Branded Blu-ray Review
Score: 41
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
Branded's intriguing ideas are buried under a morass of incomprehensibility; while the Blu-ray boasts decent audio, its overall underwhelming package is best avoided.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 44
"Lionsgate Films presents 'Branded' on Blu-ray with an inconsistent 1080p transfer (2.40:1) marred by severe banding, low contrast, fluctuating black levels, and a heavy color grading resulting in a dreary aesthetic. While some scenes achieve excellent fine detail, overall quality suffers significantly."
Audio: 59
Branded's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack delivers a clear and immersive experience with excellent fidelity, pronounced surround activity, and well-mixed dialogue. The dynamic range is decent, though not immense, and while some effects are overly localized, the overall audio performance remains strong and engaging.
Extra: 16
The commentary by Jamie Bradshaw and Alexander Doulerain on the Blu-ray of 'Branded' falls flat, offering little insight or meaningful explanation, focusing instead on scene descriptions; complemented by two HD theatrical trailers that add no additional value.
Movie: 21
"Branded" is an ambitious yet muddled film that fails to deliver on its marketing promise of a dystopian sci-fi thriller. Overloaded with disjointed ideas and surreal elements, it struggles to coherently satirize consumerism and branding. Despite featuring Max von Sydow, the film's baffling narrative and unconvincing characters make it a forgettable viewing experience.
Video: 44
The Blu-ray transfer of "Branded," presented by Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p format in 2.40:1, demonstrates mixed results. This presentation exhibits significant banding, particularly during fade-ins and fade-outs, among the worst seen in recent live-action films. Adding to the visual inconsistency, select flashback scenes are letterboxed in approximately 1.66:1, which disrupts the viewing continuity. The cinematography adopts a low contrast, resulting in a dreary, joyless atmosphere—apt for the film's subject, yet detrimental to the high-definition experience. Employing an aggressive color grading in the post-production phase, particularly green and blue tones, diminishes fine detail and contributes to a gauzy appearance throughout substantial portions of the movie. However, extreme close-ups do benefit from excellent fine object detail.
Black levels are particularly troublesome, as they fluctuate and cause murky shadows, obscuring finer background details. Despite these significant drawbacks, there are instances where the transfer shines brightly, displaying reasonably sharp definition and moments of clarity. Facial complexions, in particular, are quite revealing, and reds and greens are accurately rendered. Unfortunately, these positives do not outweigh the negatives. Overall, while "Branded" offers a few excellent sequences with distinct clarity and impressive fine detail during close-ups, issues such as severe banding, variable black levels, and low-contrast cinematography lead to a mostly average and unsatisfactory Blu-ray presentation.
Audio: 59
The audio presentation on the Blu-ray release of "Branded" features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that significantly outshines the film's visual quality, presenting a thoroughly immersive auditory experience. The mix demonstrates impressive fidelity and a strategic use of surround channels to capture the hustle and bustle of dystopian Moscow. Explosive bursts of low-frequency effects (LFE) punctuate key moments of the film, particularly during intense lightning storms. Additionally, the dynamic range, while not exceptional, is wide enough to enhance the overall sonic realism. Dialogue is rendered with clarity and is generally well-separated from ambient effects and music, although there are occasional intelligibility issues, particularly with certain character lines.
The front-heavy audio presentation excels in clarity and mid-range detail while offering a substantial low-end oomph that bolsters both action sequences and the musical score. The soundstage benefits from excellent channel separation and features several standout moments of atmospheric integration. Effects like the ambience of bustling streets and environmental sounds such as dogs barking add layers of realism. However, some atmospheric effects—particularly during scenes of marketing monsters fighting—come in at slightly louder decibels and can be easily localized, potentially detracting from an otherwise cohesive sound experience. Despite this minor flaw, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track provides an enjoyable and robust audio experience for "Branded".
Extras: 16
The extras on the Blu Ray of "Branded" are somewhat underwhelming, largely due to the lack of insightful commentary. The commentary track with filmmakers Jamie Bradshaw and Aleksandr Dulerayn misses the mark, offering little more than superficial observations about on-screen action, rather than delving into the creative process or thematic depth. Fortunately, the disc does include two theatrical trailers which present the film's marketing approach effectively in high definition.
Extras included in this disc:
- Commentary with Writers, Directors and Producers Jamie Bradshaw and Alexander Doulerain: Lacks meaningful insight, mostly describing on-screen action.
- Theatrical Trailer 1 (HD): First preview of the film.
- Theatrical Trailer 2 (HD): Second preview of the film.
Movie: 21
"Branded," directed by Jamie Bradshaw and Alexander Doulerain, presents an ambitious yet convoluted satire exploring modern consumer culture. The film attempts to navigate through multiple genres, dabbling in science fiction, surrealism, and conspiracy thriller elements. However, it falters due to its incoherent narrative and overloaded thematic content. The story follows Misha (Ed Stoppard), a former advertising wunderkind who undergoes a bizarre transformation, granting him the ability to perceive sinister visual manifestations of branding's influence on humanity. Despite aiming for a critique of rampant consumerism akin to "The Simpsons," the film’s hyperbolic execution renders it pretentious and hard to comprehend.
