Blu-ray Movie Reviews

"Domino" presents an entertaining mix of gritty action and a sharp visual style. The film is inspired by the life of Domino Harvey, a former model who rejected her privileged Beverly Hills life to become a bounty hunter.

This is intense Tony Scott style all the way. Domino didn’t catch as much fanfare as some of Scott’s other films but it has his signature style written all over it. Knightley plays Domino, an actor’s daughter who ditches the model life and Beverly Hills address to work as a bounty hunter for the thrill of it all. But the life turns things upside down. Fans of intense stylized action and plenty of sexy thrills will want to give this one a look if they haven’t already.

Warner has been a really hit or miss studio. The majority of their catalog releases lately are low bit rate HD transfers slapped together on BD-25 discs and don’t come near the spit and polish of most of the bigger studios out there. I love their breadth of catalog and their output, but honestly, I would sacrifice quantity for quality any day of the week. But this catalog title is a rare exception for the studio. This one is one of the best looking titles Warner has released to date. Scott’s stylized pic looks fabulous on Blu-ray with exquisite contrast, hyper stylized colors and loads of detail. The sense of dimension and depth are almost second to none and the image just leaves you wanting more shot after shot. Fine film grain is preserved beautifully and I love the inky blacks and rich color tones. An absolute visual delight.

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 EX and is also a shining example of how good soundtracks can sound in lossless audio. The sound design is rich in dynamic range and the soundtrack selections only lend to the style and cool factor of the show. Gunshots ring out with plenty of low end kick and the balance of the mix is incredible. Spatial design is outstanding with a rich surround soundstage that adds to the environment and really livens the room up. Dialogue sounds natural in tone and balance and the mix of elements is perfect. Again, one of the best the studio has produced yet. PLEASE CONTINUE THIS TREND!!!

Extras include a digital copy of the film for portable devices along with a few features. Scott delivers an audio commentary with writer Richard Kelly plus there is an alternate soundtrack with notes and meeting minutes that can be used in lieu of the normal soundtrack. Some deleted scenes and a look at the real Domino Harvey are also included. Wrapping it up is the original trailer.

Presentations don’t get much better than this. With Warner churning out more titles than most studios it would be great to see this level of quality all the time. Fans of this one will be thrilled.