Tears of the Sun DVD Review:


Synopsis

Bruce Willis stars as Lt. A.K. Waters, a heroic Navy S.E.A.L. who defies military orders and follows his conscience in director Antoine Fuqua's epic action drama. Sent to the jungles of embattled Africa to rescue a doctor (Monica Bellucci), Waters realizes he must also save the refugees in her care even if it endangers him and his troops and places his military career in jeopardy.

The Video

TEARS OF THE SUN appears in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. TEARS OF THE SUN looked remarkable. Sharpness looked fantastic; movie appeared distinct and concise at all times, softness appeared at times, this mainly appeared on wider shots, but even a few closer images occasionally seemed a bit fuzzy. Jagged edges created no concerns, but I did notice signs of edge enhancement at times. As for print flaws, the movie remained clean and fresh from start to finish, as I noticed no signs of grain, speckles or grit. Colors were brilliant; hues were reasonably lively and vivid. Greens were absolutely stunning during the jungle scenes. Black levels appeared nicely deep and dense, while shadow detail was appropriately thick but not too thick. When it’s all said and done TEARS OF THE SUN provided a clear-cut presentation.

The Audio

TEARS OF THE SUN is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The Dolby track provides a very engaging mix. The soundfield provided material from all five channels much of the time, and it did so in a fairly assertive manner. Much more active than normal, the score and music surged from all sides with many different effects. Audio quality also seemed solid. Dialogue was natural and crisp, as the track lacked any issues related to edginess. Music came across as bright and vivid, with nice bass fidelity throughout the film. Effects presented concise and accurate swish, as they sounded detailed and distinct. Ultimately, TEARS OF THE SUN provides a great soundtrack and it worked very well for this film. I’m looking forward to the DTS track that will be issued on this Superbit release in months to come.

The Extras

Commentary by director Antoine Fuqua

Writer's observations

Journey to Safety: Making Tears of the Sun

Deleted scenes

Voices of Africa

Africa fact track

Theatrical trailer(s)

Interactive map of Africa

Summary

TEARS OF THE SUN is a war movie that shows the human spirit in it's best fashion. Bruce Willis is extraordinary in his character role as Lt. Waters. Director Antoine Fuqua, who directed TRAINING DAY, delivers a brutal war picture with delineation’s of cultural refinement that is hard to watch, but his directions are right on the money as TEARS OF THE SUN is hard-hitting and passionate film making at it’s finest. Fuqua did an admirable job of directing this film.

This is a much better film than one might expect; the film has the right balance of tense drama, hostile dilemmas and moral principles. One fault that may baffle some viewers is Willis’ role as the tough veteran Navy SEAL. Lt. Waters is supposed to be this ferociously steadfast lieutenant, but when he disobeys orders from his commanding officer at the first display of ethnic dilemma it makes you wonder if this is the first time this hardened veteran has ever seen war. Nonetheless, if you can overlook that, and if you want to see Willis at his best, then you’ll unquestionably take pleasure in this film.

The DVD presents excellent picture and sound and also includes significant amounts of extras. Serious devotees of Willis and of the action/war/drama genre may want to purchase this film. TEARS OF THE SUN comes highly recommended!

DVD Rating: 3.5 out of 4

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