BLU-RAY REVIEW

Doomsday

Featured In Issue 134, September 2008

Picture4.5
Sound4.5
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):
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
62104869
(MPAA Rating):
Unrated
(Rating Reason):
NA
(Retail Price):
$39.98
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Single Layer (BD-25)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
113
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
Not Indicated
(Theatrical Year):
2008
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
07/29/08
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Neil Marshall
(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):

The highly contagious and lethal "Reaper" virus has returned to the British Isles three decades after an initial epidemic killed many hundreds of thousands of Britons, causing a brutal quarantine to be imposed across the entire country. Now with parts of the country in total chaos, an elite unit of specialists are dispatched to the affected city where the virus has reared its ugly head again, in hopes of finding a cure by any means necessary. With Doomsday on the clear horizon, the crack team of scientists must fight both time and the infected local residents in order to find a way to kill the virus, once and for all. (Stacey Pendry)

Special features are limited to a feature commentary track by cast and crew.

The anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 DVD shows nicely balanced contrast combined with deep, unwavering blacks and very good shadow delineation. Details in the darkest scenes are always visible. Resolution is very sharp, and while compression artifacts are noticeable at times, the image generally looks clean. The color palette is cool, with dreary hues that match the story well. Colors are consistently desaturated. Fleshtones appear cool at times and natural at others. Occasional dirt from the source element can be noticed, but it does not become a huge distraction, and while edge enhancement can be noticed over high-contrast transitions, it isn't noticeable for the majority of the presentation. The VC-1-encoded Blu-ray Disc shows very good resolution as well, with deep black levels and solid shadow delineation. Contrast, again, is well balanced. This is an impressive picture. (Danny Richelieu)

The DVD's Dolby® Digital 5.1-channel soundtrack incorporates a broad, deep front stage with engaging surrounds to create an invigorating experience. The LFE channel is used effectively for both music and effects, with bass dropping down below 30 Hz at fairly high levels. The bass is always tightly controlled and quick as well. Phantom imaging is nicely missed across the front and the rear stages, but the two don't mesh completely, with holes on the sidewalls. There are times when dialogue sounds forward and it can occasionally be lost in the louder scenes. Fidelity is generally pure, though, and dynamic range is broad. The Blu-ray Disc's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio encoding improves fidelity and dynamic range, becoming harder hitting and more engaging. Phantom imaging is also improved, and the subtleties of the soundtrack really shine. (Danny Richelieu)