The Astronaut's Wife Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "The Astronaut's Wife" offers an intriguing yet inconsistent visual experience, captured in 1080p/AVC-encoded video. Director of photography Allen Daviau's cinematography oscillates between bloodless and dull to dramatically engaging, resulting in a fickle palette. Skintones are generally lifelike but suffer occasional anemia, while contrast varies from drab to luminous against solid black levels and semi-satisfying delineation. Details remain consistently refined with only minor softness, and textures are effectively resolved, producing striking close-ups that maintain a filmic grain without evidence of noise reduction or invasive cleanup.

While Daviau's penchant for diffusion renders a number of shots hazy, artifacting and aliasing are notably absent, and banding is minimal with only minor instances around bright elements. Some edge enhancement appears, but it avoids creating significant halos or ringing. An aged source and Daviau's deliberate photography choices contribute to the presentation's weaknesses. However, despite these inherent flaws and occasional smearing that raises suspicion of DNR application, this Blu-ray represents a considerable upgrade over its standard DVD predecessor—delivering a generally pleasing experience for most fans, even if it falls short of videophile standards.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track for "The Astronaut's Wife" offers a generally solid sound experience that aligns well with the film's original audio design, though it does have some minor shortcomings. Dialogue clarity is commendable, with voices coming through distinctly, although there are occasional lapses into lifelessness and prioritization issues that can slightly detract from immersion. The low frequency effects (LFE) output delivers a respectable hum of ominous energy, supporting the eerie atmosphere. Rear speakers effectively expand the soundfield, bringing scenes in ballrooms, houses, and examination rooms to life with notably smooth pans, directional effects, and several chilling bursts of alien static.

On a positive note, some sequences, notably the rocket launch and intimate scenes, showcase a believable rumble and ripple through the bass, heightening the realism. The addition of ambient sounds in busy rooms further enhances the immersive experience, though exterior NYC crowd scenes could have used more dynamic sound activity. Notably, localized effects like a lone siren in the left rear speaker are impressively prioritized, contributing to a palpable sense of place. However, dialogue occasionally suffers from bluntness and static, particularly in the teaching scenes. Despite these minor flaws, the overall mix is engaging, providing a good—not great—audio track that complements the film effectively.

The extras section on the Blu-ray release of "The Astronaut's Wife" is disappointingly sparse, featuring only a single theatrical trailer. The trailer is disappointingly presented in 4:3 standard definition, which feels dated and out of place on a modern Blu-ray disc. Furthermore, it's worth noting that this minimal content isn't even listed on the back art of the Blu-ray package itself, which might lead to further disappointment for consumers expecting a richer array of supplemental materials. As it stands, the inclusion of just this one trailer does little to enhance the overall value of the Blu-ray for fans or collectors.

Extras included in this disc:

Theatrical Trailer: Presented in 4:3 standard definition, not listed on the back art.

"The Astronaut's Wife" is a 1999 sci-fi thriller directed by Rand Ravich that invites both intrigue and disappointment. At its core, the film attempts a combination of cerebral slow-burn and supernatural invasion. Charlize Theron stars as Jillian Armacost, a housewife whose life unravels after her astronaut husband, played by Johnny Depp, returns from a space mission distinctively altered following a brief communications blackout. Despite the strong performances from Theron and Depp, the film struggles to maintain its intended suspense due to an overly transparent plot and pacing that alternates between sluggish and forced.

Ravich's efforts to create tension akin to Roman Polanski's "Rosemary’s Baby" are evident but fall short. Theron delivers a commendable portrayal of rising paranoia and deteriorating mental health, providing some of the film’s most gripping moments. However, Depp’s portrayal of Commander Spencer Armacost introduces inconsistencies that detract from Ravich's vision, leading to a diluted impact of the narrative thrust. The script itself oscillates between profound and pretentious, often veering toward clichés and repetitive sequences. This undercuts its potential for genuine thrills, making the deliberate pacing appear more laborious than tantalizingly tense.

While the film does succeed in planting seeds of psychological and extraterrestrial dread, it falters with its repetitive dialogue and unconvincing plot resolutions. Technical aspects, such as special effects, are notably dated, which diminishes the overall immersion in this high-stakes domestic disturbance saga. Yet, the movie does offer layers of depth worth exploring—Theron’s character’s mental instability opens alternate interpretations beyond the surface-level alien possession storyline. Despite its structural issues, "The Astronaut's Wife" manages to evoke just enough unease to engage viewers interested in tales of psychological descent framed by science fiction.

"The Astronaut's Wife" on Blu-ray delivers a mixed bag of technical achievements and narrative shortcomings. While the film struggled in theaters and subsequently languished in obscurity on DVD, this Blu-ray release offers an opportunity to reassess this dramatic thriller. Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron deliver committed performances that ground the film, though their chemistry is less than electric. Despite director Rand Ravich's ambitions, the film is marred by plot holes and uninspired dialogue.

The Blu-ray’s video transfer, though not perfect, breathes some life into the film. The picture quality reveals the movie's dimly lit and somewhat inconsistent photography, which could disappoint viewers expecting pristine high-definition clarity. Nonetheless, the audio track stands out as a significant improvement, with a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that enhances the viewing experience.

Extras on this Blu-ray are sparse and not compelling enough to merit a purchase solely for bonus content.

Critics may balk, but The Astronaut's Wife still has its small share of impassioned fans. And more power to 'em. I adore Soderbergh's Solaris and Aronofsky's The Fountain, and both have been raked over the coals by audiences and critics alike. Ravich's distended, slowburn sci-fi chiller just doesn't do it for me. It didn't work in 1999 (although I seem to remember enjoying it more at the time) and it doesn't work in 2012. Ravich's story is full of plot holes, his script is peppered with cheesy dialogue, Depp fizzles, and Theron is left to shoulder a film preoccupied with its own grim seriousness. Warner's Blu-ray release is better -- breathing some much-needed life into the film with a decent video transfer and a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track -- but source issues, inconsistencies and at-times dingy photography don't bode well for its high-definition longevity.