The Invisible (Blu-ray + DVD-Video)
Picture: B+/C+ Sound: B+/B- Extras: C- Film: C-
David S.
Goyer has a specialty writing Superhero genre films, which should give him
leeway into related genres, but remaking the 2002 videotaped foreign teen
thriller The Invisible (2007) seems
like a mistake from the word go. The
original had nothing going for it and was done on the cheap. The mostly-starless remake has a teen on the
way to better things (Nick Powell) dealing with idiots in school, thanks in
part to the support of a good mother (Marcia Gay Harden) both with better days
ahead.
Then,
after cross conflict with kids in school who are thieves, robbers, bullies or
persons connected to him easily manipulated, he is attacked and killed. But the death is not final as he wanders in a
middle-ground between both worlds. He
gets to investigate why he was killed and can he save himself and others? Though the film tries to be more, it becomes
a very bad, dumb, contrived and unbelievable Ghost for teeny-boppers. So
bad in fact, that the conclusion is a dumb as it is condescending and offensive
to the audience. The actors give their
best and so does Goyer, but this is just one big misstep, which is why it went
by unnoticed.
The 1080p
2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image was shot in Super 35mm by Director of
Photography Gabriel Beristain, A.S.C., B.S.C., with some good shooting, but
comes with that artificially dark look that is a total bore, which likely bored
the audience into staying away from the film.
The PCM 24/48 5.1 mix exclusive to the Blu-ray is the highlight of both
versions, easily surpassing the weak Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in both version and
making this more watchable, as it needs all the help it can get. The Marco Beltrami score is mixed and choice
of hit songs not very impactful, but at least the sonics are good in PCM. Extras include two music videos, two feature
length audio commentaries (Goyer with co-writer Christine Roum, who also offers
optional commentary on the 13 minutes of deleted scenes, the other with
co-writer Mick Davis) and the original theatrical trailer. One Video is Jared Leto’s band 30 Seconds To
Mars singing The Kill, while the
other is Taking Back Control by The
Spartans. They are no less memorable
than the film, which is not good.
- Nicholas Sheffo
