Mr. & Mrs. Smith HD-DVD
What?
Doug Liman had quite a start to his directing career with the brilliant ‘Swingers’. To then follow up with ‘Go’ and ‘The Bourne Identity’ was some feat. I and many others were eagerly anticipating his next project. After a couple of episodes of ‘The O.C’, he went for an action comedy starring the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. On paper, this looked like a winner.
Although the cast list is impressive, the budget substantial, and the action scenes clearly well thought out, well choreographed and skilfully shot, the comedy aspect of Mr & Mrs Smith is the film’s obvious downfall. There are laughs to be had, and scattered around the two hour running time you will find some decent one liners (most from an on-form Vince Vaughn), but because the comedy is constant throughout, relentless even, the already implausible premise becomes a little silly. A little less comedy coupled with a more serious plot may have made for a better film. James Cameron’s True Lies is a similar film to Mr & Mrs Smith in many ways and manages to find the perfect balance between the two. As already mentioned, the action scenes are very impressive and more than enough reason to sit through the film (if Angelina Jolie isn’t enough for you) however. Big shiny guns and loud high-tech weaponry, fired by Pitt and Jolie certainly makes for more than the odd crowd pleasing scene I have to tell you! Director Liman creates plenty of action scenes that are over the top and exciting enough for you to look past the film’s shortcomings and still enjoy the ride if you have two hours to kill and a brain that needs a rest.
Brad and Angelina are great as the unhappily married couple with the same secret. The idea that both pretend to leave for their mundane jobs every morning, only to check in as infamous assassins working for different people is a good one. I just can’t help feeling that this film would have worked better with a slightly darker, less fluffy script. We’ll never know I guess.
Optics:
The question is simple: is this Polish sourced HD-DVD an improvement over the numerous, previously released standard definition incarnations? In a word, yes. The image is bright and bold with colour reproduction the star of the show. Reds jump off the screen while blacks are solid. Contrast is a little high in bright sunlight but I have the over saturation may have been intended. Detail is very good indeed, eclipsing the US SD releases I reviewed a while back, this HD-DVD is definitely a step up in every area.
Sonics:
Three choices are on offer here: English or Polish Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 or English DTS 5.1. I went for the English lossy option and was impressed from the get go. Explosions thump with aggressive bass, gunshots pound, while the surround speakers get a serious workout with endless effects during the action sequences. In fairness this is one track that would be hard to get wrong thanks to the numerous action scenes, but the dynamic range also deserves praise. Dialogue is crisp, while the score and music soundtrack sound smooth and clear. The DD Plus track manages to move from a quiet, "romantic" moment, complete with soft music, to all out mayhem seamlessly and effectively. Action junkies are going to have fun with this one!
Extras:
Nothing.
Well?
This is the second time I have watched Mr & Mrs Smith, and while I enjoyed the action scenes more this time around thanks to the improves image and soundtrack, I enjoyed the film itself less. If you are a fan looking for an upgrade or simply an action junkie in general, this comes recommended.
Tom Day
Doug Liman had quite a start to his directing career with the brilliant ‘Swingers’. To then follow up with ‘Go’ and ‘The Bourne Identity’ was some feat. I and many others were eagerly anticipating his next project. After a couple of episodes of ‘The O.C’, he went for an action comedy starring the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. On paper, this looked like a winner.
Although the cast list is impressive, the budget substantial, and the action scenes clearly well thought out, well choreographed and skilfully shot, the comedy aspect of Mr & Mrs Smith is the film’s obvious downfall. There are laughs to be had, and scattered around the two hour running time you will find some decent one liners (most from an on-form Vince Vaughn), but because the comedy is constant throughout, relentless even, the already implausible premise becomes a little silly. A little less comedy coupled with a more serious plot may have made for a better film. James Cameron’s True Lies is a similar film to Mr & Mrs Smith in many ways and manages to find the perfect balance between the two. As already mentioned, the action scenes are very impressive and more than enough reason to sit through the film (if Angelina Jolie isn’t enough for you) however. Big shiny guns and loud high-tech weaponry, fired by Pitt and Jolie certainly makes for more than the odd crowd pleasing scene I have to tell you! Director Liman creates plenty of action scenes that are over the top and exciting enough for you to look past the film’s shortcomings and still enjoy the ride if you have two hours to kill and a brain that needs a rest.
Brad and Angelina are great as the unhappily married couple with the same secret. The idea that both pretend to leave for their mundane jobs every morning, only to check in as infamous assassins working for different people is a good one. I just can’t help feeling that this film would have worked better with a slightly darker, less fluffy script. We’ll never know I guess.
Optics:
The question is simple: is this Polish sourced HD-DVD an improvement over the numerous, previously released standard definition incarnations? In a word, yes. The image is bright and bold with colour reproduction the star of the show. Reds jump off the screen while blacks are solid. Contrast is a little high in bright sunlight but I have the over saturation may have been intended. Detail is very good indeed, eclipsing the US SD releases I reviewed a while back, this HD-DVD is definitely a step up in every area.
Sonics:
Three choices are on offer here: English or Polish Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 or English DTS 5.1. I went for the English lossy option and was impressed from the get go. Explosions thump with aggressive bass, gunshots pound, while the surround speakers get a serious workout with endless effects during the action sequences. In fairness this is one track that would be hard to get wrong thanks to the numerous action scenes, but the dynamic range also deserves praise. Dialogue is crisp, while the score and music soundtrack sound smooth and clear. The DD Plus track manages to move from a quiet, "romantic" moment, complete with soft music, to all out mayhem seamlessly and effectively. Action junkies are going to have fun with this one!
Extras:
Nothing.
Well?
This is the second time I have watched Mr & Mrs Smith, and while I enjoyed the action scenes more this time around thanks to the improves image and soundtrack, I enjoyed the film itself less. If you are a fan looking for an upgrade or simply an action junkie in general, this comes recommended.
Tom Day
Price: £21.99
Director:
Doug Liman
Starring:
Brad Pitt
Angelina Jolie
Vince Vaughn
Best line:
"These doors are useful....."
Tagline:
Description:
Monolith
Poland
1Hr 55 Mins
2.35:1
(Anamorphic)
Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 (English)
DTS 5.1 (English)
Ratings: (Out of 5)
Film 6.0
Optics 9.0
Sonics 9.0
Extras 0.0
Overall 7.0
