Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Ben Thomas (Will Smith) is an unremarkable IRS agent who has the power to change seven strangers' lives. But when he meets Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), everything changes as he realizes he's in love with the beautiful woman. Should he alter his plan and seek personal happiness or continue the quest for his own redemption?

Reteaming with Gabriele Muccino, his director from The Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith shows why he's one of the best leading men in Hollywood, turning in an extraordinary performance as the internally conflicted Ben Thomas. The methodical pace will probably irritate action junkies, but I found the story interesting—although predictable.

The AVC encode is very good with excellent black levels, occasionally boosted contrast, and a lush color palette. The majority of the material is easily rendered in well-lit environments, but the third act is quite dark in appearance and mood. Still, the payoff in the storyline and picture quality are worth the wait.

The dialog-heavy Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack is what you'd expect from a drama. The surround speakers are relegated to ambient sounds, and the LFE channel is nonexistent except in one flashback sequence, which serves as a great reminder why you should never read your Blackberry while driving on a coastal highway.

The bonus materials contain a director's commentary and an interesting featurette entitled "Seven Views on Seven Pounds," which looks at the production from the standpoint of the writer, producers, director, location manager, designer, editor, and composer (HD). Additional featurettes delve into the cast, the deadly co-star, and a pivotal prop (all in HD). Other supplements include four deleted scenes (HD), some BD-Live content (yawn), and a digital copy of the film.

Although this doesn't rank up there as one of Smith's best films, I found his performance noteworthy and his chemistry with Rosario Dawson genuine. The presentation is very good, although don't expect too much from the pedestrian soundtrack. Regardless, it's worth a rental if you're in the mood for a romantic drama, but the subject matter isn't very uplifting.

Release Date: March 31, 2009
Studio: Columbia Pictures

Movie: 7/10
Picture: 9/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 amplifier
Belkin PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics