Babylon A.D. Blu-ray delivers stunning video and audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
In the darkly futuristic world of Babylon A.D., the rules are simple: kill or be killed. Toorop, a ruthless mercenary hired to smuggle a mysterious young woman from the post-apocalyptic confines of Eastern Europe to the glittering megalopolis of New York City. Hunted at every turn, Toorop spirits his charge across a nightmarish wasteland only to uncover a shocking secret that will bring the entire world to its knees. Eye-popping action and mind-blowing science fiction clash head-on in this hard-edged thriller, where the only rule is survival.
Babylon A.D., the latest offering from muscle-bound star Vin Diesel, desperately wants to be
a Science Fiction classic for the new generation. To the film's credit, it tries awfully hard and gives
an admirable effort to be so, but it ultimately becomes bogged down in a plot that remains too
mysterious and somewhat incoherent to fully succeed. Smatterings of other, better Science Fiction
is to be found by the adept moviegoer throughout, and fans of the genre in particular will note such
similarities. Many will also likely leave the experience perhaps satisfied for the short term but
ultimately
disappointed in what is definitely a case study in missed opportunity. As pure entertainment,
Babylon A.D. almost succeeds, offering good special effects that blend seamlessly into
the film, several acceptable action sequences, and a solid performance from Vin Diesel. As
meaningful cinema, Babylon A.D. just never achieves any sort of thematic importance or
historical relevance, but not for lack of honest effort.
I am Toorop of Borg. Resistance is futile.
Babylon A.D. tells the tale of Toorop (Vin Diesel, xXx), an American
expatriate living in a near-future world of shady arms dealers, poverty, and destruction in
war-torn "New Serbia." Taken at gunpoint, Toorop meets with Gorsky (Gérard Depardieu (Last Holiday) and is
offered a job as an escort to a young woman to ensure her safe arrival in New York City. The
girl is known simply as Aurora (Mélanie Thierry), a sheltered individual who
has lived her entire life within the confines of a monastery. The couple will be joined by Sister
Rebeka (Michelle Yeoh, Sunshine), Aurora's
lifelong caretaker. Their journey will be a perilous one; the trio will be met by numerous unsavory
characters and harsh environments. Through it all, Toorop must learn exactly who he is
escorting, why she is so valuable to so many, and if her life is worth his.
If the basic premise sounds somewhat familiar to Science Fiction fans, it is. Babylon A.D.
is
based on the 1999 novel Babylon Babies by French author Maurice G. Dantec, a story
widely praised for its depth and
breadth. Unfortunately, the movie prefers to parallel both the story line and critical appeal of one
of the true stinkers in the
history of Science Fiction cinema, Jean-Claude Van Damme's 1989 critical flop Cyborg, a
film chronicling the adventures of a "slinger" (Van Damme) escorting across post-apocalyptic
America a female VIP who carries with her the future of mankind. Certainly, Cyborg
compares to Babylon A.D. in premise and promise only, this 2008 feature boasting
superior acting, effects, and story. Still, it's not always about glitz and glamour; few films thrive,
let alone survive, on superficiality, and Babylon A.D. is certainly no exception. While a
film like Cyborg cannot be faulted for trying to be nothing more than an overplayed,
nonsensical Sci-fi/Action time waster, Babylon A.D. continually seems to promise more
than what it can deliver, and by the end, it may just be a worse movie, simply because of its
failure to live up to potential to deliver on a premise that should have lent itself to being one of
the most-talked about, entertaining, and perhaps even important Science Fiction films in years.
Sadly, the film doesn't even surpass the best actor Vin Diesel has to offer. Parts of Babylon
A.D. recall Pitch Black, both through a few character traits Toorop shares with
Riddick, not to mention parts of Atli Örvarsson's (Vantage Point) score
that, to these ears, mimics sections of the Pitch Black score, notably during a scene
where Toorop first meets Rebeka and Aurora. Like Riddick, Toorop begins as a hard,
no-nonsense, dangerous individual with a "me first" attitude, though as the picture develops, the
character begins to reveal a softer, more compassionate side underneath the hardened, deadly
exterior. Several future cityscape shots of New York City also desperately attempt to best those
seen in Ridley Scott's classic Blade Runner, but
even with technology more than a quarter-century advanced, the magic of that look isn't
recaptured here. Still, Babylon A.D. is not a total loss. Director Mathieu Kassovitz (La Haine) offers
steady, unobtrusive direction and retains a solid pacing. The performances of the primaries range
from acceptable to above-average, with Diesel and Yeoh delivering the best of the leads,
supported by good outings from veterans Gérard Depardieu and
Charlotte Rampling (The Duchess).
