Blu-ray Movie Reviews

When John Murdoch wakes with no memory at the scene of a grisly murder he soon finds himself hunted by the police, a woman claiming to be his wife and a mysterious group of pale men who seem to control everything and everyone in the city.

Alex Proyas made quite the splash with his big screen adaptation of the popular graphic novel, The Crow. Honestly, I liked this film a bit more. It’s a rare mix of fantasy, horror and science fiction with solid performances and ambitious special effects given its production budget. This new Blu-ray release includes a newer “Director’s Cut” which changes the pacing of the film a bit but doesn’t add a lot to the final product as a whole. I do like the new cut a bit more than the original though. It doesn’t dumb things down quite as much in my opinion. Regardless the disc contains the original theatrical cut as well so fans of the film don’t have to have it only one way.

Without question the most debated feature of high definition video releases lately has been the recent trend of excessive digital video noise reduction and edge enhancement added to several popular film releases. Enthusiasts are taking up their pitch forks on the AV boards and making their disgust heard. This title has been the subject of much debate since it shows obvious signs of noise reduction, especially in close ups. While not nearly as bad as some other recently reviewed titles, this transfer is very inconsistent in terms of detail and natural film appearance. The master seems to be cleaned up considerably in terms of film grain but this has also taken a toll on fine detail in facial features. The level varies from scene to scene but it happens enough to frustrate and purists with larger displays will certainly take note. Another obvious issue is the inconsistency in detail between people and the environments. While facial features are glazed over the environments around the actors still maintain rich detail and dimension, which only adds to the obvious loss in detail on the actors. Production issues are also apparent with shots that are clearly out of focus being mixed in with clear, crisp images. There is some noticeable ringing from time to time but thankfully it doesn’t plague the whole release. Contrast levels are still quite strong and those looking for a benchmark for display contrast will want to add this one to their collection. While this Blu-ray release is a clear improvement over the previously released DVD, it is troubling to see this level of inconsistency continue to pop up.

While the video presentation may be a bit of a mixed bag, the audio presentation isn’t. In spectacular New Line form a full 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is included. This new mix is a huge step up from the previous 5.1 mix found on the DVD and does a great job with the sound design and score. The inclusion of discrete rear surrounds adds a lot to the spatial qualities of the mix and dynamic range has been bumped up considerably. There are some great moments of deep bass extension that nears the infrasonic range. The score plays a big role in the atmosphere and mood of the film and this new mix preserves it well. I wasn’t that thrilled to hear Jennifer Connelly’s singing voice added to the new mix, but I guess we can’t have it all.

Extras include a collection of documentaries on the film which include interviews with the cast and crew, a look at the new cut and a look at the production design. A director’s cut fact track and multiple audio commentaries are also included including one from film critic Roger Ebert. The trailer is also included. In a continuing trend, New Line has included a digital copy of the film for download onto a PC.

This has always been a cult favorite and a visual treat. The new 7.1 audio mix is outstanding and while the video has its issues I didn’t find that it distracted too much from the overall experience. Fans of the film should give this one a look.