Hell is for heroes

Hell is for heroes live

Certainly, this is another very fine effort from Disney, and I continue to be thankful they are supporting uncompressed PCM 1 soundtracks on their Blu-ray releases. But the sound design of Dark Water is like its story a bit too subdued hell is for heroes live its own good. Dynamics are perfectly respectable. Dialogue is always clear and distinct, even with Jennifer Connelly practically mumbling all of her lines. Frequency range is robust and natural across the board, and low end is healthy for this type of moody genre material. Surround use is a bit dull, though. I wanted more ambiance in the rears, and I have to ask if you could get Angelo Badalamenti to score your movie, wouldnt you want to exploit that to your fullest advantage? Alas, most of the mix here is undefined, with effects bleeding into the score, and little of it directed to the rears. This is far from a terrible soundtrack, but it is also only slightly better than average for a horror flick. The extras on the standard-def DVD release of Dark Water werent extensive in the first place, so its something of a puzzler that Disney didnt just port them over to the Blu-ray. I must also lament once again the lack of the Unrated cut of the film, as a horror film as weakly received as Dark Water needs all the help it can get if it is going to be sucessfully resold to high-def enthusiasts. Go figure. Anyway, we do get one of the four featurettes included on the DVD release. Analyzing Dark Waters Sequences dissects two scenes Blue Robe and Wall of Water though anyone even casually acquainted with modern CGI effects will find this far from awe-inspiring. Though some of the water stuff is cool, it reminded me of that old water-tentacle thing from The Abyss, which was cutting-edge about, oh, fifteen years ago. The only other extra is a collection of two Deleted Scenes Dahlia at the Laundromat and Kyle and Ceci in the Car. Both character bits, nothing major is revealed. I was kinda bummed that the subplot involving Dahlia wasnt better fleshed out I thought perhaps much of the backstory had been cut, but it seems like even the script was lacking in that department. Unfortunately, no theatrical trailers for Dark Water are provided. HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There? No exclusives this time. But I guess one of those Disney Blu-Scape short films inspired by Dark Water would be, well, just a little too creepy? No easter eggs reported for Dark Water yet. Found an egg? Please use our tips form to let us know, and well credit you with the find. Dark Water is one of the more forgettable entries in the Japanese horror remake cycle. Despite a very fine cast and polished production values, the story does little to differentiate itself amongst better examples of the genre. As a Blu-ray release, the transfer appropriately reproduces the hell is for heroes live look of the film, though the soundtrack and supplements are no great shakes. Worth a rent for diehard genre fans, but Ill wait for the Blu-ray release of The Ring instead, thank you very much. All disc reviews at High-Def Digest are completed using the best consumer HD home theater products currently on the market. More about our gear. Puzzled by the technical jargon in our reviews, or wondering how we assess and rate HD DVD and Blu-ray discs? Learn about our review methodology.