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Stars:
Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank, Delroy Lindo, Stanley Tucci, D.J. Qualls, Tcheky
Karyo, Bruce Greenwood, and Alfre Woodward
Writers:
Cooper Layne and John Rogers
Director:
Jon Amiel
Feature
length: 134 minutes
Extras:
Director’s Commentary, Making Of Featurette, Deconstruction Of Special Effects
Featurettes, Deleted/Extended Scenes With Optional Director’s Commentary,
Bonus Trailers
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, and English and French Language Dolby
Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French Language Subtitles (For Select
Extra Value Features Only)
Packaging:
Amaray Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 20
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2003/DVD Release: 2003
Theatrical
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: PG-13
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Postponed
from a planned Fall 2002 release to early 2003 “The Core” is the latest
sci-fi disaster thriller where the threat comes not from some asteroid
plummeting on a collision course from space, but from a side effect of a secret
military experiment that has caused the outer core of the Earth to stop
spinning. As a result strange phenomena occur globally from the sudden death of
32 American citizens from seemingly mysterious circumstances to a mass bird
strike in London’s Trafalgar Square to an emergency landing of the space
shuttle Endeavor. As static electric storms and microwaves begin to wreck
havoc on the surface of the planet, a team of scientists are assembled and
trained to board the prototype underground borrowing vessel Virgil in an
attempt to jumpstart the core with nuclear weapons and save the world.
I
did not see “The Core” during the original theatrical release, but I don’t
think it performed as well as expected. However on DVD I think the film plays
pretty good in part because one can just sit down in the comfort of their own
home and take it all in instead of being confined to a cramped auditorium chair
in a multiplex. I think the problem with “The Core” is that it never keeps a
consistent tone. It opens with an air of mystery to it that is well executed and
then gradually we get the whole impending end of the world angle and how science
can save the planet after nearly destroying it. From this point the progression
of the film’s intensity begins to falter because somehow the balance between
the humorous elements and the serious moments just don’t seem to gel. Now I
agree that having a few elements of humor are important especially in a film
like this, but I just feel that it makes the film seem somewhat disjointed and
actually robs some of the awe of the mission. Is “The Core” supposed to be a
film of wonder and imagination like “Fantastic Voyage” or is it a popcorn
flick like “Armageddon?” As it appears, I don’t think “The Core” fits
into either classification so as a result what should have been a gripping
sci-fi thriller seems more like a just another cliché Hollywood disaster flick.
Ultimately I did enjoy it for what it was and think it plays well on the small
screen, but if I paid 9 dollars to see it on the big screen I probably will feel
less generous.
Paramount
Home Entertainment presents “The Core” in a beautiful anamorphic widescreen
(2.35:1) aspect ratio with wonderful muted colors that never bleed and great
detail. A pan and scan version is going to be released as well, but sold
separately. The English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is also excellent
with a discrete yet aggressive quality that sounds more like what I usually
expect from a DTS Soundtrack instead of Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound so as a
whole the film’s presentation simply looks and sounds great on DVD. An English
and a French Language Dolby Surround Soundtrack and English Captions and Closed
Captions for the hearing impaired as well as French Language Subtitles for
select bonus features are encoded onto the DVD as options.
Director
Jon Amiel gives a screen specific and quite articulate feature length audio
commentary track, where he reveals various character subplots cut out of the
feature, but appear on the deleted scenes reel on the DVD as well as working
with the actors and various insights to the effects scenes in the motion
picture. In some ways I think the commentary is better than the movie itself as
he clearly states his reasons behind why certain scenes were shot as they were
while covering his feelings regarding the fact that too many movies have had
their stories circumvented in favor of eye candy. He also shares his respect for
the space program, which had representatives who served as technical advisors
for the film and as it related to ultimately keeping the space shuttle crash
sequence in the film in the wake of the tragedy that occurred after the film has
been completed. Amiel also provides optional commentary for a reel of ten
deleted/extended scenes (14:11) presented in a letterboxed (2.35:1) aspect ratio
with English Dolby Surround Sound. The picture quality looks as if it were
transferred from a tape source so it does not equal the feature presentation.
Other
extra features include a making of featurette (10:42) with various cast and crew
interview clips and five special effects deconstruction featurettes that cover
the previsualization of the effects sequences (4:31) and then focuses in more
specifically on the Trafalgar Square (3:16), Rome (3:32), Golden Gate Bridge
(4:27), and Geode (3:03) sequences. Bonus promo trailers for “Timeline”
(1:57), “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life” (2:27), and “The
Complete Movie Adventures Of Indiana Jones On DVD Collection” (1:44).
“The
Core” may be a somewhat uneven sci-fi thriller, but it plays well enough on
DVD with good picture and sound quality and some fine extra value features
considering this is a standard DVD release. “The Core” will debut on DVD-Video
on Tuesday, September 9, 2003 from Paramount Home Entertainment and I think it
is worth checking out.
©
Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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