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Static 3D Blu-ray Combo Review

  • Actors: Milo Ventimiglia, Sarah Shahi, William Mapother, Sara Paxton
  • Director: Todd Levin
  • Format: Color, NTSC, 3D, Widescreen, Multiple Formats
  • Language: English
  • Subtitles: English
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
  • Number of discs: 3
  • Rated: Unrated
  • Studio: NEW VIDEO GROUP
  • Release Date: October 8, 2013
  • Run Time: 90 minutes


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            There are many unique problems with Static, Todd Levin’s directorial debut, but all of its assets are borrowed from better films. The premise is similar to The Strangers or The Stranger Within, with a young girl (Sara Paxton) appearing at the door of a troubled couple late at night, and all hell erupts from her visit. If only it were enough to take the best from better films, but it doesn’t outweigh the amount of originally poor decisions made in Static. The most difficult aspect is the weighty storyline of grieving parents at the center of a genre film.

     

    Jonathan Dade (Milo Ventimiglia) is a famed author grieving the loss of his son with his wife, Addie (Sarah Shahi), giving us protagonists who seem to have come from a Stephen King novel. The mysterious girl’s intentions quickly come into question, and then become irrelevant as all three are attacked by a group of men wearing masks. Even locked in their own home they aren’t safe from the faceless attackers with unknown motivation. When all is finally revealed, it resembles a number of other films with cliché twist endings. Perhaps if this film had done it first we may have been impressed, but now it just feels like lazy filmmaking.

     

    Aside from an awful ending that explains everything perfectly, there are many issues with Static. The first problem is the lack of excitement. When the intruders finally do attack, it can get suspenseful, but it takes far too long for this to happen. And once it does happen, there isn’t much at stake when the intruders don’t seem determined to hurt anyone as much as just stalk around their property menacingly. Stylistically, Static has a great deal going for it, though there are just too many random ideas in the dreary screenplay to highlight them properly.    

     

    The bonus features include writer, producer and editor’s commentary track, making for a commentary with many random voices floating around. The Blu-ray 3D release includes three discs, with an additional 2D Blu-ray and DVD also included. The odd thing about this movie is the minimized effect that the 3D appears to have on the visuals. Much of the film seems indifferent to the medium.

           

    Entertainment Value: 6/10

    Quality of Filmmaking: 6/10

    Historical Significance: 4/10

    Disc Features: /10

     

     

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