BLU-RAY REVIEW

Whiteout

Featured In Issue 146, January/February 2010

Picture4.5
SoundNR
WSR Score4
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):
3000023124
(MPAA Rating):
R
(Rating Reason):
Violence, grisly images, brief strong language and some nudity
(Retail Price):
$35.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Single Layer (BD-25)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
101
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
Not Indicated
(Theatrical Year):
2009
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
01/19/10
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Dominic Sena
(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 TrueHD 5.1, 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):

Based on the graphic novel written by Greg Rucka and illustrated by Steve Lieber, Whiteout follows a detective in Antarctica who races to find a mysterious killer before she becomes his next victim. For U.S. Marshall Carrie Stetko (Beckinsale), things get dangerous when she is sent to investigate a body on the ice, Antarctica's first homicide. A shocking discovery in itself, it will plunge her into an even more bizarre mystery and the revelation of secrets long buried under the endless ice...secrets that someone believes are still worth killing for. (Gary Reber)

Special features include two featurettes: The Coldest Thriller Ever with Kate Beckinsale and the crew in the arctic tundra, braving disintegrating sets, gale-force winds, and 65-degree lunch hours (HD 12:02) and From Page To Screen with Writer Greg Rucks, Artist Steve Liebe, and the crew (HD 12:05); two deleted scenes (SD 04:14); plus a digital copy of the film.

The 1080p VC-1 picture portrays a dark, cold Antarctica with constant wind and flurries swirling around in a dark, brutal outside environment, with temperatures at -55C. Such scenes effectively convey the stark frigid nature of Antarctica. The color palette is bluish-gray, with glimpses of human facial tones that appear perfectly natural. The interior scenes are generally nicely contrasted, with natural hues and deep blacks. Shadow delineation is good and reveals excellent depth. Dimensionality also is effective, with images that are generally sharp and clear. Close-ups reveal facial features and object textures, except that Carrie's attributes are softened. This is a visually effective picture, with at times, remarkable cinematography. (Gary Reber)

The Dolby® TrueHD 5.1-channel soundtrack is superb, with robust and aggressive holosonic® surround envelopment driven by a dynamic full orchestral music score that is spread wide and deep across the soundstage, with impressive depth well into the surrounds. Bass extension is effectively powerful and deep, especially below 25 Hz in the .1 LFE channel. But it is the driving music score that seems almost constant throughout the film that creates the sense of suspense. Dialogue is generally quite intelligible, with good spatial integration with the scenes. Atmospheric and sound effects are directionalized and nicely characterize the howling winds, blizzards, snowplows, and airplanes. This is an excellent soundtrack, with effective soundfield delineation that won't disappoint. (Gary Reber)