AVS › AVS Forum › Blu-ray & HD DVD › Official AVS Blu-ray Disc Reviews › Zero Dark Thirty (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Zero Dark Thirty (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review - Page 3

post #61 of 171
3/20/13 at 1:47pm
Not to shabby! Is their a special edition of this movie anywhere.
Reply
Reply

Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #62 of 171
3/20/13 at 2:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JukeBox360 View Post

Not to shabby! Is their a special edition of this movie anywhere.

I don't know of any special edition yet but I got the Blu Ray-DVD-Ultraviolet version.

Al
Reply
Reply
post #63 of 171
3/20/13 at 2:48pm
One thing that really impressed me about this movie was the amount of star celebrities in it. Usually when you have this much talent in a movie it actually goes sour. But this movie was very good if not one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.
Reply
Reply
post #64 of 171
3/20/13 at 5:29pm
I noticed the same thing JukeBox360 and I agree that it usually goes sour when this is the case. I also think it's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.

Very few movies, in my opinion, flow as well as this one does. I mean the whole movie moves from one thing to another in an almost perfect way.

Al
Reply
Reply
post #65 of 171
3/20/13 at 11:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Angler55 View Post

Very few movies, in my opinion, flow as well as this one does. I mean the whole movie moves from one thing to another in an almost perfect way.

Al

Couldn't agree more. It's a big reason as to why I feel like this is one of the best movies I've seen. It was consistently good. Getting better and better as it went threw.
Reply
Reply
post #66 of 171
3/21/13 at 5:11am
I just watched this on blu-ray last night. Great movie and the audio/video quality was amazing. Now I know why Mr Potts gave both the highest scores possible. There are scenes that will raise the hair on your arms smile.gif
Edited by comfynumb - 3/21/13 at 1:16pm
Reply
Reply
post #67 of 171
3/21/13 at 9:31am
The end was so intense. I don't want to do any spoilers so j guess I have to leave it at that frown.gif
Reply
Reply
post #68 of 171
3/21/13 at 11:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by capnvid View Post

Ralph's score for the Blu-Ray is earned by all the technical excellence on display in the 1080P realization on the disk. The raid was perfect. It was not an action scene, but a touch and go account of people who did not know what they would find. It was spellbinding and the acting was perfect. Much as I liked Jennifer Lawrence, I thought Jessica Chastain gave the performance of the year in a role she had to hold herself in check with a few exceptions in key scenes. I don't know if she, or anyone else, will get a part that good again. It's worth all the praise it got. It's made so well it seemed more like 90 minutes long. Enough said. Buy it. You're not going to see films like this everyday.

Quote:
Originally Posted by properbostonian View Post

Wow. First Skyfall now Zero Dark Thirty. Audio and video perfection.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JukeBox360 View Post

Couldn't agree more. It's a big reason as to why I feel like this is one of the best movies I've seen. It was consistently good. Getting better and better as it went threw.

Quote:
Originally Posted by comfynumb View Post

I just watched this on blu-ray last night. Great movie and the audio/video quality was amazing. Now I know why Mr Potts gave both the highest scores possible. There were scenes that will raise the hair on your arms smile.gif

watched this last night and wow!~!!

the pq and aq on this film are stunning. just gorgeous to look at.

great moviie as well. i thought it was the best movie from 2012. clearly superior to argo. and yes
jessica chastain does an extraordinary job as the lead.

only reason this didn't get the recognition it deserves is because it was not politically correct. bigelow probably should have left the
torture out and everyone would have loved the feel good flick. but because she took the tough issues associated with this story,
which is what gives this film so much depth, the various film groups snubbed it.

i actually think the torture scenes are presented in a neutral sort of way. the filmmaker isn't trying to persuade you one way or another
on how to judge this conduct. it is left up to each viewer to come to their own opinion regarding the ethics used in obtaining information
about our enemy.

very intelligent and exceedingly well done.
Reply
Reply
post #69 of 171
3/21/13 at 11:34am
The torture scenes were definitely soft lol^
Reply
Reply
post #70 of 171
3/21/13 at 6:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JukeBox360 View Post

Not to shabby! Is their a special edition of this movie anywhere.

In a couple of years I'm sure there will be a post about a dbl dip. The Super Duper Special Directors Editon is a given...

Jeff
Reply
Reply
post #71 of 171
3/21/13 at 7:44pm
But I want it now frown.gif
Reply
Reply
post #72 of 171
3/21/13 at 10:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pokekevin View Post

The torture scenes were definitely soft lol^
Should have had Jack Bauer come in... he'd have them talking in no time flat.

