|
Spy Game (2001) Starring:
Robert Redford, Brad Pitt
Director: Tony Scott
Rating: R
Review
Posted: 7.01.02
By
John Teves
The year is 1991 and veteran CIA
officer Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) is a day away from retiring
when he learns that his one time protégé Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt)
is in deep trouble. Detained in a foreign prison on a charge of
espionage, Bishop has gone rogue and is scheduled to die in 24
hours. Fearing an international incident, the CIA decides it's
too great a risk to try and save him. It’s up to Muir to battle
the system inside the CIA to save his friend. The clock is
ticking and the race is on.
Spy Game
was a clever film. This film was comparable to reading a
Tom Clancy novel
featuring some gritty action scenes and a lot of espionage.
Redford
had a strong presence as the canny mentor, and Pitt presented a
standing performance, as the agent who feels for the community
he is manipulating.
Spy Game does not
have a deceptive ending nor does it try to fool anyone by
pretending to be something its not; which should have been the
case considering the breed of film. The movie is slow at times
especially during the flashback scenes, but this is appropriate
for the film and character development.
Redford
and Pitt do a remarkable job, but the film fell short when it
focused single-handedly on the character aspect of the film. A
more balanced prescription might have done the trick to improve
on Spy Game to
the level it could have been.
>Read
Dan Scully's Film Review!
>Read
Craig Younkin's Film Review!
Spy Game
appears in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on
this single-sided, dual-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced
for 16X9 televisions.
Sharpness was consistently
excellent, with virtually no instances of softness. I thought I
noticed some jagged edges but not enough to merit a significant
problem. The print itself appears clean; I encountered very few
examples of any speckles or grain. Colors are vivid and
flawless, with no signs of distortion or noise. Black levels
were deep and dark, and shadow detail looks appropriately dusky
but not overly thick. Spy
Game offered a very pleasing viewing experience.
Spy Game
is presented in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS; the two
possessed more similarities than differences; both the DTS and
DD5.1 mix had a deep and tight bass response; mixes were
distinct and clean. Spy
Games offered an active and involving audio track for
both versions.
All five channels get a
terrific workout throughout the film; effects blasted from all
directions during much of the film; sounds blended together
smoothly to create a neatly circuited environment. Audio quality
was righteous; the score sounded clear and dynamic, with good
bass response. Dialog
remained clear throughout the film.
If I were to pick an audio
track I would fancy the DTS track, because it seemed to have a
bit more bass authority and a slight extremity to its pitch.
Extras:
• Commentary by
director Tony Scott
• Commentary with
Producers
• Production notes
• Deleted Scenes with Director's Commentary
• Behind-the-Scenes in the filmmaking process
• Interactive Script-to-Storyboard process featuring the
Director
• Requirements for CIA acceptance
Universal created a
satisfying package with the DVD release of
Spy Game; picture
and sound are pretty solid.
Should you rent it or buy it?
I would strongly recommend a rental at first for it may not
appeal to all viewers. If you liked the movie, then indubitably
it’s a no-brainer; Spy Game makes for a very exciting and fairly
thrilling action film. Highly recommended.
TOP
|
