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Peacemaker - (DTS)
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
"The Peacemaker" is one of those films that I enjoyed more on video, or in this case DVD. A Slightly overblown, yet underacted thriller, the film stars George Clooney(doing his head down, eyes up style of acting) and Nicole Kidman(who has a few nice scenes, but her character is a bit underwritten) as two Government agents out to track down a stolen neuclear weapon, or in the terms of another Hollywood movie, a "broken arrow."
This is the first major motion picture from Dreamworks SKG; it's directed by a woman who I think is really quite talented, but she's still in search of a really great script to film; she hasn't found it yet. That woman is Mimi Leder, a veteran of TV's "ER". She has a great rapid style, but in not only this film, but her second, "Deep Impact", she just hasn't found that perfect film for her, in my humble opinion.
So, Clooney and Kidman are tracking a neuclear weapon across countries to finally find that it's headed for the United States. They've gone through a really well-done car chase in Vienna, a helicopter chase in, I believe, Iran and taken a few other stops along the way. The car chase is effectively done; it's a thrillingly paced and well-staged bit of action. Although I won't get into the film's ending, I wish they could have brought together a scene that's as effective as the car chase.
The writer of this film, Michael Schiffer, also wrote what I consider the smartest action film of the 90's in "Crimson Tide". Although he does give these characters a few good lines, generally a lot of the film's dialogue is stuck in very standard action fare. The screenplay is thought-provoking in its plot, but the film doesn't want to expand on the characters, just shoot from action scene to action scene.
Hans Zimmer, who is my favorite composer, contributes an excellent and dramatic score to the film. Technically, it's well-done, but the dialogue really could have been stronger - the performances by Clooney and Kidman are fair, but don't help to bring the film beyond the level of an average thriller.
The DVD
VIDEO As one of the first titles available from Dreamworks, this is a great looking image that looks razor sharp with very strong detail. This is not an extremely colorful film, but the colors do attain a very nice natural look that never has any problems such as bleeding. Flesh tones are accurate and natural, as well. No instances of pixelation or shimmer, and the print used is crystal clear. Dreamworks has done excellent work since the begining, and this remains proof of that.
SOUND: "The Peacemaker" sports an involving soundtrack that offers a lot of positive aspects, although it's not quite as agressive overall as the usual "action" movie. Still, there are a few very solid, very deep explosions that are remarkable, and also, there's Hans Zimmer's fantastic score. The composer's work for "The Peacemaker" is excellent, and it comes through with great strength, clarity and impact on this presentation. Surrounds are generally used effectively, although more intensely during the film's action sequences. Detail and clarity is excellent, and bass is deep and strong at times. Dialogue is generally natural and easily understood. Definitely an enjoyable presentation.
MENUS::Very cool. Animated main menu and scene selection. There's an explosion graphic onscreen whenever you choose an option.
EXTRAS:: The only extras included on this release are production notes and cast&crew bios.
Final Thoughts: The DTS audio is certainly good, although I'm still not a fan of the movie itself.
"The Peacemaker" is one of those films that I enjoyed more on video, or in this case DVD. A Slightly overblown, yet underacted thriller, the film stars George Clooney(doing his head down, eyes up style of acting) and Nicole Kidman(who has a few nice scenes, but her character is a bit underwritten) as two Government agents out to track down a stolen neuclear weapon, or in the terms of another Hollywood movie, a "broken arrow."
This is the first major motion picture from Dreamworks SKG; it's directed by a woman who I think is really quite talented, but she's still in search of a really great script to film; she hasn't found it yet. That woman is Mimi Leder, a veteran of TV's "ER". She has a great rapid style, but in not only this film, but her second, "Deep Impact", she just hasn't found that perfect film for her, in my humble opinion.
So, Clooney and Kidman are tracking a neuclear weapon across countries to finally find that it's headed for the United States. They've gone through a really well-done car chase in Vienna, a helicopter chase in, I believe, Iran and taken a few other stops along the way. The car chase is effectively done; it's a thrillingly paced and well-staged bit of action. Although I won't get into the film's ending, I wish they could have brought together a scene that's as effective as the car chase.
The writer of this film, Michael Schiffer, also wrote what I consider the smartest action film of the 90's in "Crimson Tide". Although he does give these characters a few good lines, generally a lot of the film's dialogue is stuck in very standard action fare. The screenplay is thought-provoking in its plot, but the film doesn't want to expand on the characters, just shoot from action scene to action scene.
Hans Zimmer, who is my favorite composer, contributes an excellent and dramatic score to the film. Technically, it's well-done, but the dialogue really could have been stronger - the performances by Clooney and Kidman are fair, but don't help to bring the film beyond the level of an average thriller.
The DVD
VIDEO As one of the first titles available from Dreamworks, this is a great looking image that looks razor sharp with very strong detail. This is not an extremely colorful film, but the colors do attain a very nice natural look that never has any problems such as bleeding. Flesh tones are accurate and natural, as well. No instances of pixelation or shimmer, and the print used is crystal clear. Dreamworks has done excellent work since the begining, and this remains proof of that.
SOUND: "The Peacemaker" sports an involving soundtrack that offers a lot of positive aspects, although it's not quite as agressive overall as the usual "action" movie. Still, there are a few very solid, very deep explosions that are remarkable, and also, there's Hans Zimmer's fantastic score. The composer's work for "The Peacemaker" is excellent, and it comes through with great strength, clarity and impact on this presentation. Surrounds are generally used effectively, although more intensely during the film's action sequences. Detail and clarity is excellent, and bass is deep and strong at times. Dialogue is generally natural and easily understood. Definitely an enjoyable presentation.
MENUS::Very cool. Animated main menu and scene selection. There's an explosion graphic onscreen whenever you choose an option.
EXTRAS:: The only extras included on this release are production notes and cast&crew bios.
Final Thoughts: The DTS audio is certainly good, although I'm still not a fan of the movie itself.
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