BLU-RAY REVIEW

A-Team, The

Featured In Issue 153, January 2011

Picture4.5
Sound5
WSR Score4.5
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):
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
2270153
(MPAA Rating):
PG-13
(Rating Reason):
Intense sequences of action and violence throughout, language and smoking
(Retail Price):
$39.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
119
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
2010
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
12/14/10
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Joe Carnahan
(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, DTS HD Lossless 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 1980's TV series, "The A-Team," a daring team of former Special Forces soldiers convicted by a military court for a crime they didn't commit, must utilize their unique talents to break out of prison and tackle their toughest mission yet. (Gary Reber)

Both the theatrical version (01:58:45) and the unrated extended version (02:13:33) are available. Special features include the featurettes "The Devil's In The Details: Inside The Action With Joe Carnahan" (HD 01:14) and "Plan Of Attack" (HD 28:39), six deleted scenes (HD 09:05), a gag reel (HD 07:19), Character Chronicles (HD 23:11), Visual Effect Before And After with commentary by Visual Effects Supervisor James E. Price (HD 06:11), the theatrical trailer, up-front previews, BD-Live functionality, and a digital copy of the film. D-BOX Motion Code is credited on the packaging but was absent on the disc.

The 2.34:1 1080p AVC picture is comprised of analogue and digital photograph, with a highly stylized appearance and an overall edgy, grungy character. The color palette is generally naturally hued with balanced fleshtones and saturated hues. Contrast is balanced, with deep blacks and revealing shadow delineation, but the production design is purposely dark, thus, to optimize the picture resolution, the picture should be viewed in a darkened environment, preferably a black room, with a display device capable of exceptional native contrast performance. Resolution is excellent, with defining details in close-ups of facial features, clothing, and object textures. The visual effects are adrenaline producing, for an all-out action assault on the visual senses. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is aggressively loud, often with full-on SPL in every channel. Special effects are dramatically directionalized with high-energy surround envelopment, with phantom center back surround imaging and lots of channel-to-channel panning. The orchestral music score is dynamic, with a wide and deep soundstage that extends aggressively into the surrounds. Bass energy is, at times, intense with sub-25 Hz .1 LFE that rocks the soundfield. Had the D-BOX Motion Code been activated on the disc, assurably the motion effects would have provided a wild ride. The disappointing sound element is the dialogue, which is production sound and ADR that lacks spatial integration and, at times, intelligibility. Overall, this is a very intensely exciting soundtrack that sounds effectually holosonic®, with energized dynamics that will challenge the best home theatre sound systems. (Gary Reber)