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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Unstoppable

    Featured In Issue 156, April 2011

    Picture3.5
    Sound3.5
    WSR Score3.5
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    2271667
    (MPAA Rating):
    PG-13
    (Rating Reason):
    Sequences of action and peril, and some language.
    (Retail Price):
    $39.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    99
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    A
    (Theatrical Year):
    2010
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    02/15/11
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Tony Scott
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    A runaway train transporting deadly toxic chemicals is barreling down on Scranton, Pennsylvania and only two men can stop it: a veteran engineer (Washington) and a young conductor (Pine). Thousands of lives hang in the balance as these ordinary heroes attempt to chase down one-million tons of hurtling steel and prevent an epic disaster. Helmed by visionary Director Tony Scott, this story, inspired by actual events, delivers excitement and suspense that are Unstoppable! (Tricia Spears)

    Special features include commentary with Director Tony Scott; the following featurettes: The Fastest Track: Unleashing Unstoppable (HD 29:41), Derailed: Anatomy Of A Scene (HD 10:01), Hanging Off The Train: Stunt Work (HD 14:25), and On The Rails With The Director And Cast (HD 13:25); "Tracking The Story: Unstoppable Script Development"; the theatrical trailer; the Digital Copy "How To"; sneak peeks; BD-Live, pocketBLU™, up-front ads, and a digital copy of the film. D-BOX® Motion Code is credited on the packaging but is absent on the disc.

    The 2.40:1 1080p AVC picture exhibits "plugged-up" imagery, with grain-infested, sharply defined visuals. As a result, the picture appears very dense and "dated" visually, with a stylized color palette with deeply hued primaries. Perhaps artistic, but generally edgy. Fleshtones are generally natural in tone but are densely rendered. Resolution is generally revealing of detail, especially close-ups of facial features, clothes, and object textures. But the grain, while filmic, is perhaps the single factor that "dates" this film, ejecting one from the sense of being there. Overall, the imagery is pleasing but not reference. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is overly bass heavy and surprisingly limited in its surround impact and effectiveness. The .1 LFE sounds bloated and undefined. Low-frequency energy is ever present, no doubt to capture the noise of heavy train engines and cars, but often unnaturally applied. Other sound effects are masks with this onslaught of low-frequency energy. Dialogue is mostly ADR and completely spatially disconnected. This is a brutal assault on the ears and on a home theatre system. The music score is there, and when in the clear delivers an enhanced surround presence. While this film's soundtrack was nominated for a Best Sound Editing Academy Award®, the emphasis on editing is deserved, but any accolades for sound finesse are questionable. Still, there are those moments when the brutal assault subsides and delineation is respectable. (Gary Reber)

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    Bryce Hudgins
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