Air Force One: Superbit (1997)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Cast: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, William H. Macy
Extras:
Rating:

Another one of Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment’s early DVD releases has now found a new release in the form of a ’Superbit’ version.

The DVD features a highly detailed anamorphic widescreen version of the movie in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. As is the case with the other ’Superbit’ releases, improvements are visible, yet rather subtle. If you expect a ’Wow!’ effect, you wont’ find it here. Nonetheless, upon close examination and comparison of the images, the ’Superbit’ release markedly improves on Columbia’s previous release by adding additional detail to the picture, giving it an improved sharpness without the introduction of any artifacts, such ringing from edge-enhancement. Especially in ’busy’ shots the improvement is most visible, as the picture resolves more definition, bringing out even the most subtle details and shades in the backgrounds. It is clear that this is home video at its very best, as the entire bandwidth of the video stream is allocated to ensure best results throughout.

On the audio side, things look the same. The addition of a DTS track gives audiophiles the chance to enjoy the film in their favorite format, while the Dolby Digital track also features an increased data rate for better resolution of the sonic information. Both tracks are phenomenally clear and detailed, creating a very active and aggressive sound field with an incredible dynamic range that allows for faithful reproduction of even the most subtle nuances. Especially the DTS track manages to impress once again with its full-bodied presentation and a very aggressive bass extension. But also the layered textures of the score are more transparent, giving the audio track better integration.

Fans of high-end audio and video will not be disappointed by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment’s ’Superbit’ treatment of ’Air Force One.’ Without extras, it is certainly not a release for supplementophiles but real movie connoisseurs will cherish the clarity and definition of this presentation.