Loved this movie, it's not often we see a decent portrait of the intel work involved and how much time it takes to establish credible evidence and sell that to the traffic controllers in DC. I thought this was executed very well.
Reply
Reply
post #73 of 171
3/22/13 at 8:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by General Kenobi View Post

Should have had Jack Bauer come in... he'd have them talking in no time flat.

Loved this movie, it's not often we see a decent portrait of the intel work involved and how much time it takes to establish credible evidence and sell that to the traffic controllers in DC. I thought this was executed very well.

The real-life intel. guys will tell you time and time again that torture rarely works as intended and is a license to be sadists. If you want to witness brutality perpetrated by our own forces on an innocent man (who they thought had info. about terrorist cells), which turns into a murder, watch the Oscar nominated documentary "Taxi To The Dark Side." They interview those who were involved and you will feel physically ill afterwards... that is, if the viewer has any kind of a conscience. Bagram, Gitmo, and other black sites were (and still may be) places of unspeakable monstrosities in the name of "national security."

The torture scene in Zero Dark Thirty, as depicted, was fairly "tame" by comparison.

I found the movie to maybe be a little bit too neutral. I had a hard time feeling for Jessica Chastain's character (a fictionalized version of the actual female CIA operative who helped in the UBL black op... that woman has, understandably, not told her side of the story--at least, not yet) because they didn't delve very deeply into who she was. Yes, she was dogged and a bit obsessed, but there should have been more meat given. The screenwriter had a blank slate to work with since "Maya" was mainly a work of his imagination.
Edited by Dan Hitchman - 3/22/13 at 8:24am
Reply
Reply
post #74 of 171
3/22/13 at 10:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Hitchman View Post

The real-life intel. guys will tell you time and time again that torture rarely works as intended and is a license to be sadists. If you want to witness brutality perpetrated by our own forces on an innocent man (who they thought had info. about terrorist cells), which turns into a murder, watch the Oscar nominated documentary "Taxi To The Dark Side." They interview those who were involved and you will feel physically ill afterwards... that is, if the viewer has any kind of a conscience. Bagram, Gitmo, and other black sites were (and still may be) places of unspeakable monstrosities in the name of "national security."

The torture scene in Zero Dark Thirty, as depicted, was fairly "tame" by comparison.

And aside from whether or not torture works, it is not who we are as a country (errr, ugh, who we were before Dick Cheney) or who we want to be. So whether it works is really beside the point.

Using security as an excuse to torture (or as actually happened yesterday, to have TSA select my 8 year old son for random screening -- while he is on his way to Disney World -- and check his hands for bomb residue) is simply reprehensible.

While ZDT took no position on this issue, I'm glad it showed torture, since clearly it happened.
Reply
Reply
post #75 of 171
3/22/13 at 10:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by caesar1 View Post

And aside from whether or not torture works, it is not who we are as a country (errr, ugh, who we were before Dick Cheney) or who we want to be. So whether it works is really beside the point.

Using security as an excuse to torture (or as actually happened yesterday, to have TSA select my 8 year old son for random screening -- while he is on his way to Disney World -- and check his hands for bomb residue) is simply reprehensible.

While ZDT took no position on this issue, I'm glad it showed torture, since clearly it happened.

That is "reprehensible" what happened to your son and shouldn't have happened.

I think Zero Dark Thirty did take a position on torture by having it as part of the story about killing Bin Laden.

I was writing my view on whether or not torture is effective and if we should use it or not but this isn't the thread for it so I deleted it. It's a volatile subject.

Al
Reply
Reply
post #76 of 171
3/22/13 at 11:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Angler55 View Post

That is "reprehensible" what happened to your son and shouldn't have happened.

I think Zero Dark Thirty did take a position on torture by having it as part of the story about killing Bin Laden.

I was writing my view on whether or not torture is effective and if we should use it or not but this isn't the thread for it so I deleted it. It's a volatile subject.

Al

It shouldn't be a volatile subject. It's simply wrong. Doesn't matter who does the torturing.
Reply
Reply
post #77 of 171
3/22/13 at 11:38am
Interesting review. I haven't watched the whole thing yet (I saw it in theaters) but perused through the disc. The lit scenes look fabulous but the raid sequence (particularly the beginning in the helicopter crash) looked a bit too dark. I saw this film in theaters and don't remember it being so hard to make out. If I raise brightness on my display it helps but then I start to see some banding in the darker scenes. To say that my system is calibrated properly would be an understatement, so it isn't an issue there. I plan on watching the whole thing at some point in the very near future so I'll chime in on my thoughts then.
Reply
Reply
post #78 of 171
3/22/13 at 11:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Hitchman View Post

It shouldn't be a volatile subject. It's simply wrong. Doesn't matter who does the torturing.

