DVD Corner

The Stranger Blu-ray and DVD Reviews

“The Stranger” is a dull and poorly made mystery-thriller.

“The Stranger” is about an amnesiac man is being tracked down by the FBI and the Russian mob. Who is this man? What has he done? What secrets does he hold? Will a psychologist be able to help him remember who he is and what he has done? All of these mysteries are revealed in the end.

“The Stranger” is a prime example of how horrendous cinematography, direction, and editing can destroy a film. The opening chase sequence alone is so poorly shot, blurry and nauseating that you know the film is doomed from the get go. The rest of the film is just as aggravating as the film is plagued with jerky shots and obnoxious and repetitive flashback integrations. It doesn’t help that the actors and actresses in this film (aside from Erica Cerra) seems to care about what they are doing. Former WWF star “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Adam Beach look especially bored in every scene they are in (yes, even in the action scenes). Hopefully, Steve Austin will have more to do in the upcoming action spectacle “The Expendables” because he deserves better than this lazy, low budget fare.

Picture And Audio:

The 1.78:1 1080p picture quality on the Blu-ray disc is sharp looking. The picture quality on the DVD, however, is a lot less refined. The colors are even a bit murky looking. If you wind up seeing “The Stranger,” the Blu-ray disc is clearly the one to go with.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM 5.1 audio tracks on the Blu-ray disc are fine. From the bullets whizzing by to the blaring rock music, the audio quality is solid. With that said, where is the hi-def track? The DVD Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is on par with the Blu-ray sound quality.

Extras:

The special features are identical on the Blu-ray and DVD. The extras include Anchor Bay trailers, “The Stranger” trailer and a featurette titled “The Stranger: Behind The Scenes” that includes set footage, cast/crew interviews, and discussions about the action/fight scenes.

June 2, 2010 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Stranger Blu-ray Review, The Stranger DVD Review