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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Days of Thunder (1990)

Days of Thunder (1990)

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Released 8-Jun-2001

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Action Theatrical Trailer
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 1990
Running Time 102:51
RSDL / Flipper RSDL (53:55) Cast & Crew
Start Up Language Select Then Programme
Region Coding 4 Directed By Tony Scott
Studio
Distributor

Paramount Home Entertainment
Starring Tom Cruise
Robert Duvall
Randy Quaid
Nicole Kidman
Cary Elwes
Case Amaray-Transparent
RPI $39.95 Music Hans Zimmer


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None English Dolby Digital 5.1 (384Kb/s)
Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
French Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
Not 16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 2.35:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English
English for the Hearing Impaired
French
Croatian
Portuguese
Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    OK, Let's get two things out the way first. Yes, this is a non 16x9 enhanced transfer, and yes, Nicole Kidman plays a young twenty-something brain surgeon. Right, now that that's out the way, on with the review.

    Days of Thunder was one of my favourite no-brainer movies from my late teens/early twenties when driving fast and loud was a prerequisite for a night out. I have mellowed over the years, so it was interesting to see if this movie still held the same appeal as it did then.

    Producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer (names synonymous with lots of noise and having no money left over to hire a decent scriptwriter) once again teamed with Director Tony Scott (Top Gun) to make a movie which is essentially Top Gun on a race track.

    Tom Cruise plays Cole Trickle; a young, brash, know-it-all driver with no stockcar experience but plenty of determination. Businessman Tim Daland (Randy Quaid), keen to start a NASCAR team with the ultimate aim of winning the Daytona 500 recruits Cole and legendary crew chief Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall). Cole wins a few races but then crashes after tangling with rival Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker). Both end up in hospital under the care of Dr. Claire Lewicki (Nicole Kidman) due to some possible damage to their brains (I think they were damaged before they crashed!). Will they recover in time to race again at Daytona?

    This movie will certainly not stretch your brain cells too far at all. The script is very sloppy, with some serious holes big enough to drive the proverbial NASCAR through. It is male testosterone overload most of the time, and with Tom Cruise having a hand in the script and a bit of a thing for race cars, it's no wonder. But, it's still fun. The race car scenes are well-filmed and the story is not complicated, so you don't have to concentrate at all.

Don't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration.

Transfer Quality

Video

    Disappointing to say the least. Obviously, the lack of 16x9 enhancement goes a long way towards contributing to my disappointment with this transfer. It looks like the old laserdisc transfer was used with no effort made to clean it up.

    The transfer is presented in its original aspect of 2.35:1, and as previously stated it is most definitely NOT 16x9 enhanced.

    The sharpness level is merely acceptable, although there are several instances of edge enhancement throughout. Shadow detail is not too bad, but the transfer is seldom stretched in this area, with most of the action taking place in broad daylight. At times, shadows becomes a bit muddy in the dimly-lit interior shots and in the couple of night-time scenes. There is also a fair amount of grain evident throughout.

    The colour is probably the biggest disappointment. During the races, there are many instances where bright vivid colours should be seen, as all the race teams have very different schemes with all manner of sponsors' logos on show. Unfortunately, this is not the case in this transfer. The colours are merely average with none of them standing out from the crowd.

    There are no apparent MPEG artefacts, but film artefacts are numerous. All manner of blotches and scratches appear throughout the transfer, most notably in the early scenes.

    There are numerous subtitles presented on this disc. I viewed the English and the English for the Hearing Impaired subtitles. These are among the most inaccurate subtitles I have ever viewed, with many words missing or complete sentences abridged for no apparent reason. This is not a rare occurrence - it happens to almost every second subtitle. I checked the subtitles on the Region 1 version and was even more surprised. It only has one subtitle track, that being French, but they don't even work!

    This is an RSDL-formatted disc with the layer change occurring at 53:55. It is noticeable - Nicole Kidman pauses briefly in mid-stride - even though it is placed on a scene change.

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

Audio

    This is certainly the high point of this disc, but it also has its problems. It's the type of  5.1 mix that is all boom and crash for a few seconds per scene, then it collapses to the front with little use anywhere else. The surrounds and subwoofer, when utilized, are just a little too obvious for my liking.

    There are four audio tracks present on this DVD; English Dolby Digital 5.1, and Spanish, French, and Italian Dolby Digital 2.0. Unfortunately, you are unable to select these tracks on the fly and must navigate through two sub-menus from the main menu to change them. Very cumbersome.

    Dialogue is mastered at a significantly lower level than on other discs that I have reviewed. I had to turn this up a full 10 dB from my normal review setting and this made the car racing scenes incredibly loud, which I guess isn't a bad thing - just be warned, they are very loud. There are no problems with audio sync.

    The score was composed by Hans Zimmer and is serviceable. The intro credits track in particular is quite engrossing. The songs used, particularly during the race car scenes are also excellent. Gimme Some Lovin' by The Spencer Davis Group really rocks and I always love to see it used in any movie. Maria McKee's Show Me Heaven enjoyed chart success in 1990 as a result of this movie and is used in the tender moments (don't worry, these are few and far between).

    Surround channel use is a mixed bag. During the car racing scenes, they are used to the full, with cars screaming around the room in complete circles. As soon as the race finishes, this all collapses to the front speakers and there is no further use behind the listener until the next race. Obvious, but fun.

    Gentlemen, Start Your Subwoofers! Watch out for the subwoofer use during the last race, The Daytona 500. It blasts and nearly knocked me over. Use during the other Winston Cup races is also nice and responsive. The roar of the engines is beautifully replicated as are the many crashes. Apart from that, it doesn't get much use, which is in line with the surround channel use.

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

Extras

Theatrical Trailer (2:15 mins)

    This is a fairly ordinary trailer that seems to have two aims. Number one is to give away almost the entire story and number two is to see how large and how often the word "CRUISE" can be displayed on the screen. Presented in letterboxed 2.35:1 and with Dolby Digital 2.0 sound.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    It's "comforting" to know that we are not the only ones to receive a non 16x9 enhanced transfer.

    The Region 4 disc misses out on;

    The Region 1 disc misses out on;     I've watched both Region's discs over the last week and don't really like either of them. The fact that the R1 disc cost me the better part of sixty dollars sees me pick the R4 without question.

Summary

    Days Of Thunder is one of my favourite no-brainer movies from the early nineties. It is still a fun movie to watch but has not stood the test of time as well as I had hoped. An average video transfer and lack of 16x9 enhancement contribute greatly to my disappointment. The audio is serviceable and during the car races your subwoofer will be nicely tested.

    There are no extras worth getting excited over.

    Unless you absolutely have to have this movie, I'd rather spend my forty bucks on something else with a half decent transfer and 16x9 enhancement. My recommendation - wait for the Collector's Edition (if there ever is one).

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Darren Walters (It's . . . just the vibe . . . of my bio)
Monday, June 11, 2001
Review Equipment
DVDToshiba 1200, using S-Video output
DisplayLoewe Calida (84cm). Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable.
Audio DecoderBuilt in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials.
AmplificationHarmon/Kardon AVR7000.
SpeakersFront - B&W 602S2, Centre - B&W CC6S2, Rear - B&W 601S2, Sub - Energy E:xl S10

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