Director
Kathryn Bigelow's action-packed cops and robbers movie, set among California's surfing subculture, has long been considered (by those who would admit such things) a guilty pleasure of the first order. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment's DVD release will hopefully expose a whole new generation to the movie's cinematic charms. Though it's unfortunately virtually a no-frills disc, the picture and sound are spectacular. The film is available in anamorphic widescreen (aspect ratio 2.35:1), though it has not been remastered. Regardless, the print used is in pretty good shape. There is some occasional grain, but the image is always stable and the colors (and there are many bright colors here that could have caused some problems) always look balanced and correct. A decent print overall. But the disc really flexes its digital muscles with the various soundtracks. Available in an English DTS mix, English 4.1 Surround, English Dolby two-channel Surround or a French Dolby Surround option, the sound design sounds awesome no matter which one viewers choose. This movie relies so heavily upon its aggressive sound design that one really needs to crank it up to fully enjoy its high-flying, over-the-top power. Two theatrical trailers have also been included, as well as a short promotional featurette that does not really add anything to the movie. ~ Derek Hill, All Movie Guide