DVD Corner

Whiteout Blu-ray Review

“Whiteout” is a forgettable thriller.

Grades:

Content: C-

Picture: A

Audio: A

Extras: B

The Movie:

The plot: While on a scientific research station in Antarctica, U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko becomes involved in a murder investigation that eventually leads to the discovery of a killer, wreckage of a Russian plane that crashed back in the 50’s, and a potentially valuable cargo from the plane that appears to be missing. How this all plays together is part of the mystery.

While I wasn’t the world’s biggest fan of the “Whiteout” graphic novel written by Greg Rucka, it is infinitely better than this Hollywood filmadaptation. Director Dominic Sena and the four screenwriters have turned the story into a routine thriller littered with clumsy direction, anti-climactic “twists,” and characters constantly spouting obvious, stilted and dumb dialogue. On top of that, the cast more or less walk through their roles. Kate Beckinsale is woefully miscast here and the Carrie Stetko is nothing like the character in the comic series.

On the bright side, the production values are generally good. The location shooting and atmosphere is far and away the best part of this film. The team did a fine job of making the comic panels come to life visually.

Summary: Having now seen “Whiteout,” it’s clear why the film was delayed several times and why it failed to find an audience in theaters. It’s a thriller without thrills.

Picture And Sound:

The widescreen 1080p picture quality is a little TOO good as the CGI flaws are clearly much more noticeable on this Blu-ray disc. With that said, this is still a fine looking disc.

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track also deserves praise. It often sounds like a brutal snowstorm in blowing right into your living room (or wherever you watch your movies).

Extras:

* Digital copy.
* 4 minutes of deleted scenes.
* “The Coldest Thriller Ever”- A fun making of featurette that mainly talks about the difficult shoot in the cold and snowy weather.
* “Whiteout: From Page To Screen”- Comic writer Greg Rucka and artist Steve Lieber talk about the film and the comic they wrote that the film was based on. Definitely worth watching.

January 14, 2010 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 1 | Kate Beckinsale, Whiteout Blu-ray Review