Review of Seven (2 disc set)

Introduction

The concept is old, it`s been done to death (no pun intended) before and is in danger of becoming stale. None of these apply here.

Two detectives, one about to retire, the other on the way up with a reputation to build. A serial killer with a liking for Biblical references has to be caught, but first he has to be found.

Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow star in a David Fincher film that is dark, moody and sometimes chilling. It`s a film to watch late at night, on your own and then see if you can get some sleep!

Video

Excellent, truly excellent. The anamorphic 16:9 picture is quite superb in portraying the darkness and tense brutality of the story.

This is a totally new mastering for this 2 DVD set and it shows. One of the best I have seen.

Audio

A choice of DTS or DD5.1 amongst others, including both EX formats, give this disc a spine tingling aura when played loud. The effects are well thought out and wonderfully executed.

As for the video, the audio track received a complete make over for this release, again you won`t be disappointed.

Features

How many times do you get a features list that is actually longer than the film? The movie comes in at approx. 122 minutes, while the features disc wades in with an approx. 163 minutes.

There is a new opening sequence, deleted and extended scenes, production work, stills, notebooks etc, etc, etc.

Truly an example of how this sort of thing should be done. The segments of the mastering of the video and audio are worth a careful look as they do explain a great deal.

Conclusion

One of the best. An excellent film that has received just deserves with a release of this quality. Words cannot express how good this is, I would just start repeating myself.

If you only buy or rent one thriller this year, make it this one. Even if you are not a fan of the genre, give this one a go as Freeman`s performance is without doubt one of the best I have seen from him. He exudes confidence and authority in the face of all kinds of obstacles.

Excellent.