Dialogue is very important in this film and every time Gates or his friends are discussing clues or details the dialog is crystal clear yet we still hear the world around them. The action sequences are loud without being overbearing, the bass is dynamic without booming too loudly, and the effects like squealing tires are as true to life as you can get. Just like the video implementation, a great audio mix really enhances the experience and this soundtrack is a perfect example of how audio should sound in a movie. Audio is also presented in English: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1 and Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1.
The Extras
"Wow" is all I can say when discussing the extras. With Blu-ray discs typically costing more than even special edition DVDs it is refreshing to see a package that offers so many extras. Even more compelling is that in this rare case they are all presented in 1080i HD resolution. While none of these are groundbreaking features they are entertaining and very watchable.
- "Book of History: Fact and Fiction" (BD Exclusive) - A great interactive feature that has us learning the real life history behind the movie, I am a big fan of pop-up interactive features and this one didn't disappoint. Being a Canadian, my US history is rusty, but my world history knowledge scored quite well.
- "Two Additional Deleted Scenes" (BD Exclusive) - The name says it all, these deleted scenes can only be seen on Blu-ray.
- "Deleted Scenes with Jon Turteltaub" - I always like when deleted scenes are introduced by the director and Jon Turteltaub's enthusiasm for the film is obvious and it really added to my respect for him to see how passionate he is.
- "Outtakes and Bloopers" - Your typical (but funny) blooper reel of gags and laughs, the thing that stood out for me is how professional Jon Voight always is, he never breaks stride even when everyone else collapses.
- "Audio Commentary with Turteltaub and Voight" - A standard audio commentary but nice in the fact that it is a frank look at the proceedings. There is dead air at times, but both participants add comments worth listening to during the track.
- "Secrets of a Sequel" - A quick chat with actors, producer and director on what filming sequels is like and the importance of carrying over all parties involved.
- "On Location" - Taking a look at all the major locales the movie was filmed in.
- "Street Stunts: Creating the London Chase" - A behind the scenes look at the hectic chase scene in London, the car was particularly cool with a stunt driver in a driving rig on top of the car.
- "Inside the Library of Congress" - The iconic library is examined and discussed.
- "Underground Action" - One of the key action environments is looked at and discussed.
- "Cover Story: Crafting the Presidents' Book" - Even though we only see the book for a short time this featurette shows the great care taken to make this book.
- "Evolution of a Golden City" - A look at the filmmakers' vision of the fabled city and how they could represent it in the film.
- "Knights of The Gold Circle" - A look at the real Knights of the Gold Circle whose goal was to continue the Civil War.
This is a a great crop of extras with some genuinely interesting content. The fact that it is all presented in 1080i really impressed me and made me want to watch all of the features because of their sheer quality.
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