BLU-RAY REVIEW

Dark Tide

Featured In Issue 167, May/June 2012

Picture4
Sound4.5
WSR Score3
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):
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
32230
(MPAA Rating):
PG-13
(Rating Reason):
Bloody shark attacks/disturbing images, and language including sexual references
(Retail Price):
$29.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Single Layer (BD-25)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
114
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
Not Indicated
(Theatrical Year):
2012
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
04/24/12
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
John Stockwell
(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):
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):

Dark Tide follows a small boat expedition deep into the dangerous South African waters known as Shark Alley. Kate (Berry) is a shark expert whose business has been failing since a shark attack killed a fellow diver under her command. Once dubbed "the shark whisperer," Kate is haunted by the memory of the attack and unable to get back into the water. With bills piling up and the bank about to foreclose on Kate's boat, Kate's ex-boyfriend Jeff (Martinez) presents her with a lucrative opportunity: lead a thrill-seeking millionaire businessman on a dangerous shark dive...outside the cage. Battling her self-doubts and fear, Kate accepts the proposal—and sets a course for the world's deadliest feeding ground: Shark Alley. (Gary Reber)

Special features include the theatrical trailer and up-front previews.

The 2.35:1 1080p AVC picture is decent, with a generally natural appearance that exhibits realistic fleshtones and a nicely balanced color palette. The underwater scenes are, as expected, cloudy and less dramatic. Contrast is well balanced with deep blacks and revealing shadow delineation. Close-ups reveal excellent detail, especially with respect to facial features, hair, and clothing. Overall, this is a pleasing picture with engaging visuals and South African locations. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack sounds spatially engaging with a holosonic® enveloping soundfield enhanced with deep .1 LFE bass energy to sub-25 Hz frequencies. Atmospherics and special effects are dramatically portrayed and enhance the tension and thrills during dive sequences. As expected, there is a lot of directional water sound effects complemented with a surreal music score and synthesizer-produced bass. This really excites the soundfield and intensifies the drama with an aggressive sonic presence. Dialogue is nicely integrated spatially and is intelligible. The music score is recorded well and casts an eerie feel to the storytelling. This is a well-crafted soundtrack that delivers tension and excitement during action sequences. (Gary Reber)