As any good action should, this one has an amazing soundfield. Presented in English 5.1, this is a disc that fills the entire room with bullets, explosions, and glass shattering. The LFE channel won't get a superb workout, but when it's used, your sure to feel it. Characters are easily understood throughout, even in the heaviest of action scenes. Sadly, there is no DTS track which would have most likely been earth-shattering, but with the excellet viedo and length, it's obviously why one wasn't included. (****)
This one loads up the extras for a 2-disc extravaganza, sadly missing a commentary track of any kind. First up are 20 seperate production diaries, each showcasing what it was like to be on the set during filming various scenes. The actors discuss their performances, and Michael Bay amongst others will occasionaly chime in as well. 7 deleted scenes totaling around 20 minutes have been tossed on, all wise cuts sicne this film is already far too long. They simply play through with no seperate commentary as to why they were cut.
Two longer featurettes focus on the movies insane stunts and special effects. These are quite in depth and run for about a half hour each. There are also 6 sequence breakdowns which allow viewers to see each step of the filming process individually. From the sript, storyboards, animatics, dailies, and final cuts, you'll witness the evolution of these scenes. Last up is a Jay-Z music video and some trailers for other films. (****)
If your a huge fan of the first film, you'll probably be a fan of the sequel as well. Some of the action scenes are a stretch (as they always are in a movie like this), but this is a staple of the genre. It runs far too long, the countless sub-plots annoy, but the two leads are strong enough to carry this one just a notch above average. The excellent DVD set only helps this one seem better.
Originally posted at Breaking Windows.
Article comments
1 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
great dvd review, Matt. One thing, though - you know Don Simpson is dead, right? A victim of his own cocaine-riddled plastic surgery-addicted obsessions.
2 - Matt Paprocki
Wow...I had no idea. Never heard anything about it. Guess I'll never really know what it's like to make a movie with all three then...
3 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
heh. Aw well. there's plenty of power mad producers about. Don died in the early 90's to the best of my knowledge, but of course his legacy is all over not only the remaining members of his production team's efforts, but also every high-concept action extravaganza you care to mention, from xXx to The Day After Tommorow