Well, I disagree and I don't want to turn a movie review thread into an argument about the use of torture.

Al
Reply
Reply
post #79 of 171
3/22/13 at 11:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kris Deering View Post

Interesting review. I haven't watched the whole thing yet (I saw it in theaters) but perused through the disc. The lit scenes look fabulous but the raid sequence (particularly the beginning in the helicopter crash) looked a bit too dark. I saw this film in theaters and don't remember it being so hard to make out. If I raise brightness on my display it helps but then I start to see some banding in the darker scenes. To say that my system is calibrated properly would be an understatement, so it isn't an issue there. I plan on watching the whole thing at some point in the very near future so I'll chime in on my thoughts then.

I too thought the raid was extremely dark and hard to make out. Did they think it needed to be tweaked on home video in order to hide the obvious CGI visual effects sequences?
Reply
Reply
post #80 of 171
3/22/13 at 11:51am
Well I must say that the detainees were treated much better than the people in the twin towers on 9-11 or the ones that crashed in front of the Pentagon or in that field in my home state or in the countless bus bombings or countless embassy bombings or in the crowded marketplace bombings or in the hotel bombings or in the streets of Israel or way better than they treated Daniel Pearl or the Us Ambassador that was raped, murdered and dragged through the streets of Benghazi. There are countless cases of Al Qaeda bombings, shootings, be headings, rapes, and torture. So to say torture is torture is quite inaccurate. I know this thread wasn't meant for these comments and I'll refrain in the future.
Edited by comfynumb - 3/22/13 at 12:11pm
Reply
Reply
post #81 of 171
3/22/13 at 11:56am
very intense movie,really enjoyed it.
Reply
Reply
post #82 of 171
3/22/13 at 12:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by comfynumb View Post

Well I must say that the detainees were treated much better than the people in the twin towers on 9-11 or the ones that crashed in front of the Pentagon or in that field in my home state or in the countless bus bombings or countless embassy bombings or in the crowded marketplace bombings or in the hotel bombings or in the streets of Israel or way better than they treated Daniel Pearl or the Us Ambassador that was raped, murdered and dragged through the streets of Benghazi. There are countless cases of Al Qaeda bombings, shootings, be headings, rapes, and torture. So to say torture is torture is quite inaccurate. I know this thread wasn't meant for these comments and I'll refrain in the future.

But we don't have to lose our own souls in the process either. You then become your own worst enemy. An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind...

I think "Maya" was beginning to lose hers and it started coming back once her mission was finally over. Something they might have touched on a little bit more during the movie.
Edited by Dan Hitchman - 3/22/13 at 12:51pm
Reply
Reply
post #83 of 171
3/22/13 at 1:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Hitchman View Post

But we don't have to lose our own souls in the process either. You then become your own worst enemy. An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind...

I think "Maya" was beginning to lose hers and it started coming back once her mission was finally over. Something they might have touched on a little bit more during the movie.



I'm not saying it's a good thing and she was definately coming unglued. I think she was torn about torture but her training and some of her feelings took over. You could make a case for the torture depicted in the movie preventing worse torture. There are degrees of this, and for people to say torture is torture is like saying a broken finger is as bad as a broken neck. Bad analogy but it makes my point. See that's the difference between us and them and in the movie, Maya and them. It affects normal people but the other side enjoys it.
Reply
Reply
post #84 of 171
3/22/13 at 1:04pm
maya was clearly offended from the torture she witnessed, but toughed it out to be a good soldier and to try and fit in on her new assignment.

she clearly was near her breaking point after the raid.
i'm sure whoever the real maya is has one hell of a story to tell

i thought chastains performance was spectacular.
Reply
Reply
post #85 of 171
3/22/13 at 1:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. wally View Post

maya was clearly offended from the torture she witnessed, but toughed it out to be a good soldier and to try and fit in on her new assignment.

she clearly was near her breaking point after the raid.
i'm sure whoever the real maya is has one hell of a story to tell

i thought chastains performance was spectacular.



Yes, she was amazing. After you see a movie that affects you like this one clearly does, you can't imagine how another actor/actress could have made you feel that way. At the end of a great movie I always say the same thing. They played a perfect part.
Reply
Reply
post #86 of 171
3/22/13 at 1:21pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kris Deering View Post

Interesting review. I haven't watched the whole thing yet (I saw it in theaters) but perused through the disc. The lit scenes look fabulous but the raid sequence (particularly the beginning in the helicopter crash) looked a bit too dark. I saw this film in theaters and don't remember it being so hard to make out. If I raise brightness on my display it helps but then I start to see some banding in the darker scenes. To say that my system is calibrated properly would be an understatement, so it isn't an issue there. I plan on watching the whole thing at some point in the very near future so I'll chime in on my thoughts then.

