WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Drop Zone
Genre:Action Adventure

Reviewed In Issue 15 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Wesley Snipes, Gary Busey, Yancy Butler, Michael Jeter

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 5
Sound Rating: 5
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
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Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): Paramount Home Video
(Catalog Number): LV 32734-WS
(MPAA Rating): R
(Retail Price): $$44.98
(Running Time In Minutes): 101
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1994
(LD Release Date): 6/95
(THX® Digitally Mastered): Yes

Credits Information
(Director): John Badham
(Screenplay/Written By): Peter Barsocchini & John Bishop
(Story): Tony Griffin, Guy Manos & Peter Barsocchini
(Music): Hans Zimmer
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Joe Alves
(Visual Effects): Boss Film Studios
(Costume Designer): Mary E. Vogt
(Editor): Frank Morriss
(Supervising Sound Editors): NA
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): John Badham
(Co-Producers): Doug Claybourne
(Producers): D.J. Carusa, Wallis Nicita & Lauren Lloyd

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography): Panavision
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.08:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Digital
(Theatrical Sound): DTS & Dolby Digital
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital):
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Drop Zone is a fast moving skydiving action thriller with Wesley Snipes playing the part of Pete Nessip, a U.S. Marshall assigned to escort a computer specialist prisoner. While they are aboard a 747 jet, a band of daring and deadly cohorts hijack the plane and make a bold parachute escape at 30,000 feet, taking the prisoner with them and leaving the plane and its passengers in chaos. Nessip sets out to find the techno-terrorists with the aid of former DEA agent-gone-bad (Busey), and free-falls into the daredevil world of skydiving.

LaserDisc Picture:
The Panavision® scope picture has been significantly recomposed at 2.08:1. The picture quality however, is absolutely stunning, no doubt due to the quality-assurance THX® Laser Disc Program. Images are sharp and detailed, and shadow detail is excellent. Fleshtones are accurate and colors are vibrant and richly hued for a perfectly natural look. Blacks are deep and solid and the picture has no distracting noise or grain, nor artifacts.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
Drop Zone is the sixth Dolby AC-3® Surround LaserDisc. In a comparison of the Dolby ProLogic matrix to the discrete soundtrack the Dolby AC-3 presentation has a slightly wider front stereo stage, improved inner detail, better conveyed subtleties and discrete directional localization in the stereo surrounds. Bass extension and dynamics are superb. Both are excellent and both portray a superb aggressive surround ambience with the discrete preferred for its better definition.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
(Aggressive System Surround):
(Intense 25Hz Bass):
(Deep Bass Challenging):
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield):
(Aggressive Split Surround):
(Center Back Surround Imaging):
(Directionalized Dialogue):
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: