New to Blu-ray is our monthly look at the titles hitting Blu-ray for the month. Check out all of the cool releases for January below!
Drive
New release of the month goes to Nicolas Winding Refn’s ode to Los Angeles and fast cars. It is a perfectly clear picture, maybe a few hints of fine grain but mostly crisp, sharp images. Refn’s camera and the HD transfer makes L.A. look way prettier than it does in real life.
It’s a shiny movie, all the cars slick and the pretty actors glowing. You see plenty of detail, under the hoods at the mechanic’s or rugged tough guys as the deal goes bad. Driving shots remain clear and you can see all the detail. Colors pop and the still frames let you linger on the subtle movements.
Real Steel
Aww, now I’m going to feel bad for calling Drive the best looking new release. Real Steal looks great too and it’s a much glossier production. The picture is perfectly clear and has the polish of the big budget special effects. The cinematography actually looks like a Michael Bay movie, which I mean as a compliment in this context.
With that clarity, you see all the detail. Obviously in the robots, from the shiny new Noisy Boy to crusty old Atom in his various stages of duress. Locations range from gritty junkyards and gyms to magic hour landscapes and roadways. All look fantastic in high definition.
Killer Elite
Another new release action movie, Killer Elite also looks fantastic on Blu-ray and shows off the strengths of the format. The picture is clear and sharp, so you see all the detail. It’s less colorful than Real Steel or Drive as it’s going for a gritty look but there’s still plenty to show off.
The international adventure shows off lots of beautiful locations: middle eastern beaches and dunes, London cities and fields, South America, Australia. Slick wet streets make for good car chases, and you can’t have an action movie without a gritty old warehouse, right?
Abduction
This brand new release Blu-ray looks solid. It’s got a slightly saturated look so you might see a little bit more grain than you might on other new releases. The saturation cranks of the colors too, so you can see Taylor Lautner smolder and glare in heightened high definition.
It’s not perfect. There are a few spots that reveal some digital noise. It seems more like technical sloppiness. I was more disappointed that the movie wasn’t as horrible as everyone promised it was. I mean, it’s silly, but how can you not enjoy watching Lautner try to try not to cry?
