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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Firewall

    Featured In Issue 111, August 2006

    Picture4.5
    Sound3.5
    WSR Score2
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    Warner Home Video
    (Catalog Number):
    81027
    (MPAA Rating):
    PG13
    (Rating Reason):
    For some intense sequences of violence and some language
    (Retail Price):
    $39.99
    (Disc Type):
    Dual Side/Dual Layer (HD DVD30/DVD9)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    105
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    1
    (Theatrical Year):
    2006
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    06/06/06
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Richard Loncraine
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    Dolby Digital+ 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    Jack Stanfield (Ford) is an executive of a financial institution who is confident that the Firewall for his online banking services is impenetrable. However, when he is approached by Bill Cox (Bettany), he learns there is a flaw in his system...and Cox and his cohorts are hell-bent on taking a withdrawal. WIth Stanfield's family under siege, Jack must think fast to save their lives. (Suzanne Hodges)

    Special features on the HD DVD include a 15-minute conversation with Harrison Ford and Richard Loncraine, a three-minute Writing A Thriller featurette, and the theatrical trailer.

    Details like clothing textures, facial features, and even rain falling are perfectly rendered on the high-definition 2.38:1 HD DVD. Colors are well delineated and naturally balanced, with accurate fleshtones, rich saturation, and endless blacks. Viewing in a completely blackened room reveals the first-rate shadow delineation and contrast. There are no obtrusive VC-1 compression artifacts, as the picture is clean and solid throughout. The anamoprhically enhanced 2.38:1 DVD picture also looks great, with well-balanced colors, sharp and detailed images, and few distractions other than the occasional, minor pixel breakup. Still, the SD DVD pales in comparison to the high-definition imagery available on the HD DVD. (Suzanne Hodges)

    The HD DVD's Dolby® Digital Plus 5.1-channel soundtrack features a rather mediocre mix, without much in the way of involving surround envelopment and phantom images around the room. Dialogue sounds more natural than the Dolby Digital encoding, although a shuffling distortion can be heard over the dialogue in some scenes that was not noticeable in the DVD release. The surround channels are generally only used as a low level extension of music and the occasional atmospheric effect, which is a disappointment. While fidelity is improved over the DVD release, the soundtrack is not very exciting. While the front stage can be amply engaging, the surround channels are not used with enough vigor to make a solid contribution to the DVD's Dolby® Digital 5.1-channel soundtrack. (Danny Richelieu)

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