Out Of Time DVD Review

Picture quality is a huge disappointment, primarily due to a series of digital artefacts that prove both persistent and frustrating. Picture pixelation is a frequent visitor, and the image exhibits horrible “jaggies” as the camera pans in scene setting shots. On more than one occasion I could have sworn that the frame rate fell off as the picture would jerk and stutter, again during scene pans. On the plus side a lovely rich and warm colour palate is used which is well reproduced and is very evocative of the Floridian lifestyle. The image is soft overall and lacks the bite a definition you have come to expect from the DVD format. As I said up front a HUGE disappointment.

The only thing of note on the disc is the full bitrate DTS 5.1 soundtrack that is present. The question is, is that reason enough to purchase? The answer is a resounding maybe. There is no doubt that the track is very smooth and has a warmth and richness that is most welcome. Dialogue as transparent and Foley effects are well placed in a broad front soundstage. Why only maybe? Well the soundtrack itself is not very inspiring, and lacks the energy and involvement a more dynamic track presents. In a sentence, I fail to see the need for a full bitrate DTS encoding for such a bland soundtrack. This is bourn out to some extent when you listen to the DD track, which lacks only the warmth of the DTS track, and maybe a little of the volume.

Extras are presented in English with Japanese subtitles which can be switched off. They are a pretty average collection by today's standards with the most notable featurette being the “Making Of” documentary presented by director Carl Franklin. It is flat, tedious and devoid of originality, but so are many of the “Making Of” featurettes. Frankly no one cares if Denzel was fun to work with or if Eva, and Sanaa enjoyed fighting for the attention of Denzel. The screen tests of Dean Cain and Sanaa Lathan do provide an interesting diversion, showing the actors auditioning for the roles and giving the viewer an insight into how a character is developed and refined in the actors mind. Delving into the actors craft is much more interesting than bland featurettes and I would have welcomed more of this footage. In order to try to make the convoluted thriller more understandable the extras include a “Crime Scene” featurette that allows you to link in to relevant scenes that each characters plotline follows. It is largely superfluous as is the “Character Profiles” section that explains who each character is and what their backgrounds are - tedious!! A photo gallery and a few minutes of outtakes add padding.
Out Of time is an above average thriller with the always watchable Washington in commanding form. The disc unfortunately is a travesty with awful picture encoding and a DTS track that is a great encoding of an uninspiring original. In my opinion give it a miss.