The Film
Who in Hollywood decided it was a good idea to stop making westerns? Did dusty hats suddenly become scarce? Did the horse whisperers start making unreasonable demands? Consider the plethora of pictures Tinsel Town has churned out over the past twenty years. How many of them have been westerns? More importantly, how many have been good westerns? I count six: Quigley Down Under, Dances with Wolves, Unforgiven, Tombstone, Open Range and Serenity. (Granted, Serenity is set in space but if you've seen TV's "Firefly" or its big-screen sequel, I think you'll agree there's a case to be made here.) Last year, veteran actor Ed Harris and Aragorn of Middle Earth (Viggo Mortensen) came together with the goal of adding a seventh film to that list: Appaloosa. Did they succeed? Yes and no.
For a second opinion, check out David Kempler's less-than-affectionate take on Appaloosa.
The Picture
With the help of DP Dean Semler, Ed Harris has undeniably created a beautiful-looking film in Appaloosa. Warner presents the product of their efforts in its original, ultra-wide 2.40:1 aspect ratio and the results are generally very good. The 1080p image boasts rich, deep blacks and a warm and pleasant color palette. Like many films, the enhanced resolution of Blu-ray shines brightest during the film's many facial close-ups and you can almost spot the glue holding up Mortensen's ridiculous goatee. Fine image detail is better than what you'll see on DVD, but the film is not as sharp as some other recent Warner releases. Although the resulting image is a bit on the soft side, it suits the film well. These attributes plus a relative lack of distracting artifacts help make for an attractive picture overall.
The Sound
Although one can understand why Warner continues to have their Blu-ray Discs default to standard Dolby Digital [editor's note: I don't understand it at all - doesn't Warner know that TrueHD tracks have Dolby Digital compnion tracks for backwards compatibility?], that doesn't make it any less frustrating when you realize you've watched a half hour of the film using the inferior soundtrack. In the case of Appaloosa, the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix is definitely the way to go - and it's a winner. Like the film itself, subtlety is the name of the game here as there's a surprising degree of ambient activity in the surrounds for much of the film. Dialogue is crisp and intelligible at all times and action junkies will be pleased to learn that Everett's 8-gauge shotgun packs a thunderous wallop.
The Extras
Although you won't find any PiP-style video commentaries or BD LIVE interactivity on Appaloosa, you do get a Digital Copy on Disc Two and a respectable smattering of bonus material on Disc One. In addition to an Ed Harris/Robert Knott (screenwriter) audio commentary, you also get a quartet of brief featurettes and a handful of deleted scenes presented in high definition. And unlike the cutting room floor scenes common to most discs, these are actually worth your time and come complete with a selectable Ed Harris commentary.
Final Thoughts
Appaloosa is an easy film to admire but a hard film to love. With nary an original bone in its body, the film relies on its performances to keep it afloat. Although Harris and Mortensen are entirely compelling, Jeremy Irons is largely wasted and Renee Zellweger is often downright irritating. Rent it before you buy it, but whatever you do don't dismiss it. Appaloosa does have its moments and a well-crafted western is a rare, rare thing these days.
Where to Buy
Product Details
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