The plot is marred by disparate and often ludicrous sequences, including a subplot about a grotesque makeover show sabotaged by a secretive cabal led by Max von Sydow's Marketing Guru. Misha's transition from shamanistic visionary back to a corporate figure is jarringly inconsistent, with surreal CGI depicting marketing's parasitic grip on consumers — elements that detract rather than enhance the narrative. The film’s disjointed continuity attempts a satirical climax reminiscent of Buñuel but fails to maintain coherence or engagement.
The misleading marketing of "Branded," ironically reflective of the film’s critique, promises a dystopian sci-fi action thriller which it doesn’t deliver. Max von Sydow’s role is reduced to a brief cameo, contrary to implications of his central involvement. The character dynamics, especially between Stoppard’s Misha and Leelee Sobieski’s Abby, lack depth and rationale, resulting in unconvincing romantic and professional arcs. With clumsy execution and unfulfilled potential, "Branded" mirrors the very advertising excess it seeks to criticize, ultimately falling short of making a substantive impact.
Total: 41
"Branded" is an ambitious film that seeks to critique the manipulative tactics of the marketing and advertising world. However, it falls short of delivering a cohesive narrative, leaving audiences bewildered and struggling to piece together its convoluted plot. The movie introduces some intriguing concepts but fails to develop them adequately, resulting in a morass of incomprehensible sequences. Regrettably, the execution of these ideas is muddled to the point where viewers might spend more time contemplating unrelated thoughts than engaging with the film's intended message.
The Blu-ray presentation of "Branded" offers an average visual experience with a transfer that somewhat captures the film's varying tones and settings. The audio quality fares better, providing a clear and immersive soundstage that enhances the occasional moments of compelling dialogue and atmosphere. Unfortunately, the supplementary materials on this release are sparse, offering little in terms of insightful behind-the-scenes content or meaningful additions to the understanding of the film's creation process.
You know you're in trouble when all you can think about during a film is something completely unrelated to what's actually going on. And for me, "Branded" came down to marveling over how much Leelee Sobieski looks and sounds like Helen Hunt. I kept thinking about how great it would be to see them as mother and daughter or even sisters in a film. That makes about as much sense as anything you'll actually see in "Branded". The sad thing is the partners who wrote, produced and directed this film obviously have at least a modicum of craft, and there are some really great ideas buried in the morass of incomprehensibility that makes up the bulk of this film. Maybe Bradshaw and Doulerain just needed someone like Don Draper to come along and fashion their pitch a little more artfully.
Blu-ray.com review by Jeffrey KauffmanRead review here
Video: 60
To pun rather horribly, this film could have been titled Banding, for it exhibits some of the worst live action banding I've personally witnessed in some time, especially as scenes fade in or fade out...
Audio: 90
Branded's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio is a good deal better than the image quality, with a well rendered and frequently quite immersive mix that offers excellent fidelity and some nicely done...
Extras: 20
This commentary would have been the perfect place for Bradshaw and Doulerain to get into some of the nuts and bolts of what they were trying to express....
Movie: 30
The fact that any given episode of The Simpsons manages to completely skewer the febrile world of crass consumerism (and in less than thirty minutes to boot) might be at least one indication that Branded...
Total: 40
I kept thinking about how great it would be to see them as mother and daughter or even sisters in a film....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 60
Facial complexions are actually quite revealing, and the majority of the colors are accurately rendered, particularly the reds and greens....
Audio: 60
Sadly, these same atmospherics come in a slightly louder decibel and much-too easily localized, becoming a bit of an issue during the scenes with the marketing monsters fighting each other....
Extras: 0
Audio Commentary — Feeling more like a scene by scene discussion, this commentary with filmmakers Jamie Bradshaw and Aleksandr Dulerayn is another complete dud....
Movie: 20
As the two main leads, Stoppard and Sobieski, are complete duds, falling madly in love with one another without providing a single reason why either of them is the least bit interesting....
Total: 40
It only succeeds, however, at leaving audiences in a bewildering stupor and lulling them to sleep, not the sort of awakening the filmmakers probably had in mind....
Director: Jamie Bradshaw, Aleksandr Dulerayn
Actors: Ed Stoppard, Leelee Sobieski, Jeffrey Tambor
PlotIn a dystopian future where corporate brands infiltrate every aspect of society, marketing genius Misha Galkin rises through the ranks of a powerful advertising firm. As he masterminds campaigns that manipulate public perception, he begins an affair with the agency's executive, Abby. Their relationship becomes strained as Misha struggles with the ethical implications of his work. His conscience takes a darker turn when a failed marketing stunt leaves a boy in a coma, prompting Misha to reevaluate his career and the impact of pervasive consumerism on the human psyche.
Haunted by his past actions, Misha isolates himself and undertakes a profound transformation, seeking to expose the insidious influence of global marketing giants. He embarks on a personal journey to dismantle the corporate machinery, discovering that the brands have taken on a monstrous life of their own, literally feeding off human desires. Utilizing bizarre and mystical methods, Misha wages a one-man war against these entities, determined to liberate society from their grasp. His mission confronts him with the terrifying consequences of a world dominated by omnipotent brands, pushing him toward a climactic showdown with the very forces he once served.
Writers: Jamie Bradshaw, Aleksandr Dulerayn
Release Date: 07 Sep 2012
Runtime: 106 min
Rating: R
Country: United States, Russia
Language: English, Russian