Directed by: Peter Berg
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Brooklyn Decker, Liam Neeson, Tadanobu Asano, Hamish Linklater
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributed by: Universal Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Running Time: 131 minutes
Film: 1 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars
When the reviews and bad press came out surrounding this film, I thought to myself…could it really be that bad? Holy Shit! Yes it was. I am a guy and not even the action in the film could keep my interest. I found myself literally laughing out loud at some (if not all) of the dialogue. I have no idea how they thought that they had a decent movie here at all. Liam Neeson pops in and out every 30-40 minutes and is basically misused, as is Brooklyn Decker who they push to the side. Alexander Skarsgård also let’s just say has a “small” appearance in the film. Taylor Kitsch doesn’t know whether he wants to play the role seriously or comedically. I would normally say if you are looking for a fun time check it out, but I honestly can’t say that about this film. Did I also mention it is almost 2 1/2 hours?
Universal’s Blu-ray on the other hand doesn’t disappoint at all. The film cost well over $200 million dollars, so the special effects and CG work is just fantastic. Even though the “aliens” look like retarded cavemen. The 1080p video presentation looks close to amazing. It is also packed with a surround sound breaking DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track. I have to admit the one thing I loved in this film was the bass-filled noise when the aliens are showcased, that sounds amazing on the surround track. The release itself is combo pack with the Blu-ray, a DVD disc, a digital copy and also a Ultraviolet digital streaming copy (which I will NOT be adding to my Flixster account). The film is also jam-packed with actual decent special features, which end up being quite more entertaining than the film itself.
The first extra we have is “All Access with Director Peter Berg”, which is a hosted Picture-in-Picture video commentary with interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes, etc. As much as I am not a fan of Berg, this was decent. There is an interactive “Second Screen Experience” available via your tablet or PC. If you thought the original theatrical ending was bad, the “Alternate Ending Previsualization” is honestly worse. “USS Missouri VIP Tour” is an overview of the actual ships history. “Preparing for Battle” is a cross-over from the game to the film. “All Hands on Deck: The Cast” features Berg talking about the film’s cast. “Engage in Battle” including two location shooting featurettes: “Shooting at Sea” and “All Aboard the Fleet”. “Commander Pete” focusing on the directing style of the genius (sarcasm!) Berg. Lastly, “The Visual Effects” is one of the best features, though sadly it also the shortest.