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Negotiator, The
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
"The Negotiator" is like a sandwich that has great filling, but stale bread. The opening is slow and uninvolving; the end of the film begins to lose its way. But there's moments in the middle that are definitely satisfying. The film stars the combination of Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey, and both are at their most intense - actually, a little over-the-top at times.
When the film really begins to get going, "The Negotiator" solidly balances characters and gives the audience doses of well-staged action sequences. The film stars Jackson as top Chicago hostage negotiator Danny Roman, who is wrongly accused of the murder of his partner, who was involved with a department scandal. In an attempt to clear his name, he takes hostages at police headquarters, which include inspector Niebaum(JT Walsh) who Roman believes was involved with the scandal.
Another hostage negotiator named Chris Sabian(Spacey) is called in after Roman asks for him specifically. Why he asks for him is explained well, and is used to build the film's central theme that no one can be trusted. The film then goes into the central body, which involves the cat-and-mouse game played between Roman and Sabian, as both the Chicago PD and the FBI are more than eager to storm the doors and take out Roman.
Jackson's performance is good, although both he and Spacey occasionally go over-the-top. When they really hit the mark, there are scenes with the two that absolutely contain an overload of suspense, such as the couple of scenes where the police almost breach the building and get in to Roman. Spacey really grabs a hold of the occasional line, such as "I am a stranger to you, you have no idea what I'm capable of." in one of his confrontations with Jackson's character.
Overall, the film is a tense, effective thriller - it starts slow and the ending is so-so, but the main body of the film works quite well.
The DVD
VIDEO: Although this is generally a great release from Warner Brothers, there are some slightly noticable flaws that keep it from being a perfect presentation. The film certainly is a very good looking one, with expert cinematography from Robert Richardson("Titanic") capturing the Chicago locations with a cold, crisp look that is visually stunning at times. Certainly the scenes that take place in the offices are not that much to look at, but the transfer presents them well.
Sharpness is never an issue, and the film consistently looks well-defined, offering fine detail in even the darker interior settings. Colors are solid and bold, looking well-saturated and crisp, with no faults.
There are some problems with slight shimmering, but pixelation is not apparent during the film. The print used is crisp and clean, free of any marks or scratches. A few sequences display slight grain, but this is extremely minor. There are some little problems here and there on this transfer from Warner Brothers, but overall, it provides an enjoyable viewing experience.The layer change is at 1:34:17.
SOUND: The film's audio provides about exactly what's expected of it. Although the film was marketed as an action film, it's more of a thriller - a drama with some bursts of action. As such, it's more of a talky film and many of the sequences center around dialogue between the two characters.
When the film transitions into the action sequences, the audio gets noticably more agressive, with gunfire echoing throughout the room, and the occasional helicopter flying through. The ambush in chapter 30 is one of the film's best, if not the best, example of strong audio. Surrounds are used well during these sequences and are moderately effective, but otherwise, they don't recieve much work to do in the film's quieter moments.
When the film doesn't provide action, it allows Graeme Revell's score to take center stage, and this definitely adds needed tension and drama to these sequences. The score really does gain the focus at times, and rises up from all sides with power and intensity.
The smaller effects such as cars, sirens and other noises outside and subtle noises inside are clear and accurately placed for a convincing environment. Dialogue is clear, natural and easily understood, as well. This isn't always a flashy soundtrack, but even when it only comes from the front, it provides an intense listening experience, helped by the score.
MENUS:: Very nice. Scenes from the trailer play behind the main menu, as well as the score.
EXTRAS: A very short documentary(about 8 minutes) that is an interview with a real-life hostage negotiator and a "Making Of" that focuses on the Chicago locations; why they used certain buildings and areas of the city. The commentary that was originally promised with Kevin Spacey and Samuel L. Jackson is nowhere to be found, left off of the disk for reasons unknown. The trailer, which was originally not going to be added, is here, along with trailers for "Midnight In The Garden of Good/Evil", "Sphere", "LA Confidential" and "A Time To Kill". We also get production notes about Chicago and text notes as well about the cast/crew. It's dissapointing, though, that the commentary is not here.
Final Thoughts: Although not all of the extras that were promised were added, "The Negotiator" is still a good enough film and DVD to recommend.
