G.I. JOE: The Rise Of COBRA

The ultimate fighting force, the G.I. JOE team, travels the world from the Egyptian desert to the polar ice caps and the streets of Paris in a high stakes pursuit Of COBRA, an evil international organization threatening to use a technology that could bring the world to its knees. Armed with high-tech gadgets and weapons, including accelerator and camouflage suits, G.I. JOE is the last line of defense against those intent on world domination. (Gary Reber)

Special features on Disc One include commentary with Director Stephen Sommers and Bob Ducsay. Disc Two includes the featurette The Big Bank Theory: The Making Of (SD 29:33); Next-Gen Action: The Amazing Visual FX And Design (SD 21:07) showcases the work of the film's effects and design team, which employed over 1,650 visual effect shots; and a digital copy of the movie.

The 2.40:1 1080p AVC picture is fantastic! The imagery is a stunning visual treat for the eyes. Contrast is superb, with deep blacks and bright highlights and revealing shadow delineation. The shadows are deep in visual detail and shading. As this is overall a dark picture, the optimal viewing environment is a darkened room, preferably a black room, and a display system capable of excellent native contrast. The color palette is warm, with rich and vibrant hues. Fleshtones are consistently accurate throughout. The imagery is impressively dimensional, with objects and people nicely positioned within each frame. Blacks are deep and solid, which enhance the perception of depth. Resolution is also excellent, and close-ups reveal fine facial features and object textures. This is a wonderful picture that exhibits reference attributes. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is impressively holosonically®-enveloping, with an aggressive directionalized soundfield that has objects and weapon-fire heard in rapid frequency and direction. Bass response is deep and solid in all channels and is particularly energized to heightened levels in the .1 LFE channel. Often, low-frequency energy is system threatening. The full orchestral music score is nicely recorded and aggressively enveloping, with a wide and deep soundstage and a soundfield presence that wraps fully around. The sound is effectively dynamic, and at times the SPL is peak powerful. Instrumental timbre is articulate throughout. Dialogue is production sound and ADR but effectively integrated spatially in each scene. The atmospheric effects and sound effects are in perfect sync with the fast-moving action, and Foley is well integrated. This is a fabulous soundtrack that will challenge your sound system's capability and dynamic power. Prepare for a bombastic adrenalin rush! (Gary Reber)