A solid entry in the Eastwood oeuvre, one which manages to sustain its tension . . . .
Video:
"In the Line of Fire" was transferred to a BD-50 dual-layered disc using AVC/MPEG-4 encoding, and for the most part the 1080p picture looks very good. Presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio, the film offers pleasingly saturated colors for a catalog title and a nice amount of detail. Black levels are satisfactory, but there's a light graininess that's noticeable in a number of scenes, especially outdoor shots where the sky is light.
Audio:
Sony went with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 on this title, with audio options in English, French, and Portuguese, a Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, and subtitles in English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Dutch, Bahasa, and Korean.
This is a quiet thriller, meaning it's a little more cerebral than it is whiz-bang action frame after frame, and so you don't really get the feeling that this audio soundtrack has been put through its paces--kind of like driving a Corvette Stingray at 30 miles per hour. What's here, though, is well mixed, with a nice balance between the dialogue and FX. The bass is robust but not rumbling, and while the spread across the front speakers could have been wider, it's still not so narrow that it confines the sound centrally.
Extras:
All of the bonus features are in standard definition and English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, with subtitles in French, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, and Dutch. Two roughly 20-minute documentaries from the Special Edition appear here: "In the Line of Fire: The Ultimate Sacrifice," and "Behind the Scenes with the Secret Service." The latter gives us Bob Snow, former assistant director of the Secret Service and the film's technical adviser, along with the usual clips and interviews. Frankly, though, they're pretty average. I wanted a little more information. Then again, if they told us, they'd probably have to kill us. Two mini-features of half the length are also carried over from the Special Edition: "How'd They Do That?" and "Catching the Counterfeiters," which gives more basic overview. There are five deleted scenes as well-the same ones from the DVD-and a commentary by director Wolfgang Petersen that's also carried over from the DVD and is worth listening to, because Petersen talks about his other movies as well. Not feeling comfortable appearing by himself, Petersen asked J. M. Kinney, producer of the Special Edition DVD, to join him. It's an emotional crutch, though, because Petersen has no trouble talking through the process, prompted by Kinney's occasional questions.
Bottom Line:
"In the Line of Fire" is a solid entry in the Eastwood oeuvre, one which manages to sustain its tension while also giving viewers characters that aren't just driven by the plot. That's what good writing and good direction can do for a film.
"In the Line of Fire" was transferred to a BD-50 dual-layered disc using AVC/MPEG-4 encoding, and for the most part the 1080p picture looks very good. Presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio, the film offers pleasingly saturated colors for a catalog title and a nice amount of detail. Black levels are satisfactory, but there's a light graininess that's noticeable in a number of scenes, especially outdoor shots where the sky is light.
Audio:
Sony went with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 on this title, with audio options in English, French, and Portuguese, a Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, and subtitles in English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Dutch, Bahasa, and Korean.
This is a quiet thriller, meaning it's a little more cerebral than it is whiz-bang action frame after frame, and so you don't really get the feeling that this audio soundtrack has been put through its paces--kind of like driving a Corvette Stingray at 30 miles per hour. What's here, though, is well mixed, with a nice balance between the dialogue and FX. The bass is robust but not rumbling, and while the spread across the front speakers could have been wider, it's still not so narrow that it confines the sound centrally.
Extras:
All of the bonus features are in standard definition and English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, with subtitles in French, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, and Dutch. Two roughly 20-minute documentaries from the Special Edition appear here: "In the Line of Fire: The Ultimate Sacrifice," and "Behind the Scenes with the Secret Service." The latter gives us Bob Snow, former assistant director of the Secret Service and the film's technical adviser, along with the usual clips and interviews. Frankly, though, they're pretty average. I wanted a little more information. Then again, if they told us, they'd probably have to kill us. Two mini-features of half the length are also carried over from the Special Edition: "How'd They Do That?" and "Catching the Counterfeiters," which gives more basic overview. There are five deleted scenes as well-the same ones from the DVD-and a commentary by director Wolfgang Petersen that's also carried over from the DVD and is worth listening to, because Petersen talks about his other movies as well. Not feeling comfortable appearing by himself, Petersen asked J. M. Kinney, producer of the Special Edition DVD, to join him. It's an emotional crutch, though, because Petersen has no trouble talking through the process, prompted by Kinney's occasional questions.
Bottom Line:
"In the Line of Fire" is a solid entry in the Eastwood oeuvre, one which manages to sustain its tension while also giving viewers characters that aren't just driven by the plot. That's what good writing and good direction can do for a film.
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[release]23621[/release]