Bluray Review: The Invisible
By
Brad Pipkins
Video Format: 2.35:1 1080p (AVC/MPEG-4)
Audio Format(s): English Uncompressed PCM 5.1; English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Starring: Justin Chatwin, Margarita Levieva, Chris Marquette, Marcia Gay Harden
Directed By: David S. Goyer
Release Date: 10/16/2007
General
The Invisible follows the story Nick Powell, a teenager with big ambitions to become a writer. His mother, however, has different plans for him. While walking home from a party one night, he is attacked. Beaten badly and left for dead out in the woods, he finds himself in a state of limbo. Only one person can hear him, and they must work together before it’s too late.
I really wanted to enjoy this movie, but it’s difficult given the actors in it. Out of the few recognizable names in the movie, no one gives a remotely believable performance. In fact, I’m still surprised that Marcia Gay Harden can still land work. Justin Chatwin, who starred in Spielberg’s take on War of the Worlds, fails to impress and shows why he shouldn’t be the lead in a film. I still somehow found a way to sit through the movie, and while I will probably never watch it again, the ending came out of nowhere and surprised me.
Tech Specs
Video:
I know I’ve been giving Disney props lately for their transfers, but damn if not all of them are great! The Invisible is no exception, either. The image retains the natural looking tone I recall seeing in theaters. Blacks are inky deep and shadow detail really comes through nicely, even on LCD displays. Skin tones cans look a bit off here and there, but that’s in line to what I saw in the theater on a DLP projector. While the movie isn’t anything to write home about, the transfer warrants a rental.
Audio:
We are treated to yet another PCM 48 Khz/24-bit transfer from Disney. I recall seeing this in theaters and being a bit underwhelmed with the sound design. Well, it’s even more apparent now that they used less of their budget on sound and more in other areas. The dynamics seem incredibly flat when compared to other movies. There is some low end here and there in the movie, but nothing really major and it’s kind of a bummer. There are a few scenes I can think of that would benefit from a beefier low end. Oh well, this film is mostly dialogue driven, and that comes through with crystal clarity.
Extras
Nothing really exciting here unless you are a fan of audio commentaries. The Invisible features two audio commentaries, one with Director David Goyer and Writer Christine Roum, and the other with Writer Mick Davis. Also include are two music videos (both SD), and 13 minutes of deleted scenes (in HD)
Menus/Navigation
Standard menu fare. Easy access to each of the menus, all laid out logically.
Overall Impressions
After watching The Invisible, I really started to think about the subject and became rather intrigued by it. Is it so hard to believe? I mean, it could be possible, right? I’ll leave that up to the viewer to decide. The movie itself had a great script, but I still believe it was miscast and needed much better actors. It is still an intriguing tale worth a rental, but I won’t be adding it to my cart anytime soon.
Linear Mode