"The Negotiator" is like a sandwich that has great filling, but stale bread. The opening is slow and uninvolving; the end of the film begins to lose its way. But there's moments in the middle that are definitely satisfying. The film stars the combination of Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey, and both are at their most intense - actually, a little over-the-top at times.
When the film really begins to get going, "The Negotiator" solidly balances characters and gives the audience doses of well-staged action sequences. The film stars Jackson as top Chicago hostage negotiator Danny Roman, who is wrongly accused of the murder of his partner, who was involved with a department scandal. In an attempt to clear his name, he takes hostages at police headquarters, which include inspector Niebaum(JT Walsh) who Roman believes was involved with the scandal.
Another hostage negotiator named Chris Sabian(Spacey) is called in after Roman asks for him specifically. Why he asks for him is explained well, and is used to build the film's central theme that no one can be trusted. The film then goes into the central body, which involves the cat-and-mouse game played between Roman and Sabian, as both the Chicago PD and the FBI are more than eager to storm the doors and take out Roman.
Jackson's performance is good, although both he and Spacey occasionally go over-the-top. When they really hit the mark, there are scenes with the two that absolutely contain an overload of suspense, such as the couple of scenes where the police almost breach the building and get in to Roman. Spacey really grabs a hold of the occasional line, such as "I am a stranger to you, you have no idea what I'm capable of." in one of his confrontations with Jackson's character.
Overall, the film is a tense, effective thriller - it starts slow and the ending is so-so, but the main body of the film works quite well.
The DVD
VIDEO: Although this is generally a great release from Warner Brothers, there are some slightly noticable flaws that keep it from being a perfect presentation. The film certainly is a very good looking one, with expert cinematography from Robert Richardson("Titanic") capturing the Chicago locations with a cold, crisp look that is visually stunning at times. Certainly the scenes that take place in the offices are not that much to look at, but the transfer presents them well.
Sharpness is never an issue, and the film consistently looks well-defined, offering fine detail in even the darker interior settings. Colors are solid and bold, looking well-saturated and crisp, with no faults.
There are some problems with slight shimmering, but pixelation is not apparent during the film. The print used is crisp and clean, free of any marks or scratches. A few sequences display slight grain, but this is extremely minor. There are some little problems here and there on this transfer from Warner Brothers, but overall, it provides an enjoyable viewing experience.The layer change is at 1:34:17.
SOUND: The film's audio provides about exactly what's expected of it. Although the film was marketed as an action film, it's more of a thriller - a drama with some bursts of action. As such, it's more of a talky film and many of the sequences center around dialogue between the two characters.
When the film transitions into the action sequences, the audio gets noticably more agressive, with gunfire echoing throughout the room, and the occasional helicopter flying through. The ambush in chapter 30 is one of the film's best, if not the best, example of strong audio. Surrounds are used well during these sequences and are moderately effective, but otherwise, they don't recieve much work to do in the film's quieter moments.
When the film doesn't provide action, it allows Graeme Revell's score to take center stage, and this definitely adds needed tension and drama to these sequences. The score really does gain the focus at times, and rises up from all sides with power and intensity.
The smaller effects such as cars, sirens and other noises outside and subtle noises inside are clear and accurately placed for a convincing environment. Dialogue is clear, natural and easily understood, as well. This isn't always a flashy soundtrack, but even when it only comes from the front, it provides an intense listening experience, helped by the score.
MENUS:: Very nice. Scenes from the trailer play behind the main menu, as well as the score.
EXTRAS: A very short documentary(about 8 minutes) that is an interview with a real-life hostage negotiator and a "Making Of" that focuses on the Chicago locations; why they used certain buildings and areas of the city. The commentary that was originally promised with Kevin Spacey and Samuel L. Jackson is nowhere to be found, left off of the disk for reasons unknown. The trailer, which was originally not going to be added, is here, along with trailers for "Midnight In The Garden of Good/Evil", "Sphere", "LA Confidential" and "A Time To Kill". We also get production notes about Chicago and text notes as well about the cast/crew. It's dissapointing, though, that the commentary is not here.
Final Thoughts: Although not all of the extras that were promised were added, "The Negotiator" is still a good enough film and DVD to recommend.
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