The Lovely Bones Blu-ray Review

The Lovely Bones is a complicated movie that didn't get its due at the box office. After the jump you can read my review for this outstanding blu-ray.








Release Date: April 20th, 2010
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 1080p
Runtime: 2hr 15min
Discs: 2

The Package: The Lovely Bones comes to us in a "no frills", 2-disc package. The cover art is attractive enough. The amray is a standard 2-disc deal, with one disc housed on each side of the case. The disc art is the standard "Paramount grey", which means that there is not disc art, making the discs look plain. There is no slip cover to this release.

The Picture: Presented in 2.35:1 and in 1080p, The Lovely Bones looks simply breathtaking. The colors are even and vibrant. The blacks are deep. There is no evidence of edge enhancement or DNR. I am very impressed by this picture and would say that it is reference quality.

The Sound: Paramount has given The Lovely Bones a English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track that is, well, lovely. The surrounds are used to their maximum, but only when they are needed. For the most part, this track is reserved and quiet. There is a nice atmosphere to the track. Dialogue is clear and the effects are handled well.

The Goodies: Peter Jackson is known for being very hands-on when it comes to the home video releases of his films and this is no exception. This time around, however, Jackson does not provide a commentary. What we do get is a massive 3-hour documentary about the making of the movie.

Going through the entire shooting schedule week by week, and sometimes day by day, Jackson gives us one of the most interesting looks behind the scenes of the making of a movie. Not only do we learn about how the movie was made, but we also hear about the intentions behind some scenes in the movie, where the intentions are a little too subtle. This is one of the best making-ofs I have ever seen.

The Film: The Lovely Bones is a hard movie to categorize. In some ways, its a drama. In other ways, its a thriller. Even if it is a hard movie to categorize, that shouldn't take away from the fact that this is a good movie.

When Peter Jackson announced that he was adapting the novel of the same name, people were excited. Jackson had dealt with this type of material very well in Heavenly Creatures and many were hoping for a similar results. But Jackson took a very controversial stand when he announced that he was aiming for a PG-13 rating and had a intention of showing the rape nor the murder of the central character.

Because the rape and the murder were a big part of the book, fans of the book raised their concerns about how the movie would play out. They were concerned that the film would not be faithful to the book.

When the film was released, critics blasted the movie for doing exactly that, but what they failed to realize what that Jackson was going for a different approach to the material. Jackson was not interested with the rape nor the murder, he was interested in how not knowing what has happened to a child could affect the parents.

Jackson and company have, for the most part, succeeded. By not showing the crime, Jackson has put more focus on the bond between the girl's dad, played by Mark Wahlberg, and his daughter. During the course of the movie, the father goes mad trying to find out what happened to his daughter.

For me, this is a very satisfying way of approaching such dark material. Jackson has made a great movie about loss and how it can affect those around it. I also think that the naysayers should give this movie another shot.

The Scores

The Picture: ****
The Sound ****
The Goodies ****
The Film ***1/2

Overall score: **** (not an average)