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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Deep Impact
    Genre:Action Adventure

    Reviewed In Issue 31 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Robert Duvall, Téa Leone, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Maximilian Schell, James Cromwell, Ron Eldard, Jon Favreau, Laura Innes Mary McCormack, Richard Schiff, Lelee Sobieski, Blair Underwood, Morgan Freeman

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 3.5
    Sound Rating: 5
    Download WSR Review
    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
    Internet Links

    Supplementals

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): Paramount Home Video
    (Catalog Number): LD330821-WS
    (MPAA Rating): PG13
    (Retail Price): $39.98
    (Running Time In Minutes): 121
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Theatrical Release): 1998
    (LD Release Date): 11/98
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): Mimi Leder
    (Screenplay/Written By): Bruce Joel Rubin & Michael Tolkin
    (Story): NA
    (Music): James Horner
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): Leslie Dilley
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor): David Rosenbloom, ACE
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): Steven Spielberg, Walter Parkes & Joan Bradshaw
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers): Richard D. Zanuck & David Brown

    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography): Super 35
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.40:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.32:1

    DVD Sound Information
    (DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Digital Surround
    (Theatrical Sound): DTS, SDDS & Dolby Digital
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (Remastered Dolby Digital): No
    (Remastered DTS Digital Surround): No
    (Additional Languages):

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    Deep Impact features an all-star cast coping with the knowledge that in a handful of days an enormous comet is going to collide with the earth wiping out all of humanity. Combining their efforts, they work to find a solution to the impending doom.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    Images are sharp and detailed with nicely rendered clarity and texture, though sometimes sofly focused. Color fidelity appears natural, with accurate fleshtones and deep solid blacks. Some scenes appear a bit too contrasted, but shadow delineation is generally good throughout. The picture is framed at 2.32:1.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The Dolby® Digital discrete 5.1 and matrix PCM soundtracks are fantastic. Spatial dimension is superb and delineates a holosonic soundfield experience. The discrete version is directional with split surround delineation; heightened with dramatically deep, powerful .1 LFE bass enhancement. The music score is sweeping and expansive with excellent imaging across the soundstage. Dialogue is the least effective sound element and often sounds close miked and ADR-processed with poor spatial integration. The matrix PCM version better resolves low level ambience, but the discrete conquers with better delineated spatial definition.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz): Yes
    (Aggressive System Surround): Yes
    (Intense 25Hz Bass): Yes
    (Deep Bass Challenging): Yes
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield): Yes
    (Aggressive Split Surround): Yes
    (Center Back Surround Imaging): No
    (Directionalized Dialogue): No
    Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
    Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
    		 Yes
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    		 No
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    		 No
    Superb Cinematography:
    		 -
    Reference LaserDisc:
    		 No
    Collector Edition:
    		 No
    DVD To LaserDisc Comparison:
    The LaserDisc, when compared to the non-anamorphic DVD, exhibits slightly softer images. Images are sharp and detailed with nicely rendered clarity and texture. Color fidelity appears natural, with accurate fleshtones and deep solid blacks. Colors are slightly more fully saturated on the DVD, while fleshtones appear yellow on the LaserDisc by direct comparison. The DVD appears to have been created from a composite source due to apparent NTSC artifacts and inter-field jitter. On both versions, some scenes appear a bit too contrasted, but shadow delineation is generally good throughout. Had the DVD been anamorphically enhanced, the improvement would have been breathtaking. The LaserDisc and DVD are framed at 2.32:1. The Dolby® Digital discrete 5.1 soundtracks on the DVD and LaserDisc, and the matrix PCM LaserDisc soundtrack, sound fantastic. Spatial dimension is superb and delineates a holosonic soundfield experience. The discrete version is directional with split surround delineation; heightened with dramatically deep, powerful .1 LFE bass enhancement. The music score is sweeping and expansive with excellent imaging across the soundstage. Dialogue is the least effective sound element and often sounds close miked and ADR-processed with poor spatial integration. The matrix PCM version better resolves low level ambience, but the discrete conquers with better delineated spatial definition.