The Patriot (Superbit)
Picture: A Sound: A+ Extras: C+
Film: C-
Braveheart exchanges his
sword for a muzzleloader as Mel Gibson stars in the disappointing film by
Roland Emmerich entitled, The Patriot.
Although the film was a box office sensation it really took off when it
was released to home video and DVD. The
film was first released to DVD as a Special Edition and has now been revisited
as a Superbit Deluxe edition from Columbia TriStar.
The differences between
these two releases are astonishing in terms of picture and sound quality. Since this is a ‘deluxe’ edition Columbia
TriStar kept all the supplements that were on the Special Edition except that
commentary and placed them onto the second disc inside the Deluxe Edition. Most consumers were upset that when
upgrading to a Superbit title that they were losing some great features, so
this someone compromises with that.
I could go on forever
about the various problems that lie within the film, but perhaps its biggest
fault lies in the timing and how certain events in the film seem to drag on,
while other (more important) aspects are thrown together unevenly. The editing makes the film suffer the
most. It just does not pull off as well
as it could or should have.
In terms or picture quality
the film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and is
anamorphically enhanced. The upgrade in
picture quality on this edition is amazing since the Superbits utilize all the
space on the disc for video and audio information there is much more refinement
in the picture. Colors are much more
saturated in particular the battle scenes, which were shot in 65mm, which is
rarely seen in films today. The last
few films to utilize the larger format would be 1992’s Baraka or Kenneth
Branagh’s Hamlet (1996). The
battle scenes immediately jump from the screen with life and color especially
in the red uniforms pressed against a blue sky with green grass below. The remainder of the film was shot in Super
35 for scope.
The richness and vibrancy
makes this DVD a perfect demo disc for anyone with a large projector or high
definition TV set. The sound is also a
tremendous improvement since with the Superbit Edition we receive the DTS 5.1
audio option that far outperforms the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix any day. A few scenes, where this can be clearly
heard and felt is the one in which Gibson and his two boys are facing a
regiment marching through the woods.
The soundtrack becomes immediately involved as we hear gunshots,
yelling, and other commotion occurring all through the soundstage. The low-end presence is amazing and punchy
when it needs to be. The battle scenes
also show off the terrific sound design of this film. The only complaint might be that Columbia TriStar could have released
the film with an ES channel allowing for the film to play back in 6.1, which
would allow for a center rear channel, since the film was recorded for that
type of playback. In fact, the film
actually was recorded for 7.1 SDDS playback as well. Try the ES mode anyhow and see what you get.
There are quite a bit of
extras presented on Disc Two, which are identical to all the supplements from
the Special Edition. There are deleted scenes, segments on the costumes,
special effects, and photo galleries.
All of these supplements are geared more towards war buffs in particular
those who could tolerate this film.
Although I give very
little recommendation to this film, the Superbit DVD makes it an impossible to
resist purchase for those who love to show off their home theater setup. In terms of picture and sound this is one of
the best DVD to own and that’s saying a lot.
- Nate Goss
