Point of No Return Blu-ray

Warner Bros. | 1993 | 109 mins | Rated R | Apr 07, 2009

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Video Video codec: VC-1 Video resolution: 1080p Aspect ratio: 2.40:1 Audio English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English: Dolby Digital 5.1 French: Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1... (more) English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English: Dolby Digital 5.1 French: Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 German: Dolby Digital 5.1 Italian: Dolby Digital 2.0 (less) Subtitles English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese... (more) English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish (less) Disc 25GB Blu-ray Disc

Price List price: $14.98  Amazon: $8.99 (Save 40%) Third party: $8.40 (Save 44%) Usually ships in 24 hours Blu-ray rating Users 3.5 Reviewer 2.5 Overall 3.2 Based on 1 user rating Playback Region free

Point of No Return

Once you get past its pervasive, depth-sapping grain field, Point of No Return's 1080p/VC-1 transfer represents another solid (albeit unremarkable) catalog release from Warner. It's clear that the film's source hasn't been properly remastered in quite some time -- white and black specks, print scratches, intermittent contrast wavering, and distracting edge enhancement all make their presence known -- but foreground definition and dimensionality rarely suffer as a result. From scene to scene, fine detail remains in tact, textures are well defined, and shadow visibility is revealing. More importantly, the image boasts a healthy appearance bolstered by inviting colors, warm primaries, and altogether impressive saturation leveling. A few problematic nighttime sequences struggle to resolve the deepest blacks and retain the clarity of every object, but the cleanliness of the technical transfer tends to make up for these and other print-related mishaps. I didn't detect any significant artifacting or banding, crush was never an issue, and Warner resisted the urge to slather the transfer with digital noise reduction (DNR). Considering Point of No Return's age and obscurity, fans will be relieved to see that it looks as good as it does.

Point of No Return Blu-ray, Audio Quality

Video quality aside, Warner gives Point of No Return its due diligence with an unexpectedly powerful Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track. Dialogue is crisp, nicely prioritized, and perfectly balanced throughout the soundfield. A few words are lost in the heat of the film's more chaotic gun battles, but the overly subdued lines are never of any importance. Not only are the rear speakers brimming with activity -- injecting convincing ambient effects into crowded spaces, enhancing the acoustics of almost every interior space, and increasing the immersion of the track with acute directionality -- the LFE channel adds substantial heft to everything it supports. Gunfire aggressively erupts from every direction, a third act car chase leads to a variety of sonic fireworks, and a granddaddy of an explosion will send a welcome shockwave through your home theater. Moreover, the film's soundtrack has been restored with exacting dynamics and clarity. The synthesized score is sharp and stable, Nina Simone's songs sound as if they were recorded yesterday, and dense bass beats resonate to great effect. While the tonal consistency of a few lesser sound effects reveal the film's age, I couldn't have been happier with the integrity and impact of Warner's lossless catalog remix.

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