‘Swordfish’ 4K UHD Review (Arrow Video)
Stars: Hugh Jackman, John Travolta, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Sam Shepard, Vinnie Jones, Drea de Matteo, Rudolf Martin, Zach Grenier, Camryn Grimes | Written by Skip Woods | Directed by Dominic Sena
Question… What do Hugh Jackman, John Travolta, Halle Berry and Don Cheadle have in common? No, we are not talking about how they have all been in comic book movies! They were actually all together in one film that has become a cult classic over the years.
In 2001, Dominic Sena directed an epic thriller entitled Swordfish. It is hard to believe, but this film is coming up on its Silver Anniversary. But before it gets to that anniversary, Arrow Video has decided to give Swordfish a just as epic 4K UltraHD release.
Former master hacker Stanley Jobson (Hugh Jackman) is on parole after getting caught infiltrating an FBI program. Even so much as glancing at a computer could send him straight back to prison, but Stanley’s new offline life is interrupted when he’s approached by the mysterious Gabriel Shear (John Travolta), who offers him $10 million for one last hacking job. Unable to resist the lure of the computer screen, Stanley accepts and finds himself caught in the middle of a complex web of intrigue involving several covert agencies and a nine billion-dollar government slush fund.
Swordfish was produced by Joel Silver just after he produced the blockbuster The Matrix. And like that film, Swordfish has tons of style and action. However, the story is a bit complex and there’s so much going on that it leaves little time to get invested in the characters. But it is an exciting film with wonderful performances by Halle Berry and Don Cheadle that really stand out to me.
Swordfish makes its 4K UHD debut thanks to Arrow Films on a region-free 4K Disc. The film is transferred to 4K in 2160p and presented in the original 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The audio track options are the original lossless stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Finally, there are English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. Arrow Video took the 4K, 16-bit scan of the original 35mm camera negative, which was provided by Warner Bros and restored it with the approval of director Dominic Sena. What results is a sharp image and a clear audio track. When screening this 4K, I found little to no print damage on this new 4K scan, and Swordfish benefits greatly from the restoration, bringing the viewer a stunning visual experience. In addition to a high-quality 4K scan of this film, Arrow Video has included several bonus features that will keep fans entertained for hours.
Special Features:
- Audio commentary by director Dominic Sena
- Soundtrack Hacker, a brand new interview with composer Paul Oakenfold
- How to Design a Tech Heist, a brand new interview with production designer Jeff Mann
- HBO First Look: Swordfish, a promotional behind-the-scenes featurette
- Effects in Focus: The Flying Bus, a promotional featurette detailing how the film’s iconic climactic scene was created
- Planet Rock Club Reel, a music video by the film’s co-composer Paul Oakenfold
- Swordfish: In Conversation, a promotional featurette with interviews from cast and crew members including actors Hugh Jackman, John Travolta, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle and Sam Shepard, director Dominic Sena, and producer Joel Silver
- Two alternate endings
- Theatrical trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
- Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Priscilla Page and an article from American Cinematographer about the film’s opening sequence
The addition of the HBO First Look featurette is a great bonus. More interviews are always welcome, and the two alternate endings are a very cool bonus. As you can see, Arrow Video really went above and beyond to put the most material possible on this 4K!
**** 4/5
Swordfish is out now on 4K UHD from Arrow Video.
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