Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Sony has been picking some interesting catalog titles lately. The Devil's Own is a solid action/drama, but a surprising pick this early in the format. I guess I'm use to tie-ins with upcoming summer movies around this time of year. This is an early film for Brad Pitt and pairs him with mega-star Harrison Ford. Pitt plays an IRA soldier who is sent to the US to procure some weapons for the cause. A New York judge that is helping the cause puts him up with an Irish cop (Ford) during his stay. Things go smooth until the deal starts to go sour with the arms dealer and Ford's family is put in harms way. The message of this film was stronger during the unfortunate conflict in Ireland but doesn’t have quite the pull today. It's still a solid thriller though.

The HD presentation is about what I would expect given the age of this film. This was never a very stylistic film so the appearance on Blu-ray is very film-like with natural color and obvious film grain. Longer shots are on the soft side, especially near the beginning of the film but most of the close-ups and medium shots are nicely detailed. I did notice a smidge of banding here and there but overall this is an average presentation for a film.

The Dolby TrueHD soundtrack is also pretty cut and dry and neither disappoints or impresses. This is a pretty run of the mill soundtrack that has a couple of action moments that liven things up a bit. Dynamics are never dull though and the soundstage does have a nice open feel to it. Dialogue is balanced well with the main track and the score is never intrusive.

Despite using a BD-50 for this release there are no real extras. You get a Blu-ray promo reel and trailers for two TV shows, but that is it.

While still a good film this is a pretty run of the mill release. Fans won't be disappointed as this is a nice step up from the DVD in presentation but unless you are a die hard fan of the film, I would lean toward a rental.