The Film
It's hard to cram two of the sexiest men alive into one action flick. Just you try it. That said, Safe House manages to pull it off, mainly thanks to the presence of Denzel Washington.
Washington's career of late has become an endless loop of action flicks. However, it's really hard to hate the guy's work. This time, he conjures up some of his Training Day leftovers to play Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), an ex-CIA agent on the run from -- well, a lot of people. That's because he's in possession of a top-secret file that shows some of his former co-workers doing some very bad things.
Sexiest man alive number two is Ryan Reynolds, who plays low-level agent Matt Weston. He's out to move up the chain, follow orders, and basically bring Frost in after the safe house gets raided.
In other words, Matt is a bit of a party pooper. Of course, while the leads are on the run, there are plenty of behind-the-scenes shenanigans. More importantly, there's plenty of gunfire and fists of fury. Thankfully, first-time director Daniel Espinosa studied the Bourne playbook closely. It's not the most original plot, but it works. Again, thanks Mr. Washington. Try not to think about it too much and enjoy.
Need to get the full report on this spy thriller? Check out Karen Dahlstrom's theatrical review of Safe House.
The Picture
Yeah, movie studios don't put two good-looking actors together to make them look bad. This 2.40:1 transfer is a little grainy and gritty and the colors are more in your face than the action. That said, it looks exactly how it's supposed to look, and is a lot of fun. In some of the shaky cam scenes, you won't always catch as much of the detail, but there is plenty to ogle. Also, the close-ups are stellar.
The Sound
Safe House has the kind of audio track that will make you slobber all over your audio setup -- with love, of course. This release has a relentless DTS-HD Master Audio track. There are plenty of ambient sounds on the street, in a restaurant, in the train station, in the stadium, and in every scene in between. However, this film more than fills the action quota, with tons of crashes, chases, gunfire and other explosive moments. Amidst the chaos, though, the dialogue is always crystal clear. Overall, it's exactly the exciting track you'd expect.
The Extras
Designed mostly for the short attention span, almost all of Safe House's extras are incredibly short. There are bits on certain action scenes, the location, and a full 11 minutes of "Making Safe House." The most interesting piece is "Inside the CIA," which puts the spotlight on CIA vet Luis Falcon III, who served as a technical advisor on the film.
That said, there are a few meaty extras beyond what you see on the surface. Universal's U-Control feature offers a little picture-in-picture commentary and interviews during the film. There's also the option to enable Scene Explorer, which offers storyboards and B-roll during a few key scenes. This disc also includes the option for Second Screen via the pocket BLU app. The app has a built-in remote, access to the Digital Copy, and other extras that can also be found on the Blu-ray. It's an interesting feature, but doesn't offer much in the way of tidbits during the actual movie. However, it does have its own exclusive featurette titled, "Journey Inside The Safe House."
Final Thoughts
With two of the sexiest men alive on board, it's hard not to be captivated by this film. OK, it's got a lot of gunfire, chases scenes and other action. Happy? You will be with this Blu-ray. The audio and video are stellar, and even though most of the extras are short, there are just enough of them to make this a complete package. Consider Safe House to be a pretty safe bet.
Product Details
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