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  Starring
  Specs
  • Widescreen 2.40:1
  • Dual Layer ( )
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • German: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  Subtitles
    Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish
  Extras
  • 2 Theatrical trailer

Deep Impact

Dreamworks/Universal . R4 . COLOR . 121 mins . M15+ . PAL

  Feature
Contract

Deep Impact, is a movie which was released at a time where, disaster and "End of the World as we know it" movies were all the rage. Its main competitor was “Armageddon”, which was released a little later, and I guess, both movies were successful in terms of box office results. As a movie, I didn’t mind Deep Impact. Its much more emotional and character based, and as such, it appealed to a different kind of viewer. One who likes movies where the characters, and not so much the events are the focus. Armageddon was a little more entertaining.

After several viewings of both movies, Armageddon survives, for some unknown reason, (maybe the comedy?) much better. It is a very enjoyable experience, while Deep Impact seems a better film at the first viewing. As a film on its own, it stands up reasonably well, with many viewers very keen to see how people react in these types of situations. It definitely didn’t make me want to buy it and add it to my DVD collection, but its watch-able, and for someone who hasn’t seen it, a worthwhile experience.

The basic story is quite simple, a comet the size of Texas has been spotted on its way to earth, and naturally, the good ol US of A have a plan. Well two plans. One is to blow it up, the most obvious choice, and the other is to pick a few of the “best” people, and put them in fitted out caves. Nice idea, but I’d hate not to make the list.

Being heavily based on strong character subplots, does not add greatly to the movie. It complicates things, and the story does not delve sufficiently into what actually went into making the list, the caves, and details about the comet, and, something ignored by so many US movies, what the rest of the world is doing.

  Video
Contract

This press is a little disappointing. It looks ok, but there is a definite washed out look to the video. I don’t remember noticing this effect when watching it in the cinemas, and I often do notices things like that. Colours seem a little lacking, even though many reds are strong. The sharpness of the video is very good, and detail is ok, it seems as though this film was often shot with a shallow depth of field, and out of focus objects in the background do seem a little less detailed than usual.

In the astronomical night scenes, detail I feel is a little lacking. Anything lit up like peoples faces are all good, its just that everything else is a little too weak.

It’s a decent press, but just not near the top level of video quality we often see from the best discs.

  Audio
Contract

Also disappointing. For some reason, this soundtrack doesn’t sound completely natural. Voices are always quite clear, and bass effects are very good, as well as all the music. However environmental cues seem too artificial. For instance, in a critical scene where Tea Leoni is on the beach talking to her characters father, the waves crashing in the background seem very fake and almost annoying.

Surround effects are quite rare, they are really only heard in the spectacular sequences, and there seem a little lacking in impact. Pun intended.

  Extras
Contract

Not a lot of extras here, two trailers. Both are grainy, dusty non 16x9 enhanced and Dolby 2.0. The second one is a little better, being 2.35:1.

  Overall  
Contract

I’m sure a lot of people like this movie more than Armageddon. I do not. Steve Buscemi in any movie is a hoot, and the rest of the cast in Armageddon does almost as well. The cast of Deep Impact are all quite likeable, but seem to lack real appeal in this film.

I think it’s a good account of Deep Impact, that I’m referring more to another movie, than I am to this one. The disc is reasonably fine, without too adverse aspects to it, but it doesn’t standout as a great disc, like so many discs are now these days. Even discs with movies as weak as this one.


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