Carnage is a razor sharp, biting comedy centered on parental differences. After two boys duke it out on a playground, the "victim's" parents, liberal writer Penelope Longstreet (Foster) and her wholesaler husband, Michael (Reilly), invite the "bully's" parents, power couple Nancy (Winslet) and Alan Cowan (Waltz), over to work out their issues. A polite discussion of child rearing soon escalates into verbal warfare, with all four parents revealing their true colors. None of them will escape the carnage. Based on the play "Le Dieu Du Carnage" by Yasmina Reza. (Tricia Spears)
Special features include the featurettes Actors' Notes (HD 10:38), An Evening With John C. Reilly And Christoph Waltz (HD 38:03), and On The Red Carpet (HD 03:30); the theatrical trailer; previews; up-front ads; and BD-Live functionality.
The 2.34:1 1080p AVC picture appears naturally lit with a slightly darkish cast but is consistently natural in overall appearance. The picture unfolds in an interior-living setting throughout the storytelling. Few color highlights are exhibited, but hues appear accurate otherwise. Fleshtones are naturally rendered. Contrast is generally well balanced, even with the darker stylistic composition. Resolution is excellent with fine detail revealed in facial features, hair, clothing, and object textures. The imagery is sharp and clear throughout, with virtually no softness exhibited. The picture is pristine as well. This is a fine-looking visual experience that is natural throughout. (Gary Reber)
The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.0-channel soundtrack is virtually all dialogue driven, with a very dry mix. Other than the excellent dialogue representation, there are no distinguishing sonic attributes. The music is limited, though, spatially dimensional. Atmospherics and sound effects are subtle. Thus, surround envelopment is virtually nil. (Gary Reber)