Surrogates Blu-ray Review

"Surrogates" boasts an impressive 1080p AVC/MPEG-4 transfer framed in the widescreen 2.40:1 aspect ratio, capturing the striking visuals of the original cinematic release. The transfer delivers a deeply saturated color palette, notably the cerulean blues, jarring reds, and golden hues that define Oliver Wood’s cinematography. Details are aplenty across various scenes, with highlights including the intricate textures on James Cromwell's face. The film smartly incorporates grain to evoke a graphic novel texture, catering to both aesthetic and narrative fidelity. A velvety depth in black levels with visible gradation enhances low-light and night sequences, providing appreciable dimension and dynamic range.

The visual detail is meticulously showcased with punchy and clearly defined images that capture the essence of both the steely surrogate world and the warmer human segments. Skin tones differentiate distinctly between lifelike humans and intentionally waxy surrogates, reflecting superb textural accuracy. The fluctuating hues—glowing for human settings, cold for surrogate scenarios—are captured with clean precision, free from significant technical anomalies like artifacting or aliasing. However, sporadic noise and visual inconsistencies—especially under harsh lighting—do appear but do not detract significantly from the overall experience.

Overall, this Blu-ray edition presents director Jonathan Mostow's vision with commendable clarity and depth, immersing viewers in a vividly rendered dystopian world. Despite the inherent limitations of the film's visual effects, the transfer succeeds in preserving the integrity of the cinematic experience, making it a worthwhile addition to any collection.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for "Surrogates" offers a dynamic and immersive sound experience that will certainly put any sound system through its paces. While the dialogue can occasionally seem muddy amidst the plethora of effects, the mix compensates with rich, detail-rich clarity and demanding use of the surround platform. From screeching car tires to sonically frying destructor weapons, the audio presentation leverages both subtle background sounds and aggressive LFE output to create an enveloping and action-packed auditory landscape. Composer Richard Marvin’s music score complements this intensity, seamlessly integrated into action sequences and quieter scenes alike, ensuring that the stereo pair are continually engaged.

The audio mix is not only bold and bombastic but also impressively dynamic, offering weighty and rewarding low-frequency effects and aggressive rear speaker activity. The surround mix excels in directionality, with roaring motorcycles, crashing helicopters, and flinging surrogates moving effortlessly across the soundfield. Factory machinery whirs in the distance, fleeing crowds dart in all directions, and off-camera cues are detectable with precision. The mix's atmospheric quality shines even in quieter scenes, maintaining crisp and clear dialogue that is well-prioritized within the front soundstage. This blend of immersive atmosphere and hard-hitting action sequences ensures a cohesive audio experience that enhances the film's enjoyment.

In conclusion, despite a minor critique regarding dialogue clarity during complex soundscapes, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix remains a robust and rewarding element of the Blu-ray presentation. It offers an engaging experience with precise directionality and substantial low-frequency effects, making "Surrogates" an exemplary audio spectacle. Audio options in French Dolby Digital 5.1 and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 are also included, along with subtitles in English SDH, French, and Spanish, providing a well-rounded audio offering for a diverse audience.

The Blu-ray edition of "Surrogates" presents a robust collection of high-definition extras that provide valuable insight into the production and thematic elements of the film. Noteworthy is Director Jonathan Mostow's engaging and thorough audio commentary, which delves deep into various aspects of filmmaking, including casting, lighting, and special effects. The featurette "A More Perfect You: The Science of Surrogates" explores real-world advancements in robotics and technology that echo the film's themes. "Breaking the Frame: A Graphic Novel Comes to Life" highlights the transition from comic book to screen, albeit too briefly. The selection of four deleted scenes, though not essential to the storyline, grants additional context to the film's narrative. Lastly, the music video "I Will Not Bow" by Breaking Benjamin rounds out the extras.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentary: In-depth insights from Director Jonathan Mostow.
• A More Perfect You: The Science of Surrogates: Exploration of robotics and technology.
• Breaking the Frame: A Graphic Novel Comes to Life: Transition from graphic novel to film.
• Deleted Scenes: Four additional scenes providing extra context.
• I Will Not Bow Music Video: Performed by Breaking Benjamin.

"Surrogates" on Blu-ray delivers an engaging yet somewhat underwhelming sci-fi actioner. The 1080p AVC/MPEG-4 transfer, framed at 2.40:1, faithfully replicates the graphic novel's vivid colors with added grain for texture, offering a visual treat. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround track, while dynamic with ample surround effects and a powerful score, occasionally suffers from muddied dialogue. Director Jonathan Mostow's commentary and additional featurettes provide insightful behind-the-scenes content, rounding off the Blu-ray package.

The film presents a compelling narrative where robotic surrogates allow humans to avoid the dangers of real-life interaction. Bruce Willis stars as FBI agent Tom Greer, who investigates deaths linked to surrogate destruction, leading him to navigate a world divided between pro- and anti-surrogacy factions. Although the premise is fascinating, exploring themes of isolation and identity, the execution often sidelines these philosophical questions in favor of conventional action sequences and a convoluted whodunit plot.

Mostow's direction shines in some aspects, but "Surrogates" misses opportunities for deeper exploration. The discrepancy between Greer's real-world appearance and his surrogate is underutilized, and the film's era-specific setting detracts from its believability. Despite competent performances from Willis, Radha Mitchell, James Cromwell, and Ving Rhames, the film's visual effects sometimes break immersion due to their artificial look. Ultimately, "Surrogates" entertains but falls short of harnessing its full potential, making for an above-average rental rather than a standout addition to any collection.

Disney's Blu-ray release of "Surrogates" delivers a mixed bag, offering high-quality technical presentation alongside a narrative that might not fully engage all sci-fi aficionados. Visually, the Blu-ray boasts an excellent video transfer, preserving the film's flashy aesthetics and delivering a crisp, detailed image true to the source material. The DTS-HD Master Audio track is a standout, providing a dynamic and immersive auditory experience, ensuring that action sequences resonate with power.

In terms of content, "Surrogates" navigates intriguing premises about identity and technology, but occasionally falls short by not fully exploring its thematic depth. The film offers just enough to maintain interest with notable performances, particularly by Ving Rhames, whose portrayal adds unique flavor to the otherwise standard procedural action narrative. The supplemental package includes several exclusives; however, they tend to be more average than exceptional, contributing minimally to the overall package.

In conclusion, while "Surrogates" may not reach the iconic status of earlier Bruce Willis films like "12 Monkeys" or "The Fifth Element," it stands as a competent and engaging piece of sci-fi entertainment. Its impressive technical aspects make it a worthwhile addition to any Blu-ray collection, particularly for those looking for a visually and aurally captivating experience. Sci-fi fans might find it falls short of its potential, but for an evening of mindless entertainment with high production values, "Surrogates" on Blu-ray is a solid choice.