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DVD REVIEW
Tears of the
Sun
(2003)
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Rating:
R
Studio:
Columbia Tristar
Release Date: 6.10.03
Review
Posted: 6.10.03
By
John Teves
Bruce Willis
stars as Lt. A.K. Waters, a heroic Navy S.E.A.L. who defies
military orders and follows his conscience in director Antoine
Fuqua's epic action drama. Sent to the jungles of embattled
Africa to rescue a doctor (Monica Bellucci), Waters realizes he
must also save the refugees in her care even if it endangers him
and his troops and places his military career in jeopardy.
TEARS OF
THE SUN appears in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1; the image has been
enhanced for 16X9 televisions. TEARS OF THE SUN looked
remarkable. Sharpness looked fantastic; movie appeared distinct
and concise at all times, softness appeared at times, this
mainly appeared on wider shots, but even a few closer images
occasionally seemed a bit fuzzy. Jagged edges created no
concerns, but I did notice signs of edge enhancement at times.
As for print flaws, the movie remained clean and fresh from
start to finish, as I noticed no signs of grain, speckles or
grit. Colors were brilliant; hues were reasonably lively and
vivid. Greens were absolutely stunning during the jungle scenes.
Black levels appeared nicely deep and dense, while shadow detail
was appropriately thick but not too thick. When it’s all said
and done TEARS OF THE SUN provided a clear-cut presentation.
TEARS OF
THE SUN is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The Dolby
track provides a very engaging mix. The soundfield provided
material from all five channels much of the time, and it did so
in a fairly assertive manner. Much more active than normal, the
score and music surged from all sides with many different
effects. Audio quality also seemed solid. Dialogue was natural
and crisp, as the track lacked any issues related to edginess.
Music came across as bright and vivid, with nice bass fidelity
throughout the film. Effects presented concise and accurate
swish, as they sounded detailed and distinct. Ultimately, TEARS
OF THE SUN provides a great soundtrack and it worked very well
for this film. I’m looking forward to the DTS track that will be
issued on this Superbit release in months to come.
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Commentary by director Antoine
Fuqua
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Writer's Observations
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Journey to Safety: Making
Tears of the Sun
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Deleted Scenes
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Voices of Africa
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Africa fact track
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Theatrical trailer(s)
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Interactive Map of Africa
TEARS OF THE
SUN is a war movie that shows the human spirit in it's best
fashion. Bruce Willis is extraordinary in his character role as
Lt. Waters. Director Antoine Fuqua, who directed TRAINING DAY,
delivers a brutal war picture with delineation’s of cultural
refinement that is hard to watch, but his directions are right
on the money as TEARS OF THE SUN is hard-hitting and passionate
film making at it’s finest. Fuqua did an admirable job of
directing this film.
This is a
much better film than one might expect; the film has the right
balance of tense drama, hostile dilemmas and moral principles.
One fault that may baffle some viewers is Willis’ role as the
tough veteran Navy SEAL. Lt. Waters is supposed to be this
ferociously steadfast lieutenant, but when he disobeys orders
from his commanding officer at the first display of ethnic
dilemma it makes you wonder if this is the first time this
hardened veteran has ever seen war. Nonetheless, if you can
overlook that, and if you want to see Willis at his best, then
you’ll unquestionably take pleasure in this film.
The DVD
presents excellent picture and sound and also includes
significant amounts of extras. Serious devotees of Willis and of
the action/war/drama genre may want to purchase this film. TEARS
OF THE SUN comes highly recommended!
DVD Rating: 3.5 out of 4
Review originally appeared on
DVDFreak.net
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