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Dragonfly
The Movie: You'd think that after so many bad movies, Kevin Costner would realize that it's just about time for him to retire. But alas, unfortunately, that most likely will not happen. Instead, we're going to be subjected to more and more horrible Costner films - not because he's a bad actor, but because he's the only one willing to do these bad films. Director Tom Shadyac, after success with Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, The Nutty Professor, and Liar Liar, decided to try a comedy/drama with Patch Adams, a horrible film starring an over-the-top Robin Williams. Not learning from that mistake that it would be best to stick to comedy only, he decided to make Dragonfly his first drama film.
Essentially, Dragonfly ends up being boring, overly analytical, and tedious to watch. Costner, try as he might just can't make this film work. The symbolism of the Dragonfly emerges early in the film through a series of flashbacks and various other-worldly encounters, yet that's all the film centers around and it takes a lifetime it seems to finally get to the conclusion. It'd be easy to place the blame on Costner for this film that simply ends up taking a premise that should work, but ultimately ends up failing horribly. But alas, it's not all Kevin's fault, despite a few scenes of ludicrous acting - the blame rests on the fact that the script is cliched and just couldn't really go anywhere, and the fact that director Tom Shadyac really needs to go back to comedy, and stay far, far away from drama.
The Picture: The picture, along with the audio (below) are the only bright spots of this film. Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic widescreen, the picture is very crisp and clear (as well it should be, being released theatrically just months ago). Just a few times did I notice any flaws, but they really don't detract from the film at all. Pixelation was evident at only a couple times, but, unless you're really looking for it, odds are, you won't notice it.
The Sound: The sound is one of the few parts of the film that actually stands out above the others. Presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS, the score presents an eerie feeling, though it seems as if the surrounds were not used at all throughout the movie - save for a few tense scenes in the jungle.
The Extras: The extras are a bit sparse, aside from the commentary by the director and the deleted scenes. The commentary doesn't really follow the film logically as most commentaries do, but rather jumps all over the place trying to justify the symbolism and make some sense out of the film. Tom presents some interesting information here and there about the filming process, but ultimately, the commentary, like the film, just isn't able to hold your attention. The deleted scenes are presented in the worst possible way imaginable. On some discs, you're able to view the scenes with a director's commentary, or there's a quick introduction to the scene - giving information why it was cut, etc. But here, no such luck. The scenes are presented back to back, out of order, with no explanation as to where they went in the film, why they were cut, or any other ifnrmation that you'd like to know.
Also included is an interview with Betty Eadie on her near death experience. It starts out pretty interestingly as she discusses her experience, describing what happened - where she went, how she came back... The interview is pretty interesting, but ultimately an extra that could have been done without. She doesn't give much insight into the film, but rather tries to justify the film's premise. Also included on the disc are the standard extras - trailer, cast & filmmaker bios, production notes, and DVD-ROM content.
Conclusion: In conclusion, I really see no reason to buy this film unless you enjoyed the movie. If you haven't seen the movie, perhaps a rental should be in order before buying. The movie falters on all levels - script, acting and directing and fails to deliver anything substantive or worthwhile. The extras don't provide any extra incentive to justify purchase of this disc, especially at such a high price. If you're a can of Costner, or enjoy movies about the supernatural, perhaps you should rent the movie, otherwise, I'd suggest skipping this one alltogether.
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