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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Disclaimer: The manufacturer provided NewTechReview with a unit of this product for review. Reviewed by Scott R. Garrigus | ||
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  "LIFE is an intense sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life-form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth." That is the official description for LIFE, now available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, which has provided NewTechReview with a NFR copy for review.Aside from the design of a new alien creature, LIFE doesn't bring any originality to the sci-fi horror genre. Does that make it a bad movie? No, it's actually very entertaining as long as you turn off your analytical mind and just enjoy the show. Many people have been comparing it to the film Alien, and rightfully so since it shares many similarities in regards to the storyline. As with Alien, the beginning of LIFE moves slowly, introducing us to the various characters, allowing us to get to know them before their inevitable demise. Of course, there's also the overall plot of having a team of scientists trapped in space with an evil alien on the loose. Even with the similarities, however, LIFE provides characters that remain true to themselves and compassionate to each other even in the face of death. Instead of going the "every man for himself route," the film presents a family of characters that fight together to try and save themselves as well as the rest of humanity. And of course, props have to be given for the creation of a new and extremely horrifying alien creature, which will most definitely give you nightmares if you're the type of person that lets yourself get immersed in these types of films, rather than trying to analyze the plotline for realism. Unfortunately, we were unable to review the 4K edition, so we couldn't witness the film in all it's Ultra HD glory, but the Blu-ray still provides a nice presentation. The disc includes a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encode with a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Since the entire film takes place inside a space station, colors are subdued for the most part. There is still plenty of detail to be seen, however, especially in the case of the alien. The Blu-ray also provides an excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack that includes wonderful use of all channels. While things are a bit quiet in the beginning (other than the probe impact), you'll experience plenty of aural excitement once the alien breaks loose and starts terrorising the crew. There is a small selection of special features that includes the following: * LIFE: In Zero G - provides a discussion with the cast and crew about the difficulties of filming a movie that takes place in outerspace. * Creating Life: The Art and Reality of Calvin - provides a discussion with the filmmakers about the creation and design of the alien creature as well as the real possibility of life on Mars. * Claustrophobic Terror: Creating a Thriller in Space - is probably the most interesting bonus feature, which provides more discussion with the cast and crew about the storyline of the film, the making of the film, and how it was directed. * Astronaut Diaries - includes the cast (who are still in character) talking about their lives on the space station. * Deleted Scenes - presents six deleted scenes from the film for a total of 6 minutes of viewing time. * Trailers - includes some trailers for other Sony Pictures titles. While the bonus features are a bit sparse, the movie itself is quite entertaining. Although LIFE takes inspiration from the classic Alien, it manages to find it's own way of bringing terror and suspense to the screen. If you're a fan of this sci-fi genre and you don't mind the possibility of nightmares, then you'll enjoy this film. For more information, visit: * Amazon: http://amzn.to/2udSAgi * Website: sonypictures.com |
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