BLU-RAY
REVIEW: SAFE HOUSE
6/03/12

OVERVIEW: A rogue CIA operative is targeted for assassination and an idealistic rookie agent must prove himself by keeping them both alive in the exhilarating and explosive action-thriller Safe House, available June 5, 2012 on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet™ and Digital Copy and DVD as well as On Demand from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Two-time Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington (Training Day, Unstoppable) and Ryan Reynolds (The Change-Up, Green Lantern) star as unlikely allies up against an unknown enemy in an adrenaline-pumping game of cat and mouse.
The Safe House Blu-ray™ Combo Pack delivers the film in perfect hi-def picture and perfect hi-def sound and features extensive bonus content including a “making of” featurette, interviews with cast and crew, and exclusive looks behind the scenes of the stylish and intense spy thriller.
The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack also includes UltraViolet™, a DVD and a Digital Copy of the film – so consumers can truly enjoy the movie anytime, anywhere, on the device of their choice! UltraViolet™ is the revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows in the cloud to instantly stream and download to computers, tablets and smart phones. In addition, consumers can redeem a DigitalCopy of the film from a variety of retail partners, who offer many viewing options including iTunes®, iPad®, iPhone®, iPod™ touch, Android, connected televisions, Blu-ray™ player apps and much more!
SYNOPSIS:
Tobin Frost (Oscar® winner Denzel Washington), one of the CIA’s most dangerous traitors, resurfaces in South Africa after eluding capture for almost a decade. During his interrogation, the safe house is attacked by brutal mercenaries forcing rookie agent, Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) to take the infamous Frost on the run. As the masterful manipulator toys with his reluctant protégé, shaking the young operative’s morality and idealism, the unlikely allies must fight to stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them both dead. Packed with intense action and thrilling suspense, Safe House takes you on a deadly ride through a covert world where no one and no place is ever safe.
FILM REVIEW:
Matt Weston: You're not gonna get in my head.
Tobin Frost: I am already in your head!
This movie might get in your head too. Although I’ve noticed mixed reactions to this flick, I thought it was pretty good. From the get go, you will feel a shiver down your spine from how cold this movie is. To say it is intense could be an understatement. It is fast paced too including some moments where there is little time to exhale. It is action packed and realistic with a fair amount of sophistication and intelligence. It will remind you a lot of the Bourne series only slightly less dramatic and impacting. Even so, there are quite a few “impacting” moments during this film that might make you jump off your seat. And just to keep you going on things other than action, the story also has a fair amount of twists via your standard double crosses, backstabs, and corruption. The premise for the movie is interesting and not exactly typical but the content on the other hand is the type of stuff we’ve already seen before only this time its Denzel and Ryan, and Cape Town, South Africa. Ah Denzel Washington, undoubtedly one of the best actors of our time. It is a joy to watch him work and he doesn’t disappoint with this role either. He practically makes the movie worth watching all by himself. So the fact that Ryan Reynolds nails his role also is icing on the cake. Who says Ryan can’t do a serious role? Those people should look again. You would imagine it difficult to keep up with Denzel in a movie like this but Ryan does a pretty good job at that. We also get bonuses in the form of Vera
Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard, and a brief but potent role turned in by Ruben Blades.
So we have a solid cast, good action, intensity, thrills and spills, a decent story with twists, exotic locations, and cinematography that encompasses all of the above. As mentioned, this movie is not that bad at all, but it is not great and not flawless. What are the flaws you ask? It’s hard to put your finger on it but you will feel it as you watch. Maybe it’s a lack of depth or substance in the story, or it could be that the movie is choppy. Regardless, Director Daniel Espinosa has done a commendable job with this his biggest mainstream motion picture so far. If you didn’t know any better, you would think that Tony Scott directed this film because of its look and feel. Granted it doesn’t quite measure up to a Tony Scott film but its pretty close. Have you noticed a sharp increase in movies dealing with the CIA or some form of higher level law enforcement in recent motion picture history? Hmmm.
Review
By Cine Marcos
cinemarcos@smartcine.com
BLU-RAY:
The film is
presented in 1080P widescreen in a 2.40:1 aspect ration
preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just
flawless. Not only the picture looks great in
this release, also the sound it is good, a 5.1 DTS-HD Master
Audio (48kHz/24bit) in English that provides a
good complement to the picture. It also includes English,
French and Spanish subtitles.
VIDEO:
2.40:1 Anamorphic Widescreen 1080P
AUDIO:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/DVS Dolby Digital 2.02, French DTS-HD Master
Audio 5.1 (Canadian) and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles - English SDH, French, Spanish
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Making Safe House—This featurette is filled with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage revealing how director Daniel Espinosa, stars Denzel Washington andRyan Reynolds and the rest of the team came together to bring this thrillingstory to life.
Hand-To-Hand Action— Renowned fight choreographer Olivier Schneider (Taken) puts the actors through the intense training and rehearsal required to create the film’s powerful scenes of deadly hand-to-hand combat. Schneider, along with Ryan Reynolds and Daniel Espinosa, explain how the high-intensity, character-based approach to the action informed the final film and share the brilliant raw versions of the scenes (with a special direct-to-camera set-up by Schneider).
Building the Rooftop Chase—Filmed in hardscrabble Langa, Cape Town’s oldest township, this riveting stunt sequence required a massive amount of precision, a little bit of politics and a lot of planning. Featuring cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and a first-person perspective of Denzel Washington’s rooftop run, this piece showcases the intense preparation and focus necessary to pull off one of Safe House’s most pivotal and dangerous sequences.
Inside The CIA—Technical advisor Luis Falcon III, a 30-year CIA veteran who has gone undercover in some of the hottest zones in the world, talks about working with the cast and collaborating with the director. He leads audiences on a walk and talk through the CIA offices and explains just how closely this film matches up to reality.
Behind The Action—Legendary stunt coordinator Greg Powell, fight choreographer Olivier Schneider and tactical advisor Dan Hirst lead viewers through key action sequences involving dangerous driving stunts, heavy gun play and frenetic fight choreography.
Safe Harbor: Cape Town—A popular tourist destination, Cape Town is rapidly becoming one of the most-photographed cities in cinema. The creators of Safe House reveal the reasons they set this intense action thriller in Africa’s multicultural hub.
Shooting the Safe House Attack—Every detail behind the creation of the film’s epic initial attack is revealed in a featurette that includes interviews with Academy Award-winning production designer Brigitte Broch, plus the film’s cast and crew. From the initial rehearsals to the final takes, director Daniel Espinosa and his spectacular stunt team combined artistry with tactical perfection for a chillingly realistic sequence.
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BD-LIVE™: Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to watch the latest trailers and more!
pocket BLU™ app: The groundbreaking pocket BLU™ app uses iPad®, iPhone®, iPod® touch, Android™, PC and Mac® to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray™ player. Plus iPad® and Android™ tablet owners can enjoy a new, enhanced edition of pocket BLU™ made especially to take advantage of the tablets’ larger screen and high resolution display. Consumers will be able to browse through a library of Blu-ray™ content and watch entertaining extras on-the-go in a way that’s bigger and better than ever before. pocket BLU™ offers advanced features such as:
ADVANCED REMOTE CONTROL: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease.
VIDEO TIMELINE: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.
MOBILE-TO-GO: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
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