The Captive appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Overall, the image looked fine.
Sharpness came across well. A smidgen of softness occasionally crept into a few wider shots, but those created no lasting concerns. Instead, we got good clarity and accuracy. Shimmering and jaggies remained absent, and I noticed no edge haloes. Print flaws also failed to mar the presentation.
In terms of colors, Captive veered toward a chilly palette, with an emphasis on ambers. Within the production design, the hues seemed appropriate. Blacks looked dark and tight, and shadows showed good delineation. This became a positive transfer.
As for the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, it seemed low-key but appropriate for an introverted character drama. This meant a soundscape with limited ambition. Dialogue and music dominated the mix, so don’t expect a lot from effects. Cars filled outdoor scenes and they moved around the room in an acceptable manner, but not much else added zing. That was fine, as the story didn’t demand sonic fireworks.
Audio quality was good. Speech seemed concise and distinctive, without edginess or other issues. Music sounded lush and full, while effects were accurate and clear. Though not memorable, the soundtrack fit the movie.
As we shift to extras, we launch with an audio commentary from director/co-writer Atom Egoyan. He covers real-life influences, story/character areas, themes, editing and visual motifs, cast and performances, interpretation, music and related areas.
If you expect a nuts and bolts discussion from Egoyan, you won’t find it, as he prefers to stick with story areas much of the time. While it might be nice to know a little more about the movie’s actual creation, Egoyan still turns out a good chat, as he gives us a nicely introspective look at the film. Lots of insights come along for the ride in this engaging piece.
A featurette called Captive Thoughts runs eight minutes, 49 seconds and includes comments from Egoyan, and actors Mireille Enos, Ryan Reynolds, Rosario Dawson, Kevin Durand, and Scott Speedman. The piece covers story/character areas, research and Egoyan’s impact on the production. Not a lot of substance emerges in this fairly bland discussion.
Six Deleted Scenes occupy a total of 13 minutes, 56 seconds. We also get an Alternate Ending (1:51). The latter finishes the movie on a darker note; I probably prefer it to the “real” finale.
As for the other sequences, they tend to add some minor character moments. A couple of minor plot points appear – mainly related to the villain – but these don’t give us much that seems important.
The disc opens with ads for Revenge of the Green Dragons, Son of a Gun, A Most Violent Year, Wild Card, Tusk and Vice. No trailer for The Captive shows up here.
For a while, The Captive manages to deliver an intriguing twist on an abduction tale. Unfortunately, it loses steam and focus as it goes, so it turns into a moderately dissatisfying mess along the way. The Blu-ray brings us good picture and audio as well as supplements highlighted by an insightful commentary. I don’t think Captive is a bad film, but it has too many issues to be a true success.