The Omen (2006/Blu-ray)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: B     Extras: C-     Film: D

 

 

Our long look at the lame remake of The Omen continues with its release on the Blu-ray format.  Having covered it in theaters and on DVD, you can read more about just how bad it is starting at:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4362/The+Omen+(2006/DVD-Video)

 

 

So the question about the film that is not a shot-by-shot remake of the original (a lie stolen from Gus van Sant’s grossly unnecessary remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho) film, then what do you get?  A clearer version of the bad use of color and digital color tools the DVD also demonstrates.  One would think that the improved picture possibly might make this more watchable, but the digital color is so plastic here that its defective nature offers more terror than the storyline.

 

As a result, the 1.85 X 1 1080p AVC @ 18 MBPS digital High Definition image is still a problem as expected because of the lame way cinematography was plastered with digital throughout to its detriment.  This looked bad in 35mm film, DVD and now Blu-ray.  This is still better than the DVD, but barely.  Too bad Fox did not release the original 1976 film in Blu-ray at the same time.

 

The DTS 6.1 ES HD Master Audio is definitely an improvement over the lame Dolby Digital 5.1 on the standard DVD, but the sound mix is problematic all-around in DVD and theaters.  It is nice to see DTS HD Master Audio on Blu-ray, but the Master Audio is only as good as the original mix, which is not top rate here and surprisingly choppy considering it is a remake.  Though final DTS HD playback hardware is not out there for the most optimal playback, this title will not survive sounding too good by that time, when plenty of other Blu-rays with better picture and sound will be on the market.  The extras are the same as the DVD, and sadly, so is the film itself.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo