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Scanning High-Def: Tears of the Sun Blu-ray

Tears of the Sun

Sony
Movie   •••
Blu-ray Picture/Sound   ••••
Extras   •••
New Extras  None
Wow! Who would've thought that this little-seen genocide movie starring Bruce Willis would boast the best Blu-ray picture (and one of the best of all high-def pictures) I've yet to see? Images are sharp, bright, and amazingly detailed, so you can see individual stubble hairs and all the pores and sweat drops on Willis's face. In fact, you can almost reach out and touch the actors. Contrast could be a tad better — I've seen darker blacks, whiter whites, and a greater range of colors on some other titles — but figures are still three-dimensional and close-ups round and solid. The uncompressed PCM 5.1 sound is loud but crystal-clear, with very good separation across the front. The surround channels are used to create convincing atmospherics, so that you're in the plane with the Navy Seal rescue team and then immersed in the noises of the jungle once they're on the ground. And there's a great battle at the end with jets shooting past and overhead and explosions of fire, and it all sounds good and bassy.

Extras include 16 minutes of observations from writers Alex Lasker and Patrick Cirillo, who focus on how much their script was altered, and a full-length commentary by director Antoine Fuqua, who comes across as much more caring and complex while talking about the real-life victims. You also get eight long and interesting deleted scenes and an informative factoid track about Africa.


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