BLU-RAY
REVIEW: THE DA VINCI CODE
04/20/09
SYNOPSIS: Dan Brown's international bestseller comes
alive in the film The Da Vinci Code, directed by Ron Howard
with a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman. Join symbologist Robert
Langdon (Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks, 1993 Best Actor,
Philadelphia, and 1994 Best Actor, Forrest Gump) and
cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) in their
heart-racing quest to solve a bizarre murder mystery that
will take them from France to England - and behind the veil
of a mysterious ancient society, where they discover a
secret protected since the time of Christ. With first-rate
performances by Sir Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina and Jean
Reno, critics are calling The Da Vinci Code "involving"* and
"intriguing,"* "a first rate thriller."**
OVERVIEW: The mystery unfolds in a whole new way April 28, 2009
when The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut debuts on Blu-ray Disc
from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The two-disc extended
cut will be available for the first time ever, exclusively
on Blu-ray High-Def The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut includes 28 minutes
of never-before-seen footage and all-new special features
including the interactive picture-in-picture (I-PiP) feature
“Unlocking the Code” which allows viewers to toggle between
eight simultaneous I-PiP streams, new commentary on select
scenes with director Ron Howard, and advanced BD-Live
features including cinechat in-movie chat and access to
$10.00 e-Movie Cash for Angels & Demons. The set also
includes an exclusive high-def first look at Angels & Demons
(in theaters May 15th) – a complete five minute scene from
the upcoming film introduced by Oscar®-winning director Ron
Howard (Best Director, A Beautiful Mind, 2002) and available
only on The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut Blu-ray Disc.
Additional special features on the Blu-ray Disc include 17
featurettes: First Day on the Set with Ron Howard, The
Filmmakers’ Journey two-part featurette, A Discussion With
Dan Brown, A Portrait of Langdon, The Codes of The Da Vinci
Code, Who is Sophie Neveu?, The Music of The Da Vinci Code,
Unusual Suspects, Book To Screen, Magical Places, The Da
Vinci Props, Close-up on Mona Lisa, The Da Vinci Sets,
Re-creating Works of Art, Scoring The Da Vinci Code, and The
Visual Effects World of The Da Vinci Code.
The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut, based on Dan Brown’s
acclaimed best-seller, is from Oscar®-winning creative team
of director Ron Howard, producers Brian Grazer and John
Calley; and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman. Howard directs a
stellar international cast, including two-time Oscar® winner
Tom Hanks (Best Actor, Philadelphia, 1994; Best Actor,
Forrest Gump, 1995); Audrey Tautou (Amelie, Dirty Pretty
Things); Sir Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings trilogy);
Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2, Frida); Paul Bettany (A
Beautiful Mind) and Jean Reno (The Professional).
The groundbreaking film in this Blu-ray disc is presented in
full 1080P widescreen format (2.40:1 aspect ratio)
with a Dolby True HD English and French 5.1 with English and
French subtitles. The film looks beautifully in HD,
it is just perfect. The dark colors look vivid and rich,
capturing the masterful special effects, like they were mean
to be watched. I found the TrueHD sound acceptable, however
I think that this film deserves a full 7.1 sound.
Overall if don't own a high
definition version of this gem, this is the version to get,
prior to the release of Angels and Demons
VIDEO:
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1 aspect ratio) 1080P
AUDIO:
English 5.1 DTS HD/Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, Spanish
SPECIAL FEATURES:
BD-Live Features:
cinechat
– In-movie chat
feature allows you to create “virtual” viewing parties
and chat with your friends through your
internet-connected Blu-ray player.
$10 e-Movie
Cash for Angels and Demons, accessed
instantly via BD-Live (also available by mail for those
without BD-Live)
Exclusive First Look at Angels & Demons,
introduced by Ron Howard, featuring five minutes of
footage from the film that can only be seen on The Da
Vinci Code: Extended Cut Blu-ray Disc.
Unlocking the Code:
This interactive picture-in-picture (I-PIP) feature will
let you discover even more about The Da Vinci Code
as you are enjoying the film. Once inside Unlocking the
Code, keep an eye on the symbols that appear across the
top of the screen. Each gives you direct access to trivia
and behind the scenes footage that you can unlock with a
click of your remote. When a symbol illuminates, just
select it and hit enter to play. The footage, facts or
images you've selected will appear on screen as you
continue to watch the film. I-PiP streams include:
Interviews: Hear from filmmakers and the cast.
B-roll: Observe the action behind the scenes.
Prop
Talk: Learn how props were made.
Storyboards: See the shots before the cameras rolled.
Photos: Behind the scenes snapshots.
Location Trivia: Fun facts about the different locations
in the film.
Langdon’s Journey: Keep track of Langdon’s every move.
Symbols & Codes: discover hidden symbols put in place by
filmmakers, including the enlightening Alchemic Journeys
of our two heroes.
New
Commentary on Selected Scenes with Ron Howard
Featurettes:
o First
Day on the Set with Ron Howard
o The Filmmakers’ Journey Part 1
o The Filmmakers’ Journey Part 2
o A Discussion With Dan Brown
o A Portrait of Langdon
o The Codes of The Da Vinci Code
o Who is Sophie Neveu?
o The Music of The Da Vinci Code
o Unusual Suspects
o Book To Screen
o Magical Places
o The Da Vinci Props
o Close-up on Mona Lisa
o The Da Vinci Sets
o Re-creating Works of Art
o Scoring The Da Vinci Code
o The Visual Effects World of The Da Vinci Code
RATING BREAK DOWN:
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