GamerNode: Columns - Event Horizon Blu-ray Review

Event Horizon Blu-ray Review

Category: Industry, Posted: 12/31/2008 at 02:28PM EST by FilmPLOSION!, Brendon Lindsey

The Movie

Paul WS Anderson is a very love-him-or-hate-him director. The head of such great game-to-movie adaptations as Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, and Dead or Alive, the excitable man has long been a vocal supporter of the power of story in games. Unfortunately, his movies haven't always agreed with his beliefs.

What many movie watchers who only know Anderson for his questionable game-related films may not realize, though, is that he does have a library of well-received and well-made non-game movies, the best example of which is Event Horizon.

For horror, sci-fi, and thriller fans, Event Horizon needs no explanation. It is one of the top movies in each of those populated fields, and features some incredible acting for genres usually known for their lack of such a thing.

For those who haven't seen it, though, Event Horizon is considered a top-tier genre film for a reason. It tells a story which directly inspired Bioshock; a spaceship has lost communication with earth, so a team goes up to investigate it. Obviously, what they find isn't a malfunctioning communications system, but something much more sinister.

The greatest asset of the movie is that, unlike recent films such as Danny Boyle's Sunshine, Event Horizon gets right into the thick of things. There are no hours wasted setting up the history, or thematical leanings of the movie; minutes in, people start dying, and shit starts going down. And once the action starts, it doesn't let up. Thrilling scenes, lots of gore, wonderful camera work lending a hand to creating the fearful atmosphere-Event Horizon has everything required to be a great horror, thriller, or sci-fi film, and fans of any genre should consider this a must-own regardless of format.

Score: 4/5

The Disc

Video and Audio

Like many films from its time, the Blu-ray transfer of Event Horizon is great, but not spectacular. Presented in a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer, the film's video isn't without a few problems. Perhaps most noticeable is that some blacks and shadows just seem ... off. The result is that, in some scenes, the blacks hide details readily apparent in the DVD release. I like my blacks dark, but not so dark that they obscure the setting. One drawback of using CGI shadows, I suppose.

Another minor issue is that the video is stretched ever-so-slightly vertically. Not enough to notice offhand, but if you're looking for it you'll be able to tell.

Those issues aside, Event Horizon looks better on Blu-ray than it ever did on DVD. Grainy effects are gone, there's no noise, and the presentation of the film is much improved. My favorite aspect is that due to the increased contrast, the ship's corridors and hallways have a better sense of depth to them, appearing almost 3D. It may not look as good as other films set in hallways and corridors in that department, but compared to the original source it looks like an entirely new movie.

The film's TrueHD 5.1 sound is a worthwhile attempt, but unfortunately it's plagued by inconsistencies and off-set levels. In some scenes the dialog is very quiet, while the effects are almost too loud. The result is a constant juggling of the volume with the remote, in order to both hear what's being said, and to keep your neighbors from thinking your house has some awful problems within it.

Score: 3/5

Extras

The Blu-ray version of Event Horizon boasts the same extras as the 2-disc Collector's Edition DVD. A meaty listing of extras, but unfortunately none of them are presented in high-def, and nothing new has been dug up from the vault. What you'll get is very worthwhile and adds some nice longevity to the film-audio commentary, a making of featurette, various on-site documentaries, deleted and extended scenes, and conceptualized scenes that were never shot-but nothing is new, and nothing looks any different than it did in 2006's DVD release.

So if you were hoping for an HD upgrade for the extras, sorry to disappoint.

Score: 2/5

Verdict

Overall, Event Horizon on Blu-ray is a must-own upgrade for fans of the film, as it offers, by far, the best looking version of the movie yet. In a movie such as this, increased visual capabilities makes it an entirely new experience again. You'll notice more, and the detailed contrast and popping colors and tones will add an entire new level of suspense.

For those who haven't seen the movie before, though, you may want to consider renting the Blu-ray or just purchasing a cheap copy of the DVD. The picture quality is much-improved, but unless you know you're going to love it it's not quite enough to justify spending an extra $20 on the film since nothing else was changed or upgraded.