Fifth Element (Superbit)

 

Picture: A     Sound: A     Extras: D      Film: C+

 

 

Director Luc Besson’s sci-fi fantasy/action flick starring Bruce Willis is a mess of a film to say the least, but there is something odd and interesting about the film that has attracted a loyal fan base to the film.  His futuristic take on things is peculiar as a beautiful young woman must find the secret behind the ‘fifth element’ in order to save the world from an evil alien force. 

 

Rather than drone on about this film, I’d rather talk more about this Superbit Edition DVD from Columbia TriStar.  Most people are already familiar with the film and in reviewing this release most consumers are questioning whether or not the upgrade is worth the bucks.  To answer that question it depends on a few things such as what type of TV will you be viewing the film on and what type of player/receiver as well as other equipment will you be using.  The major upgrade in any of the Superbit titles is the inclusion of a DTS 5.1 audio track, which is far superior to its Dolby Digital 5.1 counterpart, but in order to get the DTS track you must have a player and a receiver that can read the signal.  If that is the case, then you are in for a big surprise with the upgraded sound in the Superbit release.

 

There are certain scenes in which the sound design truly comes to life.  The major demonstration scene is the one in which Zorg shows of his weapons as a tester.  The surrounds become fully engaged as he goes through various weapons such as a flamethrower, a grenade launcher, and various other gadgets.  This scene alone shows of the great sound design and expansiveness of the soundtrack.  Eric Serra’s beautiful music score also encapsulates the viewer during times of less action and dialogue.

 

In terms of picture quality this edition further enhances the 2.35 X 1 image, presenting the colors in fuller, richer detail over the previous basic edition DVD.  Certain colors such as yellow on the taxicab or the blue in the alien opera singer look stunning.  Depth and definition is never a problem at all.  There is a slight bit of refinement that could be made to some of the darker portions of the film because it has a softer look to it that takes away from the films quality, but other than that there are only microscopic touches that could improve the film for home viewing.  It should also be noted that the previous edition was anamorphically enhanced like this one, but it takes more than that alone to capture great images.

 

There were no extras on the basic edition and the same is true here.  Although there is a trailer, but that’s it.  The film is presented in its 2.35:1 aspect ratio and is anamorphically enhanced.  The audio options are either Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1.  The film defaults automatically to Dolby Digital though.

 

Fans who have invested in a nice home theater setup may want to upgrade either now or down the road on a film like this.  For those who never made the purchase you will most certainly want to choice this edition versus the basic one since neither have supplements so you can only gain more in terms of picture and sound quality.

 

 

-   Nate Goss