Fox escorts Babylon A.D. onto Blu-ray with a high quality 2.35:1, 1080p transfer. The
depth and detail on display throughout the film is quite good, and like many Fox releases, the
picture quality is far above average. The worn, torn down, unkempt locales seen throughout the
first part of the film reveal incredible detail that brings the lifeless sets to life in high definition,
each one offering plenty of information to absorb. It's not eye candy, to be sure, as it often
appears a bit dim, dull, and devoid of bright colors, but the image is strong and lifelike for what it
has to offer. Detail in close-up shots of Vin Diesel's face reveal a tremendous amount of
information. The texture of his face, the rough facial hair, and the various scars and tattoos bring
the character to life. Blacks are dark, deep, and true, with no apparent loss of detail in the darker
corners. Later in the film, various locales contrast well to the cold, desolate, lifeless, dreary
settings in Eastern Europe and Russia. The purity of the Alaska frontier and the advanced
technology of New York City, including its clean lines and well-appointed interiors, look sharp and
rich, all the locales holding up superbly in this 1080p transfer. Grain is present over the image, but not intrusively, and it lends to the transfer a high-quality cinematic feel. Flesh tones are also
spot-on accurate. While the quality of the movie may be in question, this transfer is not.
Babylon A.D., as expected, is another winner from 20th Century Fox.
Babylon A.D. delivers a powerful sonic experience, courtesy of another stellar DTS-HD MA
5.1 lossless soundtrack from 20th Century Fox. This mix makes excellent use of the entire
soundstage; for example, distant gunshots during the opening moments ring out nicely with a
good sense of depth and distance to them, emanating here and there around the room.
Likewise, as helicopters fly by, the rotors thump and the sound moves effortlessly across the
soundstage. The hip-hop music that accompanies the opening credits thumps and pounds to
great effect, positively and forcefully filling the room with the loud yet precise beats. Explosions
heard throughout the film positively rock the sound system. The disc also excels during the film's
quieter scenes. Oftentimes, there is subtle ambience to be heard; the rustling of leaves in
chapter four or a bustling street scene in chapter five, for example, add a nice touch to draw the
audiences into the film, sonically. There is a good amount of ambience and support in the back
channels, and from the smaller nuances to the hardest-hitting action pieces, the rear speakers
receive quite the workout. Most every scene is filled with some sort of excellent sound presence,
another of the best being a club scene in Russia in chapter seven that features incredibly deep
and thumping lows that effortlessly place listeners inside the club. Dialogue reproduction is
always clear and precise, never drowned out by ambience, music, or effects. Much like the video,
the quality of the soundtrack overshadows that of the film, and Babylon A.D. is another
in an ever-growing list of high quality lossless soundtracks now available to be enjoyed on
Blu-ray.
This Blu-ray release of Babylon A.D. offers viewers a standard selection of bonus
materials.
First up is a Bonusview feature divided into two sections -- Scene Evolution and
Babylon A.D. Commercials. The former is a series of rather standard behind-the-scenes
features that run for just over 50 minutes combined. Viewers will become privy to some of the
inner-workings of the making of various scenes. The later feature is a series of made-up
commercials that only run under three minutes in length. These features may be played back
during the movie with Bonusview (Blu-ray profile 1.1)-enabled players, or available separate from
the film. Also included is a deleted scene from the film entitled Hummer Sequence
(1080p, 2:32).
Next up are five featurettes. Babylon Babies (1080i, 11:05) features the author of the
original novel discussing the themes, characters, and process of writing his story. Arctic
Escape (1080i, 11:41) closely examines the making of one of the film's more crucial action
sequences. Fit for the Screen (1080i, 7:04) takes a brief look at the fight and stunt
choreography utilized in the film. Flight of the Hummers (1080i, 8:00) looks at what
goes into the making of a movie car chase. Finally, Prequel to 'Babylon A.D.:' Genesis of
Aurora (1080p, 5:08) is an animated mini-prequel to the story. Concluding the movie-based
supplements are a series of stills and trailers for Stargate:
Continuum, X-Files: I want to
Believe, and The Happening.
The disc also includes D-Box support and an "Inside Look" at Behind Enemy
Lines: Colombia (1080i, 3:00) which, according to the piece, is "now available on Blu-ray" (when in fact it is not). Disc two of this set contains a digital copy of the film. Played back on a second generation iPod Touch, the picture quality is good, with minimal problems such as blocking and banding as observed during select scenes. The audio is a bit more disappointing, coming across as detached and lifeless, but suitable for what it is.
Babylon A.D. could have, and should have, been better than it is. While it passes as
suitable entertainment for a rainy Saturday evening, the film lacks in meaning and purpose, though
it is not for a shortage of effort. Casual moviegoers should enjoy the film well enough, though hardcore
Science Fiction fans will leave the experience shrugging at first, and perhaps disappointed later.
20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release of Babylon A.D. is much better than the film itself,
featuring standout video and audio presentations, along with a smattering of bonus materials that
should please those in search of behind-the-scenes materials. Despite the superior Blu-ray
presentation, the film is likely best enjoyed as a rental.
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