“16 Blocks” looks like it has been dragged for “16 Blocks!”

[JBL 4645]

Just rented Richard Donna’s 16 Blocks starring Bruce Willis, and from the look at the region DVD in the store it looked as if it had been dragged around 16 Blocks with scratches of all shape and form! So I asked for another and again it looked as if it had been tied behind Bruce Wills and dragged for 16 Blocks.

I'll view the film tomorrow afternoon and its getting late now besides, it’s a two night rental.

I suggested to the girl at Flicks DVD store that each new title that is hired out should be checked once returned and if its not ion the same condition that person should be held liable for negligence to the DVD disc and should pay for damage.

Anyway it better play it’s a brand new film and I have DVD titles going back 7 years that don’t look as bad as this!

I truest the six-track Dolby mix will be everything and more with good dialogue ADR recoding sound effects and score.

[MikeyN]

Sounds like you set them straight. Just watch it. Could be that the package is damaged and the goods are aok. Plus, it's 16 Blocks starring Bruce Willis. Might turn out to be a better movie if dialog and soundtrack are damaged.

[JBL 4645]

Yeah but Bruce Willis always packs a bunch, in the DIE HARD sense!

And Richard Donna in his Lethal Weapon suspense and humour way I’ve liked those Lethal Weapon films and I don’t think I’ll be disappointed anyway I’m getting some kip now and later in the day I’ll view this over on the JBL THX sound system.

[JBL 4645]

I liked it a tense thriller action mystery, no spoilers please anyone it surprised me during the last half.

Well the scratched region 2 DVD played without a hitch, if this where a 35mm print I would have expected the digital track dropping out and switching over to SR type analogue. But still I hate scratched discs, so there it is.

Picture

Nicely framed in the 2.35:1 scope format was clearly detailed for my taste brightness was good in the dark shadows during the hideout in Chinese lining shop, contrast in the outdoor scenes wasn’t overdone it was clear throughout. Colour had a good natural balance as well.

Sound

Dolby digital 5.1 with split-surrounds was a on the quite side of the mix it was blaringly loud like most Bruce Willis films this was a on tame side thou the odd gunfire or machinegun fire that would be suddenly accompanied with smoke grenade was tame it was loud, but even at 0db on the fader level. Dialogue recording was on soft side but clearly understood!

Surrounds had very little happening, even with centre back and height surrounds, it mostly carried atmosphere sounds or the odd centre back surround when Jack Mosley and Eddie Bunker, where cornered in basement, Mosley presses a button for an elevator, the sound is clear placed that made myself turn around 180º!

Sub bass extension and LFE.1was also tame it never overwhelmed or colourized the rest of soundtrack. I guess Richard Donna wanted something different from the blaring Lethal Weapon Dolby mixes?