When it comes to owning movies the last concern of mine is the supplements. Special features are akin to the sprinkles on a cupcake most of the time and rarely do they add to the flavor of the overall package. Certainly there are moments when features stand out, such as the inclusion of Killer’s Kiss on Criterion’s release of Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing, but if you’re going to try comparing a studio release to a Criterion release you’re already fighting a losing battle.
When it comes to Hanna, a film that sits easily in my top two of 2011 so far all, all I cared about was whether or not the film would be presented with a picture perfect image and crisp soundtrack and in both departments the Blu-ray scores high marks. Clarity can be found in all corners as the film bounces from the icy wilds of Finland to the scorched desert of Morocco, and the thumping Chemical Brothers score benefits every step of the way.
In an attempt to be brief, I will avoid delving into the story and simply repeat the opening line from my theatrical review from back in April and move on… “Hanna is electric. It’s exciting. It’s a mood piece filled with a pulse and the energy of life.”
As far as the features are concerned I was rather unimpressed. Director Joe Wright’s commentary is informative, but became increasingly grating as his go to verbal pause isn’t an “um” but instead a back-of-the-throat raspy “ahhhhh” that was like nails on a chalkboard for me. I powered through, but will never return to it again.
The included featurettes seem more like glorified EPK features and I found it upsetting the visual effects breakdown I included here wasn’t even part of the package. There is also an alternate ending, which was rightly excised, but seeing it was hardly necessary as Wright’s description and reason for removing it from the commentary sufficed. But like I said, my primary hope is for the movie to look and sound good and high marks all around in that case.
For me, a recommendation is easy. Hanna is currently competing with Drive for being considered my “favorite film of the year” so if you find your tastes matching mine then by all means click the link that follows. Otherwise, give it a rent and I hope it meets with your approval.
