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The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon Blu-ray Review |
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The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon Blu-ray
Starz / Anchor Bay | 2008 | 90 mins | Not rated | Dec 08, 2009
The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon Blu-ray ReviewThis 'Lost Treasure' is but fool's gold.Reviewed by Martin Liebman, December 12, 2009 We're all going to die! We're all going to die! One thing's for certain: the "lost treasure" of the Grand Canyon isn't this movie. Another insipid original Syfy (previously "Sci-Fi") channel motion picture, The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon isn't exactly bathed in Science Fiction motifs. It's more of an historically-based adventure with minor spiritual and horror overtones, but no matter. The results are generally the same, these sorts of pictures the kind of entertainment that seems made only to help those bundled up under the blankets on the couch with the flu to catch some shut-eye while some meaningless drivel plays out on the television screen, an inconsequential yet welcome distraction from the annoyances of an illness. It's certainly not worth the time and effort otherwise, but still, The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon isn't the end-all, be-all of bad Syfy movies. This one is like drinking a warm and flat Coke; it's not pleasant but not particularly harmful, either. It's a bland, tasteless, forgettable sort of movie, one that most will strive to avoid, but when push comes to shove, things could be a lot worse.
Archaeologist/adventurist Dr. Samuel Jordan (Duncan Fraser) has become lost during an expedition deep within the Grand Canyon; his team is first attacked by native tribe people and, subsequently, a mysterious monster that kills indiscriminately. Weeks later, his panicked daughter Susan (Shannen Doherty) cobbles together a rescue party to find him. The adventure sees the group faced with dangers both natural and manmade; on Dr. Jordan's trail, they encounter booby-traps and angry natives that aren't happy to have their brutal sacrifices to the ancient god Quetzalcoatl interrupted by outsiders. As members of the team are killed one by one, Susan and team come face to face with a deadly ancient secret that threatens both their lives and all they thought they new about Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl, and the Grand Canyon. The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon is so dull, lazy, and routine that it's hard to watch, let alone take seriously, and the problems are compounded by a nonsensical story and a lazy script that retard any chance the film had to work on some low but respectable level. At best, the film is unremarkable; it goes from quasi-interesting to boring to foolish, each act becoming progressively more tedious and tiresome as more and more mythology and "history" are written into the plot. One shortcoming of this and, indeed, plenty of other on-the-cheap movies are plots that try too hard; back story, character motivation, and character history matter not in a film like this. Crucial elements all to superior and more serious pictures, yes, but more than the briefest of hints at anything that doesn't move the story and action along at breakneck speed far more often than not cripple films like The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon, and indeed, the film suffers a great deal in trying to explain away its every component. All that matters in a movie like this is that there's plenty of action, violence, and special effects, and the more chit-chat intermixed, the worse the movie's going to be. Fortunately, The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon delivers when it counts. Yes, the effects are bad and the acting around them not exactly Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade-quality (though one character seems like he's trying for the Karl Childers lookalike of the year award), but the film at least tries when it's not bogged down by meandering dialogue and slowly-paced exploration scenes (the film loses any steam it had during an exceptionally long and arduous middle segment as the team heads out in search of Dr. Jordan). The movie offers some surprisingly vicious gore, too; a decapitated head and a bloodied upper torso that's been ripped across the waist makes for some neat and shocking visuals, certainly far and away better than truly phony CGI crowds of Aztec warriors and the abysmally-realized digital representation of Quetzalcoatl. On the plus side, Shannen Doherty et. al. deliver decent performances; they take the material as seriously as they can, and their efforts are accentuated by competent but not particularly noteworthy direction from Farhad Mann (Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace). Video  The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon unearths a serviceable 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Aside from some headache-inducing shaky tracking shots early on, minor banding in several scenes, bright gray blacks here and crushing there, a hint of haloing, and a slightly harsh digital feel, the film doesn't look too terribly bad. This laundry list of issues are never consistently apparent, and indeed, the transfer at-a-glance and, for the most part, upon further scrutiny isn't all that hard to look at. Detail is fairly strong in close-up shots; whether tattered and blood-stained clothing later in the film, dusty terrains marked with sand and small pebbles, and various rock faces, The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon delivers generally eye-pleasing detail through and through. Additionally, outdoor shots are vivid and quite colorful. Though the image is generally dominated by earth tone exteriors and dim and dank cavernous interiors, the film renders its color palette nicely enough. Flesh tones are stable throughout, too. Though certainly not an upper-echelon image, this one is consistently average despite a plethora of minor issues and considering its small-budget nature and effortless Blu-ray release. Audio  The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon arrives on Blu-ray with an active Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack; no uncompressed or lossless options are included. Still, this one delivers a healthy collection of room-filling and back-channel engaging sounds that add a bit of spice to an otherwise dull picture, enough, in fact, to wake any viewers that might have dozed off during the film's lackluster middle segment. Though lacking the precise clarity of better-mixed soundtracks and their accompanying lossless or uncompressed Blu-ray presentations, The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon features swooping sounds, strong panning across the front, a healthy low end in several scenes, and a barrage of surround activity. From a passing horse and buggy that traverses the front half of the soundstage to an aggressive and booming thunderstorm; from a subtle breeze and chirping insects to a chanting Aztec crowd; and from reverberating and hard-hitting gunshots to a rumbling low end accompanying Quetzalcoatl's roar; there's a good bit of activity to enjoy throughout. Dialogue reproduction is adequately reproduced, too. Although The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon serves up a rather enjoyable soundtrack, it's a shame no superior option has been included. This is a mix that would have benefited from a lossless or uncompressed presentation. Supplements  No extras -- and not even a menu -- are included on this release of The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon. Final words  The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon delivers exactly what any viewer even the least bit familiar with the Syfy Channel's modus operandi would expect: a fantastically far-flung story, a poor supporting script, mediocre acting, direction that's not in the least bit stimulating, and terrible special effects. The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon delivers each with startling precision; it follows the Syfy formula perfectly, and the result is a film that, despite differences in plot, casting, direction, and everything else that makes a movie unique, is almost indistinguishable from any other of the channels' original efforts. It's fitting, then, that this Starz Blu-ray release is equally generic. Featuring a passable 1080p picture quality, a lossy soundtrack, and no extras, The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon might make for a good gag gift for that hard-to-shop-for Blu-ray collector to go along with Star Trek and Gone With the Wind this Christmas, but this one is otherwise not worth the effort. 
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