The Machine is actually a well made indie science-fiction flick with good performances, some respectable visual and make-up effects. I kind of hope the filmmakers behind the film could at least be a part of any “Ghost in the Shell” adaptation because they did a damn good job with the material here which is more or less around the same concept.
The Machine
(2013)
Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Action, Drama
XLrator Media | R – 91 min. – $20.99 | June 17, 2014
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MOVIE INFO: Directed by: Caradog James Writer(s): Caradog James (written by) Cast: Toby Stephens, Caity Lotz, Denis Lawson, Sam Hazeloine DISC INFO: Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1) |
PLOT SUMMARY
Deep into a second Cold War, Britain’s Ministry of Defense wants a game-changing weapon. Lead scientist Vincent McCarthy (TOBY STEPHENS) has developed a cybernetic super-soldier dubbed “The Machine.” When a programming bug causes the prototype to run amok, McCarthy takes his obsessive efforts underground. Soon he has perfected the ideal marriage of human and machine in his ultimate creation, a beautiful and dangerous being (CAITY LOTZ) that may be the key to ending the war, but a sentience stirring inside the machine puts everyone’s plans in jeopardy.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.5/5
Not much here except the Inside The Machine (15:34) featurette, which has some behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, and the Theatrical Trailer (1:32).
VIDEO – 4.0/5
XLrator Media unleashes The Machine onto Blu-ray presented with a 1080p high-definition transfer and 2.35 widescreen aspect ratio. The picture, surprisingly enough, looks good with fine detail levels, colors are purposely muted in keeping with a bleak future. I didn’t notice any major instances of artifacting or pixilation.
AUDIO – 4.0/5
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track has a fairly wide range from crisp and clear dialogue levels to some decently depth-filled action scenes making use of the front channels while the rear speakers are relegated for the score and ambient noises.
OVERALL – 3.5/5
Overall, The Machine is actually a well made indie science-fiction flick with good performances, some respectable visual and make-up effects. I kind of hope the filmmakers behind the film could at least be a part of any “Ghost in the Shell” adaptation because they did a damn good job with the material here which is more or less around the same concept. The Blu-ray released by XLrator Media offers up good video and audio transfers while the bonus features are limited.
Published: 06/18/2014