Sir Terrence the Terrible
11-17-2005, 10:07 AM
There were some aspects of the movie I totally liked, and others parts that landed like a pregnant yack just before giving birth.
Taking Top Gun to a new level, Stealth features three rather flat uninspiring naval pilots who are the self-professed best at what they do. Brash and conceited team leader Lt. Ben Gannon (Josh Lucas) shrugs off authority and makes impulsive decisions on assignment. His wingman is a competent dependable woman, Kara (Jessica Biel). Of course, she's attracted to Ben despite knowing he's a bad boy and it would be a career ending relationship. The triumvirate's third leg is cocky Henry (Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx, in an odd followup to Ray), who's content to use his rank to get himself laid.
Their team is thrown a curveball when the Navy unveils the E.D.I., a pilotless stealth jet equipped with artificial intelligence and programmed to think like the military's finest fighters. Ben balks, but his superiors dismiss his concerns. Of course, the lieutenant's fears are confirmed when a lightning bolt (yes, a lightning bolt) fries the E.D.I.'s systems, and the haywire jet abruptly embarks on its own deadly missions.
Some of the worst moments of this film happen when the Navy learns that three of the world's top terrorists are meeting in the same location minutes before they gather! And a separate gaggle of warmongers carry nuclear warheads to their castle lair on the back of oxen. Lucas buys into the nonsense and drags Biel with him, while Foxx ignores the fluff and coasts through on personality.
The fighter battles in this movie are excellent as are all the visuals. But there are plot holes aplenty, and some geographical errors of direction that cannot be overlooked.
The video is superb. Mastered in HD, I was very impressed with the 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen image. The blacks were spot-on black, the colors were vivid and the detail level was excellent. The explosions seemed to leap off the screen with bright orange tongues of flame that were textured and realistic. The night scenes looked great too, with good color saturation and a details that weren't lost in shadows. Digital defects were nonexistent as far as I could notice. An all around great looking DVD.
This film offers the viewer the option of screening the movie with a Dolby Digital or DTS soundtrack in English, along with a stereo surround sound French dub or, surprisingly, a 5.1 dub in Thai. I viewed it listening to both the DD and DTS track.If you like your sound a little distant and pooled around your speakers(simulates increased seperation), the DD track is for you. If you like your sound coherent with a wide soundfield in every direction, and a VERY tight LFE, Dts is your pick Whichever you choose the audio to this movie is top-tier. The explosions, of which there are many, shake the windows and rattle the doors. More importantly the quiet parts of the film sound great too. The high notes of the background music are crisp and the whole soundtrack is clean. There good use made of all of the speakers, with planes seemingly flying overhead and from left to right. Dialog is always clear and easily understood. An excellent sounding disc.
If you like mindless action movies, this is a keeper. If a plot and good continuety is more important to you, you might want to give this movie a pass.
Taking Top Gun to a new level, Stealth features three rather flat uninspiring naval pilots who are the self-professed best at what they do. Brash and conceited team leader Lt. Ben Gannon (Josh Lucas) shrugs off authority and makes impulsive decisions on assignment. His wingman is a competent dependable woman, Kara (Jessica Biel). Of course, she's attracted to Ben despite knowing he's a bad boy and it would be a career ending relationship. The triumvirate's third leg is cocky Henry (Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx, in an odd followup to Ray), who's content to use his rank to get himself laid.
Their team is thrown a curveball when the Navy unveils the E.D.I., a pilotless stealth jet equipped with artificial intelligence and programmed to think like the military's finest fighters. Ben balks, but his superiors dismiss his concerns. Of course, the lieutenant's fears are confirmed when a lightning bolt (yes, a lightning bolt) fries the E.D.I.'s systems, and the haywire jet abruptly embarks on its own deadly missions.
Some of the worst moments of this film happen when the Navy learns that three of the world's top terrorists are meeting in the same location minutes before they gather! And a separate gaggle of warmongers carry nuclear warheads to their castle lair on the back of oxen. Lucas buys into the nonsense and drags Biel with him, while Foxx ignores the fluff and coasts through on personality.
The fighter battles in this movie are excellent as are all the visuals. But there are plot holes aplenty, and some geographical errors of direction that cannot be overlooked.
The video is superb. Mastered in HD, I was very impressed with the 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen image. The blacks were spot-on black, the colors were vivid and the detail level was excellent. The explosions seemed to leap off the screen with bright orange tongues of flame that were textured and realistic. The night scenes looked great too, with good color saturation and a details that weren't lost in shadows. Digital defects were nonexistent as far as I could notice. An all around great looking DVD.
This film offers the viewer the option of screening the movie with a Dolby Digital or DTS soundtrack in English, along with a stereo surround sound French dub or, surprisingly, a 5.1 dub in Thai. I viewed it listening to both the DD and DTS track.If you like your sound a little distant and pooled around your speakers(simulates increased seperation), the DD track is for you. If you like your sound coherent with a wide soundfield in every direction, and a VERY tight LFE, Dts is your pick Whichever you choose the audio to this movie is top-tier. The explosions, of which there are many, shake the windows and rattle the doors. More importantly the quiet parts of the film sound great too. The high notes of the background music are crisp and the whole soundtrack is clean. There good use made of all of the speakers, with planes seemingly flying overhead and from left to right. Dialog is always clear and easily understood. An excellent sounding disc.
If you like mindless action movies, this is a keeper. If a plot and good continuety is more important to you, you might want to give this movie a pass.