21 Blu-ray

21

 (2008)

Crime | Drama



Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a shy, brilliant M.I.T. student who — needing to pay school tuition — finds the answers in the cards. He is recruited to join a group of the school's most gifted students that heads to Vegas every weekend armed with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favor. With unorthodox math professor and stats genius Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) leading the way, they've cracked the code. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals, the team can beat the casinos big time. Seduced by the money, the Vegas lifestyle, and by his smart and sexy teammate, Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. Though counting cards isn't illegal, the stakes are high, and the challenge becomes not only keeping the numbers straight, but staying one step ahead of the casinos' menacing enforcer: Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne).

For more details about 21 on Blu-ray, see the 21 Blu-ray Review

Starring: Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira
Director: Robert Luketic

21 Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


21 deals out a winning Blu-ray transfer that, more often than not, will have you proclaiming, "winner winner chicken dinner!" Presented in 1080p high definition and framed in the film's original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.40:1, the transfer is flat-out exceptional. The picture is bright, clear, distortion-free, and nearly perfect. Colors are vibrant, detail is excellent, flesh tones are spot-on, and there is a perfectly good theatrical look to the film, all courtesy of the all-digital presentation. The admissions office at Harvard Medical School where Ben pleads his case for the scholarship is cozy and comfortable with fine, natural detail from the objects on the admission officer's desk to the fireplace in the rear. Look at the detail on the bricks outside the men's clothing shop where Ben works at the beginning of chapter two. They look perfectly real and tangible, and the dark interior of the shop doesn't falter, either. Even the suits on display in the background have a "reach out and touch them" texture and highly visible level of detail. The texture of the playing cards in extreme close-up shots is breathtaking. Ridges and colors on the cards are true-to-life and vibrant, presenting an amazing level of clarity on each and every one. Black levels are deep and rich; the first arrival in Vegas is nothing short of an awe-inspiring image awash in bright colors surrounded by inky, deep, and pure blacks. It is a perfect image and no doubt will serve as a wonderful segment to use for video demonstration purposes. Each panoramic shot of the city's nighttime grandeur simply shines, and each time they are shown, the more impressed your audience will become. The smoky interiors of the various bar scenes in the movie hold up well with no color banding or other disturbing anomalies. The only drawback to the transfer that I noted are minor cases of shimmering and fluctuations in contrast. Overall, however, this transfer is a stunner, one worthy of reference and demonstration purposes.

21 Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


21 offers listeners a solid, but not spectacular, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Dialogue isn't presented too low, but the music that plays over the film's introduction is so loud that spoken words become lost under the avalanche of music and sound. Bass rumbles and the surround speakers rock and roll and scream out their material, but at the expense of dialogue, an effect that very well may presented in such a way so as to replicate the feel of being in a loud Vegas casino. Laurence Fishburne's debut scene in the movie presents a solid sonic entrance for the character. In a cold, expansive, dimly-lit room, his voice echoes with a solid rear-channel presence that is as cold, uninviting, and menacing as the room itself. The various popular music tunes heard in the movie sparkle and are the high point of the audio mix. If I had one complaint, it would be that the soundtrack is just a bit too loud at my reference volume, and offers a slightly harsh edge. Music dominates the front and blends into the rears, but not with nearly as much volume as the sound emanating from the center and front right and left primary speakers. Bass generally kicks in during the more uproarious songs in clubs and dance halls, and the effect is a good, all-encompassing one, but don't expect the soundtrack to rattle your home on a regular basis. A solid listen, this track has its shortcomings, but is far from a troublesome track, and it compliments the movie rather well.

21 Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Today on Blu-ray - July 22nd - July 23, 2008


• Sony Annouces 21 for Blu-ray - May 14, 2008