BONE COLLECTOR - HD DVD review

Crime thrillers have become very popular in the last couple of years. David Fincher's wonderful "SE7EN" gave a rebirth to the genre and brought about a gritty and very graphic change. Since that film, countless others that borrow from its visuals and style have populated the local Cineplex buildings. Some have been very close copies and there are a notable few that are certainly worth catching. Joel Schumaker's tale of "snuff" pornography, "8MM" and this story about a patterned serial killer are two of the better films in this genre to come out since the benchmark "SE7EN".

Like "8MM" and "SE7EN", "The Bone Collector" features a great cast and powerful performances. Noyce has assembled a great ensemble. Denzel Washington puts forth his usual overpowering performance, newcomer and soon to be Lara Croft ("Tomb Raider"), Angelina Jolie holds her own as well. Great supporting roles come from Queen Latifah and Michael Rooker. Noyce decided to take a gamble and cast my hero, Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) as a New York City cop. The gamble pays off and O'Neill is perfect in the role. Hopefully this film will bring him into the light as an actor and other director's can look past his long role as Al Bundy.

"The Bone Collector" is not as visually powerful as the other two films I am using for comparison. There are some rather gross and hard to stomach scenes for those who are easily bothered by scenes of a graphic nature. The scenes are not nearly as powerful as "SE7EN" and more is shown than "8MM", which relied on using your own imagination to scare and disgust. "The Bone Collector" is still very nicely done and has some true gritty scenes that are just as nicely done as the older two films. The film uses the additional suspense of Denzel Washington's character's terminal condition to keep the viewer on the edge of the seat and add more emotional power to the film.

The general plot of the film is very good and solid. The story is about a police officer who is nearly ripped in half while investigating a crime scene. This officer, Lincoln Rhyme (Washington) becomes paralyzed and can only move his neck, shoulders and a single finger. He continues to aid the police department and one day his friend and former colleague, Paulie Sellitto (Ed O'Neill) comes calling and asks for his help. Two grizzly murders are committed and young officer Amelia Donaghy (Jolie) uncovers puzzling evidence that was planted at the crime scene by the killer. Rhyme is the only one who can figure out the evidence and he needs someone to be his body during the investigation. Amelia is forced into the investigation and they are up against the killer and a disgruntled Captain, Capt. Howie Cheney (Rooker). More murders are committed and it becomes a race against time to try to save the next victim, who is outlined by the clues from the previous murder.

Of course, someone involved in the profession of being an Investigator may find more plot holes in this film than swiss cheese. From the casual onlooker and fan of the crime thriller genre, "The Bone Collector" delivered. It delivered big. The performances were top notch and Denzel Washington is truly a Hollywood superstar. Angelina Jolie is a rising star and Michael Rooker continues to be a supporting heavyweight. This film may even place Ed O'Neill as a common figure in supporting roles. All actors are talented and the performances and great style of "The Bone Collector" makes for a suspenseful and enjoyable film. If you are looking to discover who the killer is, the only clues are in the opening credits. At least according to the director, Phillip Noyce. If you enjoyed either "SE7EN" or "8MM", then "The Bone Collector" should be a film you certainly should watch with the lights out.

Video:

"The Bone Collector" follows the tradition set by "SE7EN" and is composed of many dark and eerie scenes. The dark moments demand a strong transfer. The black levels and shadow detail are top notch and do true justice to the film. When color is present in the film, it is well saturated and does not suffer from any chroma noise. Detail is very good, and though it is not as strong as some of Universals other recent releases, the transfer is very crisp. It is hard finding fault in this transfer, and even the original source materials used for the print appear to have been pristine. "The Bone Collector" looks pretty good on HD-DVD and is a nice step above the original DVD release.

Sound:

"The Bone Collector" is brought to HD-DVD with both Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 and DTS 5.1 sound. The original DVD featured Dolby Digital EX sound. The new HD-DVD release does not. All six channels are active throughout the film. The .1 LFE subwoofer channel adds a true element to the film, especially during moments of high suspense. The bass is not overpowering, but it is nicely done and fits the tone of each individual scene well. The rear surrounds are active throughout the picture and again, they are used in a manner that works well with the level of suspense of the scene. Dialogue is crystal clear. It is hard to find fault in the sound quality, and if you have either an older Dolby Digital or DTS system or can enjoy the newer Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 sound, you will find this film to be enjoyable.

Extras:

There are a few supplements to be found on this HD-DVD, which are carried over from the original release. Actually, the only real solid feature to enjoy is the Feature Commentary by Director Phillip Noyce. Noyce gives a wonderfully informative commentary on the making of the film and many of his reasons for doing things the way he did. A few little side stories are told and the commentary never gets dull. There are one or two more instances than I prefer where Noyce sits back and lets you listen to what is going, but in the end, he does a fine job. After the commentary, there is a Spotlight on Location featurette that was used to advertise the film and runs for just under a half an hour. This making of feature is typical EPK material and if you are familiar with the "Spotlight on Location" features, you know how overly positive they are. Speaking of advertisements, the Theatrical Trailer finds its way to the HD-DVD. Universal has been shunning these beloved little trailers and finally, one makes its way to HD-DVD. Joy.

Closing Thoughts:

"The Bone Collector" is a fine entry in the crime-thriller genre. It is dark and suspenseful and features a few scenes that may leave the viewer a little queasy in the stomach. Phillip Noyce has earned much respect from me for this film. The performances of the cast are very good and help add to a solid plot. There really is no way to predict who the killer is, but the ending is still interesting and in the end, the human element is the hardest to guess when it comes to the outcome of the film. The HD-DVD brings over the features from the DVD release. The commentary track is quite good and the making of featurette is all about publicity, but lengthy. The transfer and sound quality are not benchmark material. They are more than adequate and the film is clean and passable on the new format.