Review of Drop Zone

Introduction

Skydiving seemed popular several years ago in Hollywood with Drop Zone and Charlie Sheen`s Terminal Velocity both coming out very close to each other. Personally I preferred the latter when I first saw them on release, but enjoyed both.

Drop Zone stars Wesley Snipes, you know the well-dressed chap who fights a lot, and seems to make a habit of plane crashes - Drop Zone, US Marshals and Passenger 57...

Basically, when escorting a prisoner aboard a 747, the plane is hijacked and the prisoner skydives jumps to safety. In the process Pete Nessip (Snipes) sees his fellow Marshall and brother killed and later blamed for the accident. Nessip knows better and although suspended investigates - discovering that there are only two people either capable or mad enough to pull off the hijack. Consequently he takes up skydiving to try and catch the culprits.

Video

The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen video is above average throughout the film - no major problems apparent, but not as sharp as DVD is capable of.

Visually, a lot of the film is stunning - the aerial photography of the skydivers is superbly shot and very spectacular - especially the end sequence over Washington on 4th July.

Special effects wise, there`s not much really, apart from some appalling rear-projection when Snipes and Busey jump from a building at the end.

Audio

The audio comes in Dolby Digital 5.1 and is very good throughout.

Good use is made of all the available channels, but of particular note are the skydiving scenes, especially when the various skydivers go head down and go flying past!

Features

A trailer...wow...and why no documentary on the filming of the skydiving?

Conclusion

Overall, this was a good way of passing an evening away with a couple of tins of lager. It`s run-of-the-mill no-brainer action fare with the added spectacle of skydiving thrown in for good measure.

Snipes is as Snipes always is, cool, well dressed and has a couple of scenes to show off his fighting ability etc and the supporting cast does their job. I can only assume however that the skydiving community must not have been too amused at being portrayed as such whackos!

The video is average and sound good but no extras make it poor value for money. I got my copy in the sale in Dixons for £7.99, so I wasn`t that bothered.