The Tunnel (2014)

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General		Extras
Category	Thriller	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2014
Running Time	430:00
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (3)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	None Given
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Stephen Dillane Clemence Poesy
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	None Given

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English (Burned In) English for the Hearing Impaired	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Last year, I reviewed the first season of an excellent Swedish/Danish detective series. It is called The Bridge in English however its original title is Bron/Broen which are the Swedish and Danish words for bridge respectively. This title actually reveals much more about the series than the English one does as the series focuses on a case which crosses the border between Sweden and Denmark requiring the police forces of the two countries to team up to solve the case. This series is excellent and has already been remade as a cable series in the US (showing here on Foxtel), The Bridge starring Diane Kruger focusing on the US/Mexico border and as The Tunnel in England/France. The US version is also a high quality series and is definitely worth watching as well. Now, I have had a chance to take a look at the English/French remake which has been shown on the ABC and is now released on DVD by Roadshow.

     In this version the story follows very closely the plot of Season 1 of Bron/Broen with the places changed and the detectives being one from England and one from France. This time the body is found half way along a service tunnel next to the Channel Tunnel and the detectives are Karl Roebuck (Stephen Dillane) and Elise Wasserman (Clemence Poesy). I certainly think it would be enjoyed by audiences who have not seen Bron/Broen or the US remake. It is well made and builds tension and excitement well, adding some English humour to the mix. Unfortunately, it is so similar to Bron/Broen that those who have watched the others will likely see this as the weakest of the three, despite some strong points. It is probably just one too many remakes. I also found the French actress's performance in the very important female role to be weaker than Sofia Helin or Diane Kruger. I realise that it is probably not fair to directly compare them but it is hard with them coming out on top of each other.

     If you have not seen either of the other two versions of this story and can't stand subtitles then this version is worth a look, however others should start with Bron/Broen.The thing which puts the US one ahead of this is the changes made to the plot which keep your interest even if you have seen Bron/Broen.The series contains 10 episodes (approx. 43 minutes each) spread over 3 discs.

     This is a quality series but not a patch on the one it is a remake of.

Video

     The video quality is very good.

    The series is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio which is the original aspect ratio. It is 16x9 enhanced.

     The picture was quite clear and sharp throughout. The shadow detail was very good.

     The colour was well rendered without standing out.

     There were no noticeable artefacts.

     There are subtitles available in English for the Hearing Impaired which are clear and easy to read. They are in a stream however subtitles for the French spoken are burnt into the print.

     There are no obvious layer changes during playback.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The audio quality is good.

     These discs contain an English soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1. There is also an Audio Descriptive track in Dolby Digital 2.0.

     Dialogue was reasonably clear and easy to hear and understand, however the subtitles proved useful.

     The music sounds moody and tense and is a highlight of the production.

     The surround speakers were used mostly for music and some action scenes and subwoofer supported the music.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Menu

    The menu included music.

    This show is available in the UK in the same format and also on Blu-ray.

    The video quality is very good.

    The audio quality is good.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall