The Darkest Hour 3D Blu-ray (2011) [Region Locked]

[BleedOrange11]

Just watched The Darkest Hour in 3D.

The plot is just as bad as the critic reviews describe. The filmmakers do a great job setting up an alien apocalypse and creating a dark atmosphere. However, they repeatedly ask you to buy into absurd logic and cheesy happenstances, which completely ruin the story. On the plus side, the movie takes place in post-apocalyptic Russia, so we do get treated to some gorgeous views of Red Square and crumbling Moscow. The set pieces look awesome, and the performances from the four main characters are generally good.

The 3D presentation is best described as inconsistent. One minute, it's strong and immersive and the next, it's boring and flat. Image separation varies from one shot to the next without rhyme or reason. Camera cuts are too quick, especially during action scenes. Sometimes during subtitled dialogue, the movie switches to 2D. For the most part, the movie is filmed with 2D-style framing without attention to foreground placement or background layering. As a consequence, only environments with naturally interesting depth look consistently good. Use of low camera angles, long corridors, hole-in-the-wall viewpoints, floating CGI ash, and CGI alien POVs provide nice-looking exceptions. 90% of the scenes are kept entirely in positive parallax, and the screen becomes a noticeable barrier. Occasionally, a blurred foreground object does appear in negative parallax. The aforementioned floating CGI ash is the only effect that can be considered as "pop-out," and admittedly, it does look pretty cool.

It seemed like the filmmakers were learning how to use 3D as they made the movie. While a little more research and forethought into scene setup and 3D use would have been nice, I applaud their efforts and their decision to film with 3D cameras. There are some sporadically nice 3D moments, and the BD3D can be had pretty cheap online. I found mine used for $11.69 from GoHastings.

Movie - 2/5
Stereography - 2.5/5
Depth - 4/5
Pop-out - 2/5
Dimensionality - 4.5/5

[Jsmith82]

Good Review. I kind of felt the same way however I also had a viewing issue with this movie and my 3DBR player (needed an update). After the update, we watched it for a second time, probably close to 6-7 weeks after our first viewing - I enjoyed it a lot more this time around though I still wanted to punch that jerk from the beggining.

Pop is very weak, completely agree. Depth is pretty intense and the post apocalyptic Russia is a fun trip to take on a 3D setup.

All in all, I'd say it's a great native 3D movie to catch if you can get it on sale for <=19.99 USD all in.

[Zivouhr]

Thanks for the review BleedOrange. I was wondering about this one each time I walk into the store and see it on the shelves.

Post War 3D sounds appealing. The 3D inconsistency makes me think twice, but I will give this a try one day.

[mseeley]

I still want to check this one out too. Hopefully soon

[BleedOrange11]

I had been wondering about it for a while too. I liked the 3D trailer but saw that critics gave the story and 3D very average marks. I haven't always agreed with critic 3D ratings, so I gave it a shot since it was pretty cheap. In this case, unfortunately, the critics were right. It does provide a bit of fun though if, like me, you are really craving some native live-action 3D.

Next up: The Amazing Spider-Man in IMAX 3D.

[mseeley]

Originally Posted by BleedOrange11

Next up: The Amazing Spider-Man in IMAX 3D.

Going to be checking it out in that format next week I think! My cousin's husband(who works at Sony) thought the movie was terrific and he told me I should see it in Imax due to the shifting aspect ratio for the finale!! I can't wait!!!

[hsini2015]

Pop is very weak, completely agree. Depth is pretty intense and the post apocalyptic Russia is a fun trip to take on a 3D setup.

[Blu Tiger]

Originally Posted by BleedOrange11

I had been wondering about it for a while too. I liked the 3D trailer but saw that critics gave the story and 3D very average marks. I haven't always agreed with critic 3D ratings, so I gave it a shot since it was pretty cheap. In this case, unfortunately, the critics were right. It does provide a bit of fun though if, like me, you are really craving some native live-action 3D.

Next up: The Amazing Spider-Man in IMAX 3D.

I like your reviews. So I have been on the fence about getting this in 3D. What would you recommend? The 2D or 3D version?

[BleedOrange11]

Originally Posted by Blu Tiger

I like your reviews. So I have been on the fence about getting this in 3D. What would you recommend? The 2D or 3D version?

Thanks.

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't watch this movie for free in 2D. Unless the 3D is reference quality or I really love the story, 90% of the fun for me is evaluating the 3D and discussing it on here. The 3D isn't stellar, but it's a cheap disc. It's filmed native, so there's no wonky-looking depth mistakes. I'd compare Darkest Hour's 3D to that in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. If you need 3D to "Wow!" you, you can just skip it entirely. If you want to see a cheesy story in post-apocalyptic Russia with okay native 3D, this disc is for you.

[Mobe1969]

I've watched it about 3 times, including mid last year on the projector, and I enjoy the story, and the 3D.

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by Mobe1969

I've watched it about 3 times, including mid last year on the projector, and I enjoy the story, and the 3D.

That's pretty good, thanks. I'll have to give it another spin soon in the 3D player.

[dartfrog298]

I rewatched The Darkest Hour just last week. I thought it was an OK movie. I thought the 3D was decent.

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by UFAlien

Stalingrad was also native 3D.

Oh man, thanks for letting me know. That was one of the weakest uses of a 3D camera I've seen in awhile then. To have a stereo 3D camera rig, and then dial everything down to near 2D levels is such a waste of 3D. That movie could've been something in stronger 3D.

[kinkyqueen]

Sorry for necroposting, but this one does not work on my Sony BDP-S6700. Is that a common problem?

I see the warnings but when it has to go to the menu it just freezes up and shuts down

[kinkyqueen]

It worked the 723rd time

[Smaugone]

Originally Posted by kinkyqueen

It worked the 723th time

Never say never! But I just did twice.

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by kinkyqueen

It worked the 723rd time

That's good. How did you like The Darkest Hour and the 3D?

I haven't watched this one since I first bought it many years ago. The 3D was okay, low medium, sometimes milder 3D, sometimes medium layering. Nothing amazing. A sort of interesting film, with invisible enemies. I'll get around to rewatching it in 3D one of these years.

Originally Posted by Smaugone

Never say never! But I just did twice.

Clever use of Never.

[kinkyqueen]

Originally Posted by Zivouhr

That's good. How did you like The Darkest Hour and the 3D?

I'd already seen it flat and liked it (7/10) when it first came out some 10 years ago and revisited yesterday in 3D. The 3rd dimension really added to the effects. 7.5/10

[levcore]

Need to rewatch this but i always found the 3D to be a bit too conservative for my liking. The FX with the aliens and their particles etc were well done in 3D though but the rest of it seemed fairly tame.

Probably due a rewatch. The movie is weird, it feels like the start of a series or something and doesn't really wrap up/ resolve anything at the end. It just kind of stops.

[Just_Discovered_3D]

Being late to the party I need to actually watch this, as I now own the 3d blu from a combo deal. Frankly I don't even remember it being out theatrically.

Just so long as it was better than the director's prior effort Wanted, though if Wanted had been in 3D it would have beaten Avatar to the punch as everyone else in the theater was only there for 2 reasons and if they had been 3D...

On that note, is there anything similarly scandalous in this one that I should be on the lookout for?