Review of Panic Room (Superbit)

Introduction

I saw Panic Room at the cinema when it was released back in May 2002, and bought this Region 1 "Superbit" release when it came out - I`ve got such a large pile of unwatched DVDs that it`s taken me 15 months to get around to watching it again.

The movie tells the story of a divorcee, Jody Foster, who buys a large house in Manhattan that is equipped with a "panic room" - an inner fortress where the homeowner can seek refuge should anyone unwelcome get into the house. The previous occupant of the house had died a wealthy man and had installed a hidden safe in the house to hide his money from greedy relatives - however the man who installed the safe thinks the house is empty and plans to take the contents for himself.

He doesn`t bank on anyone being there, and he certainly doesn`t bank on how resourceful a mother trying to protect her child can be...

Video

The video is presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen and, as you would expect from a modern film released as part of the much vaunted "Superbit" line, the picture quality is excellent throughout the movie. There is no evidence of dirt on the print, and no grain or compression pixilation, despite the vast majority of the scenes being very dark.

The film is set almost entirely inside a Manhattan townhouse, which is superbly filmed with many long camera pans throughout the house, which combine traditional camerawork with CGI to give the impression that the camera is moving through walls. Overall, the presentation of the film is very stylish.

Audio

Being a "Superbit" release, Panic Room has a choice of both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 soundtracks, I chose the latter, which offers a bit more dynamic range and power, as you would expect.

The sound in the movie is excellent, more for the subtlety rather than noisy flypasts etc - for example the rain and various other noises that occupy the rear channels and really help to immerse you in the film.

Features

"Superbit" releases forgo extras to ensure that the maximum room is available on the disc for the video and soundtracks. This release however does feature the trailer.

The disc is packaged in a horrid cardboard slipcase - in the interests of long-term durability, I prefer my movies to come in a plastic case, preferably of the Amaray variety.

Conclusion

Overall, I enjoyed Panic Room at the cinema, and I enjoyed it every bit as much again on this DVD, which features excellent picture and sound.

Despite being set entirely inside a house, the filmmakers do a very good job of maintaining the tension and interest throughout the film, through a combination of excellent performances from Jodie Foster and Forest Whittaker, excellent visuals and enough action to keep the movie running at a good pace.

Fans of thrillers will not be disappointed and this is a recommended disc.