Greetings,

Sounds good Kris. I rechecked my notes and didn't note any issue with crush in the sequence at the compound.

Regards,
Reply
Reply
post #87 of 171
3/22/13 at 1:55pm
Thanks Ralph I ordered the steel book from best buy.
Reply
Reply
post #88 of 171
3/22/13 at 2:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Angler55 View Post

Well, I disagree and I don't want to turn a movie review thread into an argument about the use of torture.

Al

Quote:
Originally Posted by comfynumb View Post

Well I must say that the detainees were treated much better than the people in the twin towers on 9-11 or the ones that crashed in front of the Pentagon or in that field in my home state or in the countless bus bombings or countless embassy bombings or in the crowded marketplace bombings or in the hotel bombings or in the streets of Israel or way better than they treated Daniel Pearl or the Us Ambassador that was raped, murdered and dragged through the streets of Benghazi. There are countless cases of Al Qaeda bombings, shootings, be headings, rapes, and torture. So to say torture is torture is quite inaccurate. I know this thread wasn't meant for these comments and I'll refrain in the future.

Agree on both.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Hitchman View Post

But we don't have to lose our own souls in the process either. You then become your own worst enemy. An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind...

I think "Maya" was beginning to lose hers and it started coming back once her mission was finally over. Something they might have touched on a little bit more during the movie.
Not true, there would be one guy left with one eye wink.gif
Quote:
Originally Posted by pab1219 View Post

Thanks Ralph I ordered the steel book from best buy.

Nice, I had no idea there was steelbook release on this...
Reply
Reply
post #89 of 171
3/22/13 at 2:19pm
I've seen some of the negative comments about the dark scenes and the lack of detail in them and that's what I was expecting before I watched it. I read a couple of these comments even before the release of the DVD/Blu Ray although I can't recall if those folks had a pre-release copy or were just predicting the future. Personally, I thought the detail in the dark scenes (the raid mostly) was extraordinary as I thought the video in the entire movie was extraordinary to say the least. Much, much better than I was lead to believe and as well done as I've ever seen a dark scene (lol) in any movie prior to this one.

No, my Sharp Aquos LC-40LE810UN is not professionally calibrated and I don't pay attention to everyones TV that I know but my TV has a better looking picture than any I have paid attention too. I calibrated my TV by using "List #9 of the list of settings that "chromawash" came up with on the "Official Sharp Aquos/Quattron LC-XXLE810UN/LC-XXLE820UN Owners Thread - Page 94" and after following those setting recommendations I used the Disney WOW World of Wonder calibration disc to check for accuracy and a couple of minor tweaks. I really like the results but, as I said, I didn't have a guy come in and calibrate it so whatever that's worth it is what it is.

Did I mention how good the audio is in this movie? Yeah, it's good too!

I really can't say enough good about this movie mostly because I don't know how.

Al
Reply
Reply
post #90 of 171
3/22/13 at 2:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Angler55 View Post

I've seen some of the negative comments about the dark scenes and the lack of detail in them and that's what I was expecting before I watched it. I read a couple of these comments even before the release of the DVD/Blu Ray although I can't recall if those folks had a pre-release copy or were just predicting the future. Personally, I thought the detail in the dark scenes (the raid mostly) was extraordinary as I thought the video in the entire movie was extraordinary to say the least. Much, much better than I was lead to believe and as well done as I've ever seen a dark scene (lol) in any movie prior to this one.

No, my Sharp Aquos LC-40LE810UN is not professionally calibrated and I don't pay attention to everyones TV that I know but my TV has a better looking picture than any I have paid attention too. I calibrated my TV by using "List #9 of the list of settings that "chromawash" came up with on the "Official Sharp Aquos/Quattron LC-XXLE810UN/LC-XXLE820UN Owners Thread - Page 94" and after following those setting recommendations I used the Disney WOW World of Wonder calibration disc to check for accuracy and a couple of minor tweaks. I really like the results but, as I said, I didn't have a guy come in and calibrate it so whatever that's worth it is what it is.

Did I mention how good the audio is in this movie? Yeah, it's good too!

I really can't say enough good about this movie mostly because I don't know how.

Al



Hi, in your opinion do you think the dark scenes were intentionally shot or edited that way? That's what I'm thinking.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home

Gear mentioned in this thread:

AVS › AVS Forum › Blu-ray & HD DVD › Official AVS Blu-ray Disc Reviews › Zero Dark Thirty (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review