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Contraband Blu-ray delivers great video and superb audio, but overall it's a mediocre Blu-ray release
Chris Farraday long ago abandoned his life of crime, but after his brother-in-law botches a drug deal, Chris is forced back into running contraband. Things quickly fall apart, and Chris must use his skills to navigate a treacherous criminal network of brutal drug lords, cops, and hit men before his wife and sons become their target.
For more about Contraband and the Contraband Blu-ray release, see Contraband Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on June 17, 2021 where this Blu-ray release scored 2.5 out of 5.
Mill Creek has released the 2012 Mark Wahlberg film 'Contraband' to Blu-ray. Universal released the film to the format in 2012. This Blu-ray compares favorably with the
Universal disc for its video and audio presentations but lacks the rather full allotment of bonus content included with that release. This Mill Creek issue
is currently only available as part of a two film bundle with 'Fear.'
For a full film review, please see Kenneth Brown's writing accompanying the 2012 Blu-ray at this link.
When Contraband released to Blu-ray in 2012, it did so fresh out of theaters and received the standard high quality treatment from Universal,
a studio which was then much more more apt to make a mess of its catalogue output but consistent in delivering high yield new releases. This is almost
certainly the
same master Universal sourced the Blu-ray from for the 2012 release, and while this undoubtedly looks very similar, there's no mistaking that this
release is a minor step down. It shares a disc with Fear and lacks the bit rate and breathing room from Universal's original presentation.
That said, the presentation is fine as-is, capturing the film's inherent aesthetic -- in his 2012 Blu-ray review Ken Brown called it "another dark, gritty
actioner shot to make audiences say, 'wait, what's going on over there?'" -- with commendable faithfulness to the source. The film holds to its natural
grainy appearance, through there are some mild artifacts littering the background, intermixing dense grain with chunky digital blocks that give the
picture a somewhat uneven appearance. However, core detailing remains very high. The picture is sharp as can be as it is, revealing essential facial
and clothing textures with high yield clarity and visibility. Environments, particularly aboard the ship, reveal plenty of tattered surfaces and worn layers
that give the location a tangible sense of character. Colors output is likewise faithful, featuring cranked contrast and crushed blacks (which appear to be
by design). The picture's encode shortcomings aren't too terribly distracting. While this falls just a tad short of Universal's disc, the loss is very minor in
total; most won't notice any huge differences.
While I don't have access to the 2012 Universal disc for direct comparisons, this is almost without question the same DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless
soundtrack. Listening here perfectly reflects Ken's writing on the nearly decade-old disc. The track is appropriately spacious, perfectly clear, and
integrates ambient effects extraordinarily well. The stage is almost always alive in some way, whether sounds within the ship's bowels, street level
atmosphere, or engine sounds inside vehicles. There's a steadiness to both clarity and immersion that makes this a very satisfying and high yield track.
More intense action elements enjoy similar stage engagement for both width and surround depth alike. Musical output is clear, widely spaced along the
front, folded into the rears with balance, and supported by a quality low end output. Dialogue is clear, well prioritized, and firmly grounded in the front
center speaker. All is well with this track.
This Mill Creek Blu-ray release of Contraband contains no supplemental content. Universal's 2012 Blu-ray included a fairly in-depth array of
bonuses, including a picture in picture making-of, an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and a couple of featurettes. It's a shame none of that
made its way over here, but that's par for the course for Mill Creek's double features. No digital copy is included, either.
For those who already own Universal's Blu-ray there's no reason to make this purchase. It's a slightly lesser release for mild compression issues and the
absence of supplements. The movie isn't anything to write home about, either, but it is capably entertaining. For newcomers who just want to watch the
movie and won't nitpick the picture quality or watch it from six inches away this is a perfectly acceptable alternative to the Universal disc.
Contraband: Other Editions
Blu-ray
1-disc $8.00
Blu-ray
1-disc
Blu-ray
2-disc set
Blu-ray Bundles/Box Sets with Contraband (1 bundle)
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In April, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will bring Contraband to Blu-ray. The action-thriller stars Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter) as a former smuggler who must return to the criminal life in order to save his family. Contraband streets on April 24th.
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