8 Mile (2002)

Starring: Eminem, Brittany Murphy, Mekhi Phifer
Director: Curtis Hanson

Rating: R

Studio: Universal

Review Posted: 3.26.03

Spoilers: None

Reviewed by John Teves

Originally appeared on DVDFreak.net

The people of Detroit know 8 Mile as the city limit, a border, a boundary. It is also a psychological dividing line that separates Jimmy Smith Jr. from where and who he wants to be. A provocative fictional examination of a critical week in Jimmy's life, 8 Mile stars multi-platinum recording artist Eminem in his first feature-film leading role, along with Kim Basinger (as Jimmy's mother), Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy and Eugene Byrd.

>Read Craig Younkin's Film Review!

8 MILE appears in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on this single-sided, double-layered DVD; the picture has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. Universal creates an excellent transfer here. Sharpness appeared virtually flawless and the film looked crisp and well-defined at all times. Print flaws also appeared absent. I saw no evidence of any grain, speckles, grit, or other defects; the film looked clean. Colors were accurate and natural. Black levels appeared deep and rich, with solid a contrast. Shadow detail came across as heavy but never terribly thick. When all's said and done, 8 MILE looked fantastic.

The film’s Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS track was as strong as its picture; with the DTS track providing a more superior bass response, but both soundtracks were very similar. I thought the soundfield provided active audio from all five speakers. The music and soundtrack spread quite nicely to the rears, and general sounds from the environments sounded superb, especially during the rap war scenes. Dialogue was crisp and well-defined. Overall 8 MILE presented plenty of depth to its DD5.1 and DTS track.

• Featurette

• Uncensored "Rap Battle"

• Eminem Music Video

I thought 8 MILE offered a truly terrific DVD presentation. Too bad its script lacked in plot. While the overall tempo of the movie is a bit slow, the actual rap battles express an intensity and propinquity that you can't help but get caught up in. 8 MILE was a fairly weak film that didn’t fully make it to its full potential.

The film could have been a fantastic film; Marshal Mathers (Eminem) has great potential; he delivers a good solid presentation and obviously shines during the rap wars, however the lack of direction and in some cases poor acting sealed it’s own fate.

The DVD, on the other hand, is splendid. It combines absolutely fantastic picture and sound with a plethora of extras. Established fans of the film will truly enjoy this DVD presentation. For everyone else give it a rental and see what you think.

Film Rating: 2 out of 4

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