Occupation: Rainfall appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The image worked well.
Sharpness appeared strong. Only minor softness appeared, so the movie usually remained tight and concise. I saw no signs of shimmering or jaggies, and print flaws remained absent.
In terms of palette, Rainfall tended toward standard teal and orange, though some scenes boasted a broader sense of color. These hues showed good representation within stylistic constraints.
Blacks were dark and tight, and shadows seemed smooth. The movie consistently looked solid.
In addition, the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack became an engulfing mix. The track came with instances of dynamic information, mainly during action-oriented sequences, and those popped to life in an exciting fashion.
Much of the flick went with more ambient audio, and those segments succeeded as well. These contributed a good sense of atmosphere and formed an involving sensibility throughout the film, factors that made this a pleasing mix.
Audio quality seemed solid. Music was bold and full, and effects followed suit, as those elements appeared accurate and dynamic, with deep, tight bass.
Speech remained natural and without edginess or concerns. Though not totally action-packed, this became a reasonably broad, involving track.
One added note: the mix came mastered at an unusually low level. When I cranked the volume, it sounded good, but I did need to twist that knob farther to the right than normal.
A few extras round out the disc, and we find two separate audio commentaries. The first comes from writer/director Luke Sparke, as he offers a running, screen-specific look at story/characters and the first film, cast and performances, sets and locations, various effects, music and audio, photography and editing, stunts and action, and related subjects.
At his best, Sparke gives a good overview of various production domains. However, he tends to just describe the on-screen action a little too often. As such, this becomes a mostly worthwhile track but not one that consistently engages.
For the second commentary, we hear from Sparke, producers Carly Imrie and Carmel Imrie, actor Zachary Garred and visual effects supervisor Alex Becconsall. All five sit together for this running, screen-specific discussion of the same topics as the prior track.
That doesn’t mean repetition much of the time, as we get different perspectives here. However, the end result remains lackluster. While we find occasional insights, too much of the commentary feels fluffy and full of praise.
Sydney Escape runs three minutes, 51 seconds and provides an odd form of music video. We see an orchestra perform part of the score while we get movie scenes cut into this footage. Why? I don’t know, but it adds little to the set.
Eight Deleted Scenes span a total of 12 minutes, 57 seconds. These mix added character moments with some action at times. Given the movie already feels long at 128 minutes, these simply would’ve slowed an already tiresome product.
We can watch the deleted scenes with or without commentary from Sparke. He tells us about the sequences and why they didn’t make the final cut.
Because I like sci-fi action flicks, I hoped that Occupation: Rainfall would offer an exciting addition to the genre. Unfortunately, it becomes little more than a loose collection of battle scenes in search of a plot or any form of creativity. The Blu-ray provides solid picture and audio along with a collection of bonus materials. Don’t expect much from this tedious affair.