Extraordinary Measures Blu-ray Review

John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) appears to be the average working office man. But what we don’t know is the life that John has to live with. John and his wife Aileen (Keri Russell) have three kids and two of them have the Pompe disease. One night after his daughter Megan (Meredith Droeger) has complications and almost dies due to her illness, John decides is time to take action and stop waiting for his kids to die. He sets out to look for famed Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford) who has been conduction research that can potentially treat Pompe. As Jonh and Dr. Stonehill talk they come to an agreement to help further research and develop a medicine for Pompe. Now John must go to great lengths to secure funding for Dr. Stonehill and try to save his kids from a not so bright future.

Where does Extraordinary Measures fit in an already filled inspirational genre? It’s tough to say really. Extraordinary Measures isn’t exactly what I expected from what I read prior to watching the film. It wasn’t exactly tear-jerker or emotional as opposed to what was being catered during advertising of the film. There wasn’t much suspense either. That’s not to say the film wasn’t heartfelt or even good for that matter, because I enjoyed watching the film from beginning to end. It is tough to see sick kids in difficult situations and suffering and not get emotional. This is where the film succeeds. It does a good job making the story around the kids that it sort of forgets momentarily about everything else. The film manages to put the characters in some positive situations as well as very depressing low morale situations that make you feel like you need to skip the scene. The film does seem to drag on a bit too much while trying to convey its message.

The cast of Extraordinary Measures couldn’t have been better. Brendan Fraser was excellent bringing such a humble and true life to his character. The resilient and never give up dad going to extreme measures to save his kids performance deserves praise. Harrison Ford the man behind some of the most memorable characters brought his acting face and showcased some of his talent. The character seems to have been fitted for him. The score sounds fantastic and perfectly fitting for the film providing the perfect tunes for each scene. Fans of the genre will probably enjoy the film, but will without a doubt know that this film doesn’t really make much dent on the already populated genre. This wasn’t an extraordinary film, but I was pleasantly surprised once the end credits began rolling.

Extraordinary Measures arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG 4-AVC encode framed at 1.85:1. Extraordinary Measures may not be the greatest film, but the transfer provided by Sony may sure make it seem that way. Time after time Sony has done a great job with each film they put out in the market. The colors are great and well reproduced all around. Black colors are perfectly reproduced throughout the film. Skin tones are lifelike except once or twice they appear a tad overdone. Fine details are exemplary and visually perfect. The film is topped with a thin layer of grain to give it that film like feel to it. There are a few soft shots, but other than do the film is almost faultless and truly impressive!

Extraordinary Measures arrives on Blu-ray with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless track. First and foremost the film is very dialogue heavy so don’t expect to go in and be wowed by the track because it won’t happen. What the audio track does is remain faithful to film and provide viewers with audio that stays true to the content. Dialogue is clean, clear and crisp right from the beginning and this is exactly where the track excels. The track primarily remains on the fronts with little use of the rears. There are a few scenes were ambiance noise and directionality are well done. The film’s score sounds wonderful by the way. This track does an excellent job with the task given.

Extraordinary Measures features a small list of supplements, check below for a list and description of each item.

Meet John Crowley – This is short where the viewers are introduced to the real life people who the film is based on. Also, there is an introduction to Pompe’s disease for those that don’t know what it is.

Extraordinary Measures: The Power to Overcome – This behind-the-scenes allows cast and crew to about the film.

Deleted Scenes – There is nine (9) deleted scenes included in this release.

Movie Trailers – Featuring The Young Victoria, Not the Messiah, The Back-Up Plan, Not Easily Broken, Dear John, Fireproof, Michael Jackson’s This Is It, and Facing the Giants.

MovieIQ

BD-Live Functionality

Extraordinary Measures is not tear-jerker film that I was expecting. The film does give a heartfelt feeling after-wards, however, if you are looking to be impressed by the content in this film I would suggest you come in with low expectations. Brendan Fraser does an excellent job with his respective character. Fans of inspirational films will probably enjoy the film, but as previously mention won’t be wowed. Take it for what it is. The Blu-ray offers excellent video and audio transfers that are sure to leave buyers happy. Sony has done an amazing job with all their releases. This should make an excellent film for the family.