BLU-RAY REVIEW

Brooklyn's Finest

Featured In Issue 149, July/August/September 2010

Picture5
SoundNR
WSR Score5
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):
Anchor Bay Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
BD21404
(MPAA Rating):
R
(Rating Reason):
Bloody violence throughout, strong sexuality, nudity, drug content and pervasive language
(Retail Price):
$39.98
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
132
(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):
07/06/10
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Antoine Fuqua
(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):

In "Brooklyn's Finest," burned out veteran Eddie Dugan (Gere) is just one week away from his pension and a fishing cabin in Connecticut. Narcotics officer Sal Procida (Hawke) has discovered there's no line he won't cross to provide a better life for his long-suffering wife and seven children. And Clarence "Tango" Butler (Cheadle) has been undercover so long his loyalties have started to shift from his fellow police officers to his prison buddy Caz (Snipes), one of Brooklyn's most infamous drug dealers. With personal and work pressures bearing down on them, each man faces daily tests of judgment and honor in one of the world's most difficult jobs. When NYPD's Operation Clean Up targets the notoriously drug-ridden BK housing project, all the officers find themselves swept away by the violence and corruption of Brooklyn's gritty 65th Precinct and its most treacherous criminals. During seven fateful days, Eddie, Sal, and Tango find themselves hurtling inextricably toward the same fated crime scene and a shattering collision with destiny. (Gary Reber)

Special features include commentary with Director Antoine Fuqua; five featurettes: "Chaos & Conflict: The Life Of A New York Cop" (HD 06:49), "Boyz N The Real Hood" (HD 05:48), "An Eye For Detail: Director Perspective" (HD 06:34), "From The MTA To The WGA: Writer Perspective" (HD 05:16), and "Three Cops And A Dealer: Character Profile" (HD 08:00); seven deleted scenes (HD 31:11); the theatrical trailer; upfront previews; plus a digital copy of the film.

The 1080p AVC picture is terrific, with a gritty natural character that oozes with realism. Blacks are deep and solid, and shadow delineation is revealing throughout. The imagery is dark and to optimize viewing, a dark, preferably black room environment is necessary and a display device capable of exceptional dynamic range. Black levels are dominant. Colors are rich and warm with a stark vividness. Fleshtones are accurate and natural throughout, even in the darkest scenes. Dimensionality also is excellent, as well as resolution. The picture is sharp and clear, with a clean appearance. Detail is revealing of fine facial features and object textures. Every scene is intricately detailed and realistic. This is a reference-quality picture that is absolutely engaging. (Gary Reber)

The non-compressed PCM 5.1-channel soundtrack is well produced, with an intimate up-close sonic character and dialogue that is generally well integrated spatially. Atmospheric sound effects and Foley are well recorded and positioned spatially. Sound effects are often aggressively directionalized in the surrounds. The orchestral music score is sweeping, with a wide and deep soundstage that expands aggressively into the surrounds, for an engaging holosonic® soundfield experience. At times the sound is quite dynamic, with full-on SPL and deep, extended bass to below 25 Hz in the .1 LFE channel. All the sound elements are perfectly integrated, resulting in an emotionally powerful soundtrack that perfectly complements the intense gritty imagery. This is a really gripping sonic experience. (Gary Reber)