see why their interpretations were as successful.

But my praise doesn't end there, both Joseph Wiseman and Ursula Andress also do good work in their roles especially Wiseman who nicely sets the template for the Bond villains that followed with his cool, calm exterior that hides a cold interior and a deadly handshake that you'll certainly not forget anytime soon.

So all in all, Dr. No is a stylish debut for the Bond film series and certainly worth a look, 3 